Luvakis Puppy and Puppy Owner Expectations
If you are interested in adopting a Luvakis Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy,
please read the following information thoroughly prior to contacting us.
Thank you.
Socialization and Training
Zulu earning his AKC CD Titie
As an obedience instructor and having a strong interest in behavior medicine, it is my goal to place every puppy with a family (whether for performance, show, breeding, or strictly companionship) that is willing to maintain not only its physical needs but also its mental needs. A well-behaved, well-socialized dog only comes from a puppy who is trained and worked with to reach his or her full potential as a companion animal. We start each of our puppies off on the right paw by utilizing the Superstar Puppy Program. Once they leave for their new homes, we expect our puppy families to continue that positive momentum and strengthen the bond they form with their new puppy.
All puppies are required to complete a 6- to 8-week puppy kindergarten or basic socialization class with their new owner. Class must be started before the puppy reaches 6 months of age. If locally available, we recommend participating in an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy training class.
All puppies will also be fitted with and have worked extensively in a
Gentle Leader Headcollar. We provide all of our puppies with a fitted, medium headcollar and send an additional large headcollar home with our male puppies to grow into. Each puppy family is also provided with personal instruction on how to properly fit their puppy with the headcollar (for when adjustment or moving up to the next size becomes necessary). An instructional DVD is also sent to answer any other questions that may arise down the road.
(We do not recommend Easy Walk Harnesses as puppies are growing because of the physical restriction of the upper arm when the harness is fitted properly. They can be a great training tool for an adult dog and should only be used once the dog has fully physically matured - 24+ months of age.)
If a puppy is not intended for the conformation ring, a minimum of 2 additional obedience/manners-based courses are required to be completed before his/her 1st birthday, and a minimum of 2 additional course (in any performance venue: obedience, Rally, tracking, agility, etc.) must be completed before his/her 2nd birthday. It is then up to the owner to continue training at their leisure in order to strengthen the bond with their dog, continue socialization, prepare their dog for competition, or just as a fun outlet.
If destined for the show ring, puppies are expected to participate in the same 1st-year core training classes as their pet counterparts, as well as concurrently participate in conformation classes or group practices.
All dogs, regardless of any other titles, are to attain their American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen certification (or if in Canada, the Canadian Kennel Club Canine Good Neighbour certification) by their 2nd birthday. It is also encouraged, though not required, for all puppies at least attempt to attain their AKC Junior Courser (or Coursing Ability Test, if puppy is ridgeless) title or Fast CAT title anytime after 18 months of age. No puppy is to ever be coursed at less than 18 months of age.
(Click on any of the following images for more information.)
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Bititi (in pink) lure coursing at the 2009 RRCUS National Specialty
Ridgebacks Really Do Obedience??
Disclaimer: Although Ridgebacks are not known to be top obedience, Rally or agility competitors, given the right incentives, motivation and support, they will often give it their best effort. As you train your puppy, keep this very important phrase tucked in the front of your mind: Ridgebacks do not see the need or benefit in doing an exercise repetitively. They were bred to hunt (think) on their own, thus are not often willing to repeat exercises until the handler's idea of perfection is reached. Because of this trait, Ridgebacks are often deemed "difficult to train," but this can be avoided if you work with your dog's natural traits rather than against them.
FYI for Your Puppy School Instructor: Many all-breed obedience instructors have not experienced training a sighthound. Do not be shy, explain to your instructor about your dog's natural desire to avoid repetitiveness when learning or practicing new skills. A good instructor is open to insight about their students and is willing to tailor class to help you and your dog succeed. Ask your instructor for stationary "doodling" exercises to add variety and keep your puppy's attention and focus on you during class, as well as to help break up any repetitive exercises.
Training Tip: There can be a huge benefit to initially practicing some exercises without your dog. Subjecting your dog (or puppy) to practicing a skill over and over until you've gotten the hang of it quickly equates to unnecessary repetition to many Ridgebacks. When starting a new exercise, practice your commands, speed, leash carriage, treat timing, as well as foot and hand work before adding your dog into the mix. In the end, this will make it easier for you to coordinate your efforts with your dog and for you work as a team. When you already know your part, you can then concentrate on teaching your dog their part.
FYI for Your Puppy School Instructor: Many all-breed obedience instructors have not experienced training a sighthound. Do not be shy, explain to your instructor about your dog's natural desire to avoid repetitiveness when learning or practicing new skills. A good instructor is open to insight about their students and is willing to tailor class to help you and your dog succeed. Ask your instructor for stationary "doodling" exercises to add variety and keep your puppy's attention and focus on you during class, as well as to help break up any repetitive exercises.
