Q. What is Hip Dysplasia (HD)?

A. In layman’s terms Hip Dysplasia is a looseness of the hips that results in mobility problems.

Q. What causes Hip Dysplasia?

A. It depends on whom you want to listen too. The people who want to sell you testing kits will say
that its all genetic but the severity can be effected by the environment. Those who want
to sell you food may blame it all on the diet. The truth probably ranges from both extremes with a bell curve in the middle
where the dog’s genetics and his environment both play a role.

Q. Can Hip Dysplasia be prevented?

A. There is evidence that diet can prevent the manifestation of the condition. http://www.drianbillinghurst.com.
There are efforts being made to deal with inherited aspects of the disease but where they have been stridently implemented
in Europe the success rate was not very high and most likely not cost effective.
http://www.petsurgery. com/caninehipdysplasia.html.
Moreover, not only has breeding against Hip Dysplasia been mostly unsuccessful, the reduction of gene pool caused by
such breeding selections may actually make things worse and also lead to other genetic problems. For an in-depth analysis,
please read the following Academic Dissertation.

Q. Will getting a puppy from a Sire and Dam with an approved OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) hip rating
protect my puppy from a risk of getting Hip Dysplasia ?

A. Absolutely not, it may actually do the opposite and result in a pup with bad hips. An acceptable OFA rating of the
parents, the grandparents, the great-grandparents, the great-great-grandparents and to infinity, BY THEMSELVES, is almost
worthless. What is important is the status of the siblings of the pup and the siblings of all these ancestors. The following
is a quote from the OFA website. “For example; a dog with fair hips but with a strong hip background and over 75% of its
brothers and sisters being normal is a good breeding prospect. A dog with excellent hips, but with a weak family background
and less than 75% of its brothers and sisters being normal is a poor breeding prospect”. In other words, it possible to have
an excellent rated dog that should NOT be used for breeding and at the same time have a dog with poor rated hips be a good
choice for a breeder. From that statement alone it should be obvious the rating, by itself, is of no use to a potential
puppy buyer. In the same vein, a rating is also useless to the breeder unless they implement the entire protocol.

Q. How are OFA rating supposed to be used?

A. To properly use the OFA ratings, the breeder must know the OFA ratings for the Sire and Dam, for ALL of the siblings
of both the Sire and Dam, for All four Grandparents, and ALL of the Grandparents' siblings, for ALL eight Great-grandparents
and for ALL of the Great-grandparents' siblings. These OFA ratings must then be placed in a "vertical pedigree" and
calculated to determine whether or not a dog should be bred. Assuming that each animal is only bred once and each litter has
10 pups, that is a minimum of 140 dogs with OFA ratings that the breeder must have recorded. What is important is that the
mass quantity of dogs in that list be free of Hip Dysplasia. Since Hip Dysplasia has both an nutritional and complex genetic
components, it is very possible to have a dog with excellent hips whose entire genetic makeup is composed of dogs with
horrible hips(and such a dog will throw pups with bad hips). Its for that reason that any individual dog’s OFA rating is a
worthless predictor of Hip Dysplasia and it is also the reason why it takes so much information to attempt to make the OFA
protocol work. In fact, it requires such a large amount information to do the ratings properly that I doubt if ANY
show breeder has successfully implemented the protocol. If you desire more information check out the following document
on the OFA website BREEDERS GUIDE TO DATA. CLICK

Q. If the OFA rating of any individual dog is worthless, why do breeders and breed clubs push the ratings?

A. The obvious answer is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions; it’s the same path that destroys a breed
by focusing on form over function. Unfortunately, very few breeders have any sort of scientific training and just don’t
understand what is required to implement the OFA protocols.. Those few that do understand the science involved know
they don’t have enough dogs or historical data to make the system work. However, what most breed clubs and breeders do
understand is fashion and political correctness, and they want to be seen as attempting to address the "problem"
(the fact that Hip Dysplasia is not an issue in the Ridgeback population as a whole is beside the point). Unfortunately,
improperly selecting against one genetic component unnecessarily jeopardizes the gene pools diversity. It is just another
shameful example of how selecting for "looks" and "appearances" can destroy a breed. Moreover, for the truly Evil breeders,
they can find the one dog in a lineage of unbreedable dogs that has an excellent OFA hip rating and breed it. By doing so,
they hide their lineages’ genetic flaws long enough to make a sale to an unwitting and uninformed customer. Eventually the
offspring comes down with Hip Dysplasia, and by that time the customer is stuck with a sick dog. These very same breeders
will then require you to return or destroy that pet to get any “warranty” relief, knowing full well that any loving owner
would never do such a thing. And while this may be bad enough for any individual owner, should the dog be unfortunate
enough to be a confirmation champion, these bad genes will be spread widely in the breed.

