| Testimonials |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy Owners |
Hi Diane,
It is Nikki and Kito and it has been way too long since I have updated you. Hope you like to read, because this will be a long one...lol. Kito and I are fantastic! I'm not saying that Kito is the perfect dog, but he is pretty darn close. Ok, he just might be the perfect dog...ha ha. It hasn't been without it's rough times now and then, but he is truly mans best friend. I cannot believe he is almost 2yrs old. He has such a sweet demeanor. Hasn't met a person he doesn't like or anyone who doesn't like him. He will rough house with myself or my boyfriend one moment and stand there while a toddler pets him the next. If he is in a situation that doesn't look right he will be protective until I assure him it is ok. This is why socialization is so important. He has been around other people so much that he knows what is normal and what is not, even the time of day. If we are walking at night time, he is more weary of people, as if to say "why are you out around this hour? You better not be up to any mischief!" I often bring him to a very nice area down town and walk him. He maneuvers his way through the crowds just fine and everyone is so amazed at how well behaved he is. He doesn't like to swim, which is too bad since we live in Florida, but he likes to wade and lay in the water to cool himself off. Never the less, he doesn't fight when I bath him and lets me touch any part of him with no hassle, whether it be cleaning his ears, nose, teeth, eyes, or paws. It's almost as if he knows he needs to remain still so I can do what I need to do. I bath him at my car wash station in my apartment complex, and at one point I even take his collar off so I can clean underneath it really well it. Baths are not his favorite thing, but he is so good that he will stay there, outside, no collar, and let me wash him without putting up a fight or running away.
People who are familiar with RRs are so surprised that I could have one so very well trained...lol. But I like to think that is because Kito and I have such a great relationship and lifestyle. He knows I am the boss and trusts in me 100%. And I love him to death and include him in everything that I can. He is so very, very smart, and for being a breed who is not easy to train he is pretty trainable....lol. He knows the basic commands like sit, down, stay, come, off, etc. But he also knows more difficult commands like drop it, leave it, take it, pick it up, wait, back, out, go to your bed, shake, bark, touch, I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting here. To give you some examples, I can tell him to sit, lay, or stand in any order and he understands what it means. He gets bored of fetch very quickly, but he will fetch an item in the distance even if it hasn't recently been thrown. If I point at an item on the ground and say "pick it up" he will pick it up with his mouth, and then I tell him to "bring it" and he will walk to me and place it in my hand. We are currently working on getting him to understand the difference in picking up the ball vs. picking up the bear. I am optimistic about him catching onto this. When I tell him to wait, he knows that I am going through the door first, or that he can't jump out of the car just yet. If he is too close to the door or the kitchen, I'll tell him "back" and he will back up a few feet. I think you get the idea...: ). We have worked on all of these commands plus more. I really enjoy training him. I believe it further strengthens our bond and improves our communication so we understand each other well. But as you know, an RR is not a german shepherd. It often takes a little convincing to get Kito to do this things but it makes it all the more rewarding when he does them.
He is such a handsome dog. I love his eyebrows and how expressive they are, and I love the wrinkles on his head. I will email you some pics once I get my camera up and running again. He turns heads wherever he goes. If people don't know RRs they always ask what breed he is. And if they ask to pet him he will politely stand there and oblige, and if they are lucky, give them a friendly nuzzle. He is a very fit 105lbs. We Rollerblade almost everyday and as often as I can, I take him to my soccer practices and let him play with my students. he loves this time.
I could go on forever about him and how he is the best dog ever, but I'd be typing all night. I guess I have you to blame for all this. I don't think I will ever own another dog besides a Ridgeback, and I don't think I'll ever buy from another breeder besides you. So I hope you never stop breeding...lol. One day when I have a house, I will be looking to get another. I tell everyone I meet that the Ridgeback is the best dog and that I know the best breeder...: ).
Hope all is well with you and your pack.
Best wishes
Nikki and Kito
This is not a testimonal just a funny ridgeback story I wanted to share.
Diane,
Funny story, I usually have jerky make out of my deer kill each year and always have a bag hid in my desk cuz my two girls will devour it if I let them. For the last three weeks every time I went to grab a piece of jerky for a snack the whole bag has been gone. I keep forgetting to tell the girls to not eat all my jerky literally after the first day I put a package in my desk drawer. I always give Simba a piece of it while he is in my office. I just cleaned his kennel and under his blanket is his personal stash of food. Three empty bags along with Ramen soup bag from our pantry, I have know idea how he got those out of my desk and into his kennel unless he does this on his roaming time.
Sincerely,
Dave
Diane: here's an update for you:
Simba is doing great! He has grown so much! He's very intelligent,
already almost fully house-broken. He understands the commands "no" and
"Stay". He loves his warm, soft, cuddly bed-cushion and cries for it
whenever he can't have it while it's being washed. :) He loves my 21
month old daughter, is very proud to be with my husband (whom he
considers his Ultimate Master), listens to me (strict but loving mommy)
and enjoys hanging out with my teenage daughter. We are also keeping up
with his vet visits.
So thank you very much! I'll send you some pictures as soon as possible.
Of course we have a zillion pictures already. I'll have to pick the best
one!
Gesina
Diane,
Thank you soooooooo much! She is everything I hoped she would be. I've had a lot of registered dogs but I have never bought one, espically sight unseen. She is absolutly precious. I would recomend your puppies to everyone. I know ridgebacks are smart but she's playing sock,and walking on a leash and only had 2 accidents, I take her out often. She is so loveable and cuddly. I love her to pieces. Thank you so much for the special partner.