Training Tip: There can be a huge benefit to initially practicing some exercises without your dog. Subjecting your dog (or puppy) to practicing a skill over and over until you've gotten the hang of it quickly equates to unnecessary repetition to many Ridgebacks. When starting a new exercise, practice your commands, speed, leash carriage, treat timing, as well as foot and hand work before adding your dog into the mix. In the end, this will make it easier for you to coordinate your efforts with your dog and for you work as a team. When you already know your part, you can then concentrate on teaching your dog their part.
When it comes to Ridgebacks and Obedience, remember:
► keep up the motivation (food and especially praise)
► keep training sessions short and sweet
► end on a positive note
and above all else,
►►HAVE FUN!◄◄
(It may not always seem like it, but it does get easier.)
Do some of these performance venues sound enticing?
We like to do everything we can to encourage our puppy families to
continue training and strengthening their bond with their dog.
After all, a trained dog is a happy dog!
Please click the image to navigate to our reimbursement page
for more information on how we would like to reward your efforts
while you strengthen the bond between you and your Luvakis puppy.
continue training and strengthening their bond with their dog.
After all, a trained dog is a happy dog!
Please click the image to navigate to our reimbursement page
for more information on how we would like to reward your efforts
while you strengthen the bond between you and your Luvakis puppy.
Health Screenings
We want to assure all our new puppy families that our goal is to strive to produce only the most sound, healthy offspring that represent the best of our breed. Because of this, we require more of our puppies (both pet and breeder/show prospect placements) than many breeders. Please know there are NO exceptions to these requirements and puppies will only be placed in homes that are willing to meet (or exceed) these requirements.
Puppies placed as pets: If we only require those puppies destined to become part of a breeding program to be tested for tendencies towards certain health concerns, we would only get a small part of the genetic picture. Because of this, we require ALL of our puppies placed as pets to have the same evaluations as those placed as breeding/show prospects. These are some differences in age and/or frequency of testing between pet and breeder dogs; please see below for further details.
Puppies placed as breeder/show prospects: We expect puppies that are to become part of a breeding program or will be exhibiting in the conformation ring to obtain and maintain their CHIC + patella, + cardiac (echo), + BARE, + DM, as well as PennHip evaluation. Any additional testing above and beyond this is encouraged and greatly appreciated.
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CERF or ECR (eye)
Click here for information about CERF testing Click here for information about ECR testing The form for your dog's eye test is only available from the ophthalmologist at the time of the exam. Please be sure to take your dog's AKC form and microchip number to this appointment. - Pet: at least 1 time between 1 and 3 years of age. - Breeder: annually from 12 months until 9 years of age (per OFA recommendation) |
OFA Thyroid
Click here for information about Autoimmune Thyroiditis Click here for the OFA Application for Thyroid Database form Please note: The blood sample for this test must be sent to an OFA-approved lab, this is NOT an in-house thyroid screening your veterinarian can perform. - Pet: at least 1 time at 12-24 months of age - Breeder: initially at 12-24 months of age, then repeated at 3, 4, 6 and 8 years of age (per OFA recommendations) |
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OFA Patellar Luxation
Click here for information about Patellar Luxation Click here for the OFA Application for Patellar Luxation Database form - Pet: once at 12 months of age during pre-anesthetic exam during spay/neuter procedure - Breeder: once at 24 months of age or as part of pre-breeding health evaluation |
OFA Elbow Dysplasia
Click here for information about Elbow Dysplasia Click here for the OFA Application for Hip/Elbow Dysplasia Database form - Pet: once at 12 months of age while anesthetized for spay/neuter procedure - Breeder: once at 24 months of age or as part of pre-breeding health evaluation |
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OFA Hip Dysplasia
Click here for information about Hip Dysplasia Click here for the OFA Application for Hip/Elbow Dysplasia Database form - Pet: once at 12 months of age while anesthetized for spay/neuter procedure - Breeder: once at 24 months of age or as part of pre-breeding health evaluation |
PennHip
Click here for information about PennHip evaluation Click here to locate a PennHip certified veterinarian - Pet: recommended, but not required - Breeder: once at 24 months of age or as part of pre-breeding health evaluation |
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OFA Cardiac
Click here for information about Congenital Cardiac Disease Click here for the OFA Application for Congenital Cardiac Database form - Pet: at least 1 time at 12-24 months of age; auscultation accepted, echo preferred - Breeder: at least 1 time at 12-24 months of age; echocardiogram with (colour-flow) Doppler required |
BAER (hearing)
Click here for information about BAER testing Click here for the OFA Application for Congenital Deafness Database form - Pet: initially at 12 months of age, then repeated again at 5-7 years of age - Breeder: initially at 12 months of age, then repeated again at 5-7 years of age; because no standard protocol for screening for adult onset deafness has yet been set forth by OFA, it is strongly recommended potential breeding animals be tested at 12 months of age, then again at 3, 5, 7 and 10 years of age |
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Click here for information about Degenerative Myleopathy
Click here to order a Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) DNA test kit from OFA
Upon receipt of your order, the OFA will send out the test kit which will include an FTA card for DNA sample collection, along with sample collection instructions. Using the FTA card, you can easily collect your dog's DNA sample at home. The collection process is non-invasive, and no veterinary appointment is necessary. The fee for this test is all-inclusive and covers the cost of the test kit, laboratory processing and registration in the OFA Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) database.