Q. How can I protect my self from ignorant or unscrupulous breeders using the OFA ratings to make poor breedings
or even scamming me?

A. Fortunately if you have read all of this FAQ you know what questions to ask. If the breeder claims to use the OFA
protocol, ask to see the “vertical pedigrees” and have them explain how the OFA protocol works. If they don’t know what
you’re talking about and can’t provide you with the data and answers, then you can be sure they are either ignorant or
trying to con you. In either case be very wary. The thing to really watch out for is a breeder who understands the system,
uses the ratings on a few dogs, but does not implement the system. In such a case, the only legitimate reason to do an OFA
screening on a dog is as a medical diagnostic tool to confirm a suspected case of Hip Dysplasia. Otherwise you should
suspect that they are just doing it to fool the customer into a false sense of security, or in the worst case they are
purposefully misusing the OFA ratings to hide bad lineages and con the customer.

Q. Is there any way I can test my potential puppy directly for hip problems?

A. Yes, there is the PennHIP method that can be used on pups as young as 16 weeks of age. Using this method will at a
minimum give you some direct risk assessment of your potential puppy’s susceptibility to getting Hip Dysplasia.
Pennhip

Q. What are the good lineages and what ones and who should I avoid?

A. To answer that question would require good record keeping and access to the entire medical data base of the breed to
be made public. Despite breeders claiming they only want what’s best for the breed, such a list will not happen for the
obvious reasons.

Q. So how can I find a good breeder?

A. It depends what you are looking for in a dog. If you want purely an animal for the dog shows, then you should find a
breeder with a good record of wins and be prepared to find a dog that is marginal in other respects. If you plan to go on a
black powder hunt for lions and need a Ridgeback pack that’s up to the task you probably will want to stay far away from any
show dogs or show dog breeders. Just imagine risking your life on the IDITAROD with Siberian huskies bred as a top show dogs!!

Q. What are some signs of a bad breeder?

A. Read the sales contract; A truly evil breeder will require you to destroy a pet you have bonded with in
order to receive a replacement. Such actions are not in the best interest of the dog or the customer, they are purely to
save the breeder money. DO NOT buy from anyone with such requirements in their sales contract, it is pure evil. In fact,
any breeder who has a contract that looks like the Spanish Inquisition could have written it is a sure sign of trouble.
Breeders compensate for their dog’s or line’s short comings by over compensating in the pet contract. They believe the more
unenforceable clauses and codicils a contract has the better you will think of them and the better they look to their fellow
breeders. Study the demeanor of the breeder, it will show in their dogs. Avoid anyone who is defensive or even offensive
about answering your questions. Be careful of breeders who don’t use veterinarians.

Q. What should I look for in a breeder?

A. First look at the dogs interaction with the breeder, are they latchkey pups? Do the dogs love the breeder? Do the
dogs come when the breeder calls. Do the pups and dogs look and smell healthy. Look for a breeder that is breeding dogs for
more than just for the look (conformation) in the show ring. Does the breeder understand what breeding for "prey drive" is,
do they include it as part of their breeding program. Does the breeder participate in some sport activity with their dogs
and does that activity make its way into the breeding selection? Look for friendly breeders with friendly puppies. Take note
of the Sire and Dam, at least one of them should be very watchful of your presence and they should be communicating that
"watchfulness" to the Breeder. Look for breeders with simple, easy to understand sales contracts that don't read as if it
were made up by a third world dictator.

Q. Should I buy from a Pet Store?

A. Again another ripe political question, the definitive answer is- It depends. The primary issue with buying from
a pet store is that you have really no clue on what the environment the pup was raised in; you can’t inspect the parents;
you can’t evaluate the breeder; and you generally don’t know where the dog has been since it left the breeder. Those are
very serious issues, but they are also the same kind of issues you may run into when buying a puppy from a "show" breeder
over the Internet.

