I (Denise) was born and raised in Michigan and grew up with dogs my entire life... except when I left my parents home and lived on my own.  Matt was born and raised in Florida and had a sheepdog as his family pet.

Living in apartments for most of my young adult life, I could not have a dog... or at least a dog with any size to him. When I was reading about breeds, I remember reading that the Ridgeback was perfect for apartment dwellers in that it could slumber the day away and then come to life when its owner got home. But still... a 90 pound dog in an apartment? I still could not do that. I also liked that they were protective and loyal to their people and desired to be with their people at all times. I have always had dogs that were an integral part of my family as I was growing up.

The years passed and I still lived in small apartments, but the desire to have a dog never waned. When I met Matt, we talked about getting a dog, but the time was just not right, and besides, we lived in a second floor apartment.

Finally, we moved to Florida and within a few short months, we had purchased our first home.  Talks of getting a dog came back and we knew we had to wait until some of the work on our house had been finished and we could concentrate on raising a puppy.  Matt knew nothing about a Ridgeback and so he read a little about the breed and liked what he read.  When we were on our honeymoon, in San Francisco, he was finally able to see this magnificent breed.  At the Cliff House, we met a Ridgeback that, despite all the other people milling around, focused only on its owner and remained aloof to strangers.  That devotion and, not to mention the beauty of the dog, convinced my husband that this was a breed of dog he wanted to have.

That happy day came in April 2007 when we were able to pick up Beau from the breeder's house and bring him home with us.  Our love of Ridgebacks has only increased since that time.  Thank you Mimi Pearl of Crestridge Rhodesians for this wonderful boy.

It's hard to describe the look in the eyes of a dog that truly loves its owner.  That is how a Ridgeback looks at its owner.   Are they  for everyone?  No.  As an owner, you have to have the desire to be with your dog much of your free time.  These dogs want to be with their people and they almost grieve when they are not.  If you are looking for a yard dog, this is not the breed for you.  If you are looking for a dog that you can spend time with once in a while.  This is not the breed for you.  They require a lot of your time and a lot of your devotion.  That's not to say you can not have a life, just remember, their life DOES revolve around you!!

Ridgebacks are smart, almost to a fault.  They can also figure things out in a hurry and then exploit the situation to their advantage.  They also love to play.  And they play rough.  They like to run and jump at each other and get up on their hinde legs.  It can be very scary to someone that does not know how these dogs play.  And the noises they make?  Wow.  I have had people ask me if my dogs were fighting... no,  just playing.  Believe it or not, they do play best with one of their own kind. 

Smart, loyal, beautiful, fun, eager to please, and stubborn.  All of that seemd to attract us to the Rhodesian Ridgeback.  That's why we chose a Ridgeback.

It all began with Beau

What do you say about a dog that means everything in the world to you?  That is what Beau is to us.  He came in to our lives as an 8 week old puppy and totally enslaved us from that moment on.  His temperament is stellar (he received his CGC at 10 months of age).  His loyalty is unquestioned.  His aloofness is undeniable.  When he accepts you as part of his circle, you are rewarded greatly.  Beau comes to us from Crestridge Rhodesian Ridgebacks and he is everything we could have asked for in our first Ridgeback. 

About a year after having Beau come to live with us, we decided we were ready for another one.  We wanted a dog we could show and take onto the coursing field. 

And then there were two

 

Our goals are simple.  We want to have fun with our dogs.  We enjoy spending time with them in the home, on the field and in the show ring - they are a major part of our lives.  We want all of our dogs to be healthy, happy and functional.  They are socialized by going to dog training school, going to the dog parks and going to local dog friendly events.  Any chance we get, we take the dogs with us.  Obsessive?  No.  Just being a responsible dog owner.