Sincerly,
Annette
Copper is a "healthy" 108. He is sooooooooo adorable. We love him dearly. He is such a great addition to our family. He is extremely loving and always wants to be near us. He is quite goofy and very playful. We couldn't ask for a better puppy. He's just perfect. Even our 6 year old RR, Nala, has also grown a liking to him as well. She's normally very grumpy but ever since he's gotten here, she's been a lot more playful. He just loves to play ALL OF THE TIME.
Thank you again for everything. We absolutely love Copper and couldn't be happier. I will absolutely check out your website periodically. |
Thanks,
Khang
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Here is an update on Kito (aka Munchkin) with some pics. The first ones are his fight with the lion...ha ha, and then there are the ones of his first trip to the bay. He did not know what to think of the water, but he will get used to it living in Florida.
He is doing very well. He has quite a personality. Very confident and independent, yet loving and gentle. He constantly tests who is the dominant one, so I have to be on top of my game. I have enjoyed him very much so far. He is going to be a great dog and I look forward to our long lives together. I don't know how I've gotten along without him.
He is currently 27lbs and gets his last vaccines next week. He is very smart, and has already learned various commands/behaviors. During feeding time, he will sit a couple feet away from his food, and only approach it on my command. He already knows how to sit, lay down, stay, and come (though we are currently working on all the commands when he is distracted by other people and dogs and such. Right now, we are working on "drop it" for when he has something in his mouth that I don't want him to leave alone. He is picking that one up, but it is proving tricky.
He thinks he is a lap dog, and I'm often surprised by him plopping down on me when I'm reading or doing other things...ha ha.
He is the talk of everyone who meets him, about what a good looking, fun loving, friendly, confident dog he is. My petsmart instructor said he is his favorite....that's right.
All in all, we are very happy together. I look forward to sharing our happiness with you. Thank you for being such wonderful, ethical breeders, who raise beautiful healthy dogs. I'm so glad I found you guys.
Until next time,
Nikki and Kito
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“Diane is everything you want in a breeder ...so professional, friendly and fast. She sent photos of the puppy along with updates to prepare you with the puppy’s arrival. The process was so smooth right down to the delivery and my liver nose pup, Bella seemed to be hand picked just for me. Bella is in excellent health and the absolute epitome of what a Rhodesian Ridgeback should be. If I ever get another Ridgeback, I’m coming back to you!”
Jamil Barrie,
Brand Strategist, Semantix (and Warner Bros.)
Los Angeles, CA
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Yes, I went to the vet’s office of the vet I wanted to see and instead I saw a younger new vet in his office. She is the one who sent me to the orthopedic dr. He said the same thing about how young she is and thinks she is awesome. His tech fell in love and almost didn’t give Chloe back to me. Everywhere I take her she is a STAR.
The other day I came home from picking the kids up from school and she was not in the kitchen where we have the puppy gate. She was asleep in the playroom OUTSIDE the puppy gate. I told Robbie “I think we have a climber.” Sure enough, I put her back in the kitchen and she climbed the gate like it was a rock wall, nearly landing on her head on the other side. She will NOT stay anywhere where we are not. She is already showing how smart she is and she has totally stolen all of our hearts – including Jackson. He is GA GA over her.
You know the most important thing to me in a dog was a good temperament and I can’t tell you how pleased I am w/ Jackson. He is SO sweet. That’s why we would not get another dog unless it came from you.
Thanks a million,
Sheri
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Dear Diane,
Thanks for the email. It was good to hear from you and I have been thinking about emailing you and giving you an update about Sammy.
Ever since we got him, he has been a constant pleasure, even with all of the usual puppy mischief. It seems that during the day he is pretty mellow and at a year and a half, he will chase the squirrels and rabbits with gusto. The deer he just stalks to the point that they will eventually move away. He seems to get along with people and dogs, but at night its another story. If he hears any noises that don’t meet with his approval, he will take off to check it out.
Recently however, Sam has shown his true mettle. We have a deer problem that Sam has helped to curtail this by keeping them away from the house and gardens. The other day I was behind the garage and I heard a grunting sound accompanied by stomping. When I turned around, there was one big buck with a large rack. His head was lowered and he appeared ready to charge me. I turned to move slowly away from him, but he followed. I yelled and that did no good. I had nothing to throw at him and nothing with which to protect myself. I was concerned.
Out of nowhere came Sammy. He got between me and the buck. The hair on his back was raised and he was making noises that I had not heard before. Serious growls along with barking Sam backed him away from me. The deer decided he didn’t want any of this and ran to the other side of the invisible fence line with Sam on his heels and off the property. When you told me that Ridgebacks were protective, you weren’t kidding.
After the rather harrowing event, Sammy seemed his usual self. I, however, viewed him with a new found respect. I thought you might enjoy hearing about this latest event.
Please take care,
Jack Hastings |
Hi Diane,
Sending you a few new pictures of Rosie. I can’t believe she’s 3 months old or that we’ve had her for a month now. She is so smart – potty training is just about over. She is such a fast learner but then again she’s a ridgeback and we all know how smart they are! Her personality fits right in with the family and it seems like she’s always been here. Luke is devoted to her and she him. They are already inseparable and he is very protective of her. She has brought the “puppy” back in Luke and he is a much happier dog now. He missed our Maggie so much. I can’t say enough good things about Rosie. When the time comes to add to the family (and we all know THAT will happen, too!), we will be back to see you.
Take care.
Vickie
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