Q. Are those really the only issues with buying from a pet store?

A. Yes. All the other arguments against buying from pet stores pretty much just amount to one set of breeders bad
mouthing another set breeders. It works like this, “show” breeders bad mouth, non-show breeders first.
Show breeders badmouth other show breeders second.

Q. I heard Pet store dogs are from USDA breeders, what is a USDA breeder?

A. The USDA stands for the United States Department of Agriculture. A person must be licensed with the USDA if they
have at least 3 breeding females and have sold at least one animal to another individual that wishes to resell that animal.
A USDA breeder is inspected on a regular basis to make sure they are maintaining certain living conditions for the animals..

Q. Aren’t USDA breeders breeding inferior animals for sale at pet stores?

A. It depends on what you mean by “inferior” If you mean a dog that is not healthy and robust then the answer is most
likely NO. If you mean a dog that won’t win a show championship or won't "hunt", then probably YES. A USDA breeder is like
any breeder of livestock. If they wish to be successful, they have to breed and maintain healthy livestock. So from a health
perspective a good USDA breeder may be a better bet than a good Show breeder. The primary issue for a show breeder is
conformation (how well the dog fits the breed standard) health issues are secondary. In other words, it is possible for Show
breeders to have top show dogs with health problems and still make money (stay in business). On the other hand, the financial
costs of having unhealthy livestock (dogs) will quickly drive a USDA breeder out of business.

Q. So, you are a USDA breeder aren’t you?

A. No, we are not USDA breeders and we don’t sell to pet stores either.

Q. With all these different types of breeders and issues how can I avoid getting an inferior animal?

A. The most important thing to realize is that words like, SHOW, or USDA breeders are really no guarantee of anything.
Good and Horrible living conditions exist in both worlds. The best way is to avoid an inferior animal is know what you
personally are looking for in an animal and try to inspect /verify the living conditions in which that animal was raised.
Also don’t forget the Better Business Bureau, they may have information on your chosen breeder.

Q. Is it not best for the breed to just breed for conformation (show standard)?.

A. Far from it, breeding for conformation is destroying many dog breeds, especially working and/or hunting dogs. .
Breeding a hunting dog without considering prey drive will destroy the essence of the breed. If you would like to read a
scientific analysis of how "Barbie Doll show breeding" has damaged working breeds and caused genetic problems in both show
and working dogs read the following Academic Dissertation .

Q. Have any breeds actually been ruined by conformation/show breeding ?.

A. You don’t have to look far to see what conformation breeding has done to other breeds. The German Shepard has pretty
much been destroyed by American show breeding ( see http://www.leerburg.com. ). Or in the case of the Border Collie, here is a direct quote from the American Border Collie Association- “The ABCA is a working stockdog registry and believes that
breeding for conformation standards rather than working ability is detrimental to the health and working ability of the
Border Collie. Consequently dogs or bitches which have been named a "Conformation Champion" by a conformation registry are
not eligible for ABCA registration, even if they otherwise meet the requirements of for registration. The ABCA will
de-register any ABCA registered dog or bitch should it be named a "Conformation Champion" after January 1, 2004, and will not
register the offspring of any dog or bitch named a "Conformation Champion" after that date”-. Still not convinced, just ask
yourself this – Would I be willing to risk my life on the Iditarod sled race with a show champion AKC Siberian Husky instead
of one bred from working dog lines? One need look no further than the puppy contracts many breeders want customers to sign
to see the evidence. Unfortunately, the end result of breeding dogs for their “looks” is not only a dog that can not work,
it is a dog that has all the emotional and physical problems of all those other dog breeds out there that you are NOT
considering for a pet in your home.

Q. Ok now I know all that but I still found a puppy at a pet store that I really really want,
what can I do to protect my self?