- Pet: once at any age (recommended to be preformed at the same time as other health screenings)
- Breeder: once at any age, but prior to breeding
Click here for information about Degenerative Myleopathy
Click here to order a Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) DNA test kit from OFA
Upon receipt of your order, the OFA will send out the test kit which will include an FTA card for DNA sample collection, along with sample collection instructions. Using the FTA card, you can easily collect your dog's DNA sample at home. The collection process is non-invasive, and no veterinary appointment is necessary. The fee for this test is all-inclusive and covers the cost of the test kit, laboratory processing and registration in the OFA Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) database.
- Pet: once at any age (recommended to be preformed at the same time as other health screenings)
- Breeder: once at any age, but prior to breeding
Spaying and Neutering
We realize that this has become a controversial topic in recent years, however, all of our puppies placed in pet homes are required to be spayed or neutered. That said, we do not wish for our dogs or bitches to be surgically (or chemically) sterilized until they are between 12 and 13 months of age. Part of this requirement reflects the fact that those health screening test with an age restriction are accessible once puppy reaches 12 months of age. This allows for those tests requiring chemical restraint to be performed during the same anesthesia event as the puppy's surgical sterilization procedure.
Male Puppies
Males placed in responsible homes demonstrating the ability to adequately train and appropriately control their dog may wait an additional 6-12 months prior to castration, if they so desire and ONLY with our permission.
Female Puppies
It is most ideal for bitches to be spayed as close to 12 months of age as possible. This is in an effort to avoid on-set of the first estrus cycle, but this is not always possible. For those bitches who cycle before their required spay age (between 12 and 13 months of age), it is recommended their spay procedure be scheduled 1 month (30 days) after the last signs of estrus are visible (your vet will thank you because her reproductive anatomy will have returned to normal by then) and the utmost care taken (leash-walked in a fenced yard to potty, no walks outside their own yard, no dog park visits, no visits to the pet store,
no intact male canine visitors/playdates of any age, 24/7 separation from intact male canine housemates of any age, etc.) while they are in estrus to avoid accidental breeding.
"But my vet (or trainer or doggy daycare provider) requires me to spay/neuter at 6 months of age."
As for vets and trainers, find another. Any that requires this of you is likely not open to newer information and prefers to stick to what they were taught as "tried and true" when they first started practicing many years ago. This may sound harsh, but any veterinarian who pressures a client into making a decision their client is otherwise in objection of is not advocating for their client or their patient. Find Another Vet.
Any trainer that will not allow a juvenile or adult dog to attend classes unless sterilized is also likely lacking current information. In fact, there are now many advocates (trainers, researchers and animal health care professionals) who feel dogs, especially large breed dogs, who train or participate regularly in heavy-impact, strenuous exercise (i.e. endurance or distance running, agility) should not be sterilized until retired. Again, you've found a trainer not open to your puppy being spayed or neutered until a year or 18 months of age, Find Another Trainer.
Doggy daycare is a bit different. There are numerous advantages to your puppy, juvenile or even adult dog attending doggy daycare. The social aspect from a well-run and well-managed doggy daycare facility can be a huge asset to your canine companion and for those who have demanding jobs, a doggy daycare facility can often make the task of rearing your puppy or occupying your juvenile or adult dog for long stretches throughout the day a whole lot easier. At this juncture, please discuss this matter with us to help you make the right decision for your situation and your puppy. Do keep in mind not all doggy daycare facilities require sterilization of their participants, some merely require you to keep your female at home or may allow her to attend but require her to be separated from the playgroup while she is in season. Along these same lines, some facilities may choose to discontinue services to your male puppy if he becomes too disturbing to the balance of the playgroup when he starts to become sexually mature.
It is advantageous (and may save you unwanted stress and anxiety in the long-run) to inquire as each facility's requirements on this subject while being interviewed before the arrival of your new puppy.
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