As we finalize the details for the NC RR rescue team's booth at the Raleigh Fairgrounds, it gives me an opportunity to pause and consider the dilemma that RR ownership offers, especially RESPONSIBLE ownership.
Let's face it, being a rescue volunteer can jade you. Being a responsible owner AND breeder offers twice the opportunity for dilemmas when as a foster parent you are faced with problematic breedings (genetically) in the first place, coupled with bad placement situations and circumstances during the most critical parts of a dog's life. Then, when you run into health issues in your own stock as you test various things as a responsible breeder AND owner, you have to make some hard decisions about your own breeding program.
Depending on where you are in it, generations-wise, you may be able to recover. Just as in humans, some of the uncovered health issues may be environmental rather than genetic.
But you need to have some certainty that with each generation you aren't passing on some predispostion to life-shortening diseases.
Hence, the value of testing: heart, thyroid, hips, elbows, and, I think, disposition or temperament. If a dog's attitude is so nasty that he/she has to be put down at some point in the future, they shouldn't be part of a breeding program. We already have more than enough nastiness in the breed from not addressing it 30 years ago. Why perpetuate it?
I'm not saying I want submissive or lemming-like behavior from RRs, but they should be easily controlled and obedient to their master(s). Last evening, some people stopped by and when I opened the car gate, Reba and Abram ran out. Since we live about 800' or so from the road, and they were within 150', I wasn't too worried, but they definitely wouldn't come when called.
Granted, they are not even six months old, but they get into running and their ears shut down. I closed the gate and then went out the persongate back near the house and forgot to close THAT gate, so Pearl and Sissy joined in the romp. I got the big dogs to come first and the little ones eventually followed. I called Abram a couple of times and he started heading towards me, but it still took me about 5 minutes to re-collect them all, partially driven by the fact that my neighbor sometimes leaves tasty trash sitting in the bag on his front lawn, so they HAVE to go check it out. Normally, though, the adults can run in the fields and respond much quicker.
It is much better, safer, easier to have a big dog who will 99.9% of the time respond to your commands. In general, I'd rate ridgebacks in general at around 85%, those with the appropriate temperament and training, much higher.
Wenzi my therapy girl will be 11 in February. She has lumps and bumps but is still beautiful. We just found out she has early renal failure. She was at the vet's for a small growth on the outside of her lower lip, so we did some bloodwork/urinalysis and vet said her kidneys were starting to go. She has no clinical signs. I think renal failure is #2, after cancer, as leading causes of death in dogs, so maybe managing it now will enable her to live longer...
I jokingly told my parents the other day that, had they been dogs, I probably would have altered them after I discovered 3/4 of their pups had bad feet. Same with a lot of things that we didn't know 30-50 years ago...both dogs and humans.
Back to rescue - don't forget to come visit the booth on RDO Day at the Raleigh fairgounds on Saturday, September 15...