A. Well first compare the pet store price with those you find from other breeders. The price difference alone may steer
you away from the pet store. Get the breeder info from the registration papers and see what you can dig up on the internet
about the breeder. Find out how old the dog is and how long it is has been at the store. The younger the pup was when it left
its family and the longer its been at the pet store the more risk you have of getting an emotional cripple. If you see any
sign of lack of vigor in the animal, run away fast. If you see any sign of cough, run away fast. If they say it’s a little
bit sick but this free health guarantee will cover you, RUN. If all that checks out okay, find out who the veterinarian for
the shop is and call him/her and get any information you can about your potential pup. And on a last note, if you get a pet
from a pet store, it should be from a reputable USDA breeder who is not breeding for show, but rather one who is breeding for
healthy livestock (dogs in this case). So, if the pet shop talks about the pup ’s championship or show lineage on the
pedigree, the chances are you found a pup from a show breeder who is on his/her last legs and there is no telling what kind
of mess you will get from a down and out show/conformation breeder. If you make it past that list, its probably
okay to get that pup.

Q. What about shelters and rescue organizations?

A. Don’t put your trust in an organization just because it has “shelter” or “rescue” in its name. Nice sounding words
are often used to con people. The same goes for words like charity and, non-profit. Don’t be conned, investigate. The
shelter / rescue business can be a real money maker. One of the more recent cons is the back alley pet store, operated under
the guise of ‘rescue’. Many so called rescues now operate like low rent unregulated pet stores; they actually buy their pups
at dog auctions, but instead of selling them out of a store front they sell the dogs out of “foster homes” under the guise
of “adoption”. Usually the more legitimate rescues/shelters will not stoop to that level but even they are often willing
to import stray dogs from third world countries to meet the high demand for smaller breed pups. At the same time, many of
these organizations try to limit business competition by attempting to convince people not to buy from pet stores and/or
breeders. Follow this link for more information. Fortunately the import cases usually involve smaller apartment sized dogs,
but large purebred dogs also make a nice market because of the amount of money they can demand. Of course, this does not mean
that ALL rescues or shelters are bad, but you need to be careful that you don’t end up with a dangerous dog or scammed. Just
remember your pet has value, if someone can obtain your pet at no or low cost and have an outlet to resell it (even at “no
profit” ) then there will always be unscrupulous people seeking to take advantage.

Q. Fortunately, I have a good local shelter, should I still be concerned?

A. Yes, be concerned. Just remember that the adult dogs legitimately turned into shelters are there for a reason. The
main reason is aggression and behavioral problems. In fact 50% of the dogs turned into shelters for these problems CAME FROM
SHELTERS. If you take an adult pet from such a place make sure that they will give you IN WRITING a statement that the dog
does not have behavioral or health issues. If you are interested in the actual case studies and the scientific information
follow this link for the abstract and a link to the full text. Link Q. How can I tell if my dog is getting the proper nutrition?

A. Look at the health of the coat, is it shiny and clean?; but most importantly examine the dog’s waste (land mines
if you will). Is the dog’s poop still a soft, stinky, and sticky land mine ready to attach to the bottom of you shoe after a
week or two in the yard? If so your dog is not eating right. The poop should turn hard and white after a time period and
disintegrate. It should not be some ever-present non-destructible sticky plastic mush with a half-life of 12 years.

Q. What do you feed your dogs?

A. We feed our dogs and puppies a commercially balanced food. If you are interested in a good source of info of feeding
your dogs find the following book by DR. Ian Billinghurst. “GROW YOUR PUPPIES WITH BONES - The BARF Programme For Breeding
Healthy Dogs And Eliminating Skeletal Disease.Here

Q. What about “Dew Claws”, should they be removed?

A. Not removing the dewclaws is a BIG fashion no no. However, if you are going to be a good steward to your pet, you have
to often fight fashion, political correctness and the same kind of so called “common sense” that once said the world was flat,
to do what’s best for you dog. The truth is that some dewclaws should be removed and some should be kept. It all depends on
the viable structural nature of the pup’s dewclaws. Some dewclaws hang like ripe grapes ready to fall off the paw. Other
dewclaws are structural to the paw like a thumb. Usually dewclaws on the front paws are structural, the dogs use them to
scratch their faces and manipulate items they are chewing on. Often they are webbed to the paw and assist in swimming. Rear
dewclaws are often utterly useless and represent a risk of being snagged on carpet or some such and being ripped off. Provide
your dog with normal care and maintenance and he will be quite thankful he has his front dewclaws.

Q. How do I train my dog?

A. &nbspOnce again we have hit another politically correct fashion imbued subject. The simple answer is that you need to
'properly' establish your leadership in the dogs pack. Once this has been done your pet will want to be lead and will want to
follow your instructions. Of course, then the key becomes communicating your instructions in a way that is understandable or
easily learned by the dog. Many people claim one way works over another or that another way is morally superior to another.
It can become confusing and people defend their methods as if they were in a cult and everyone else was a heretic. The real
answer can be found in one of Bruce Lee’s sayings – use what works and discard the rest-. Here is what we suggest. If you
want to understand how your dog thinks and how play to with it and how to train it so that it does not turn into a messed up,
confused, or dangerous animal check out the following website http://www.leerburg.com. The site caters to police dogs but
they offer very helpful insight and information in regards to training all dogs. Another very useful site is
http ://www.clickertraining.com. The clicker training really provides a useful way to communicate with your dog. The important
thing is to let your puppy be a puppy. Clicker training is a great way to teach and play with your puppy. However, as you
clicker train your pup you should also be fully versed and aware of what is taught on the Leerburg website to make sure your
not training or accidentally teaching your dog to become a problem animal in the future. If you do these things you should
have no problems.

Q. What is in the dogs best interest in terms of breeding, at what age do I start?

A. Well once again a very touchy subject full of so called experts who know in their heart what’s best for you, your dog
and society as a whole and will try to impose it on you no matter what the real truth. The answer for this question will be
in terms of what’s best for the dog, not for society, not for your social standing and not for your continued membership in
any social circles. If you’re really interested read the works and studies of Dr Ian Billinghurst. We believe a female
should be bred at the on the 2nd heat, assuming your dog’s first heat is a maiden heat and that the dog will be at least a
year old at the time of the birth. If your not going to bred the dog on this heat you should either “fix” her or have the
cycles suppressed until you are ready to breed. From some hormonal standpoints, once your dog has gone through a heat cycle,
the dogs body will act as if it were pregnant, regardless of whether or not there actual are any pups present or not. Dogs
have these empty pregnancies every time they are NOT bred. Not breeding a dog when its in heat can be very hard on the dogs
reproductive system and immune system. Picture always running your car in idle at max RPM with no load and never driving it.
Not good. For more info see http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P =A&A=1224. There are additional reasons to breed a
ridgeback early and that is because of the hormonal issues related thyroid disorders. These disorders are much more prevalent
in the breed than the typical Hip Dysplasia hysteria (see http://www.offa .org ). If you're wishing to avoid potential Hip
Dysplasia issues, there are indications that it is best to breed the dog while she is still young and limber with her first
heat. Some people do claim otherwise but they don’t ever present scientific evidence to support their claims. In short , for
the best health of your dog, if she is in heat she should be bred, if you don’t want to breed her then fix her or have her
cycles suppressed.

Q. When should I neuter my dog?

A. If you wish to do what is in the long term best health interests of your dog, you should wait until the dog’s hormones
have cycled at least once. There is evidence to indicate that a dog’s immune system will not come into full strength until all
the hormones have been expressed at least once. For females this means, they should be neutered a month or so after their
first heat. By waiting until after the first heat, you are assured that the hormones have cycled. For males, if you desire to
neuter them, it is best to wait until they are at least 1.5 years old. Truth be known, a male is most likely better off never
being neutered. Of course, that is not an answer that will win you many friends within the socialist, “we know what’s best
for you” crowd, but nonetheless an unneutered male is a healthier dog. Recent studies on Rottweilers have indicated that
neutering a dog before 1 year of age increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) by four times. Supposedly, osteosarcoma is not prevalent in Ridgebacks. But interestingly enough we have met several former ridgeback owners from the Missouri area
whose dogs were neutered early and then came down with osteosarcoma at a young age. This cluster of sarcomas maybe an
indication of genetic issues with dogs in the Midwest region. For all the above reasons, we strongly advise people not to buy
neutered puppies and not to neuter puppies before they are at least 1.5 years of age. If you would like to read the study
linking early neutering to osteosarcoma please follow this link. Endogenous Gonadal Hormone Exposure and Bone Sarcoma Risk.
Another good article, that address the neutering issue in simpler language may be found here.