Our dogs, and so are the puppies, are living with us and we share our house and a big yard with them. They are well socialized and ready as well as for living in the rush city as for work in the forests. All the time of raising the puppies we are with them. We are giving all our time to them, I’m learning ethology and psychology of the dogs and I’m trying to apply it practically. We are raising puppies with love and I know that what we are giving them for the short time of eight weeks is huge and irreplaceable for their mental development – basics of their behavior for the rest of their lives.
I know that everything we teach them and the way we prepare them for life will return to us many times. It will not only reflect in the master’s joy of the Tusani dog but also in our reputation in the breeding as well as at the exhibitions and working service, and moreover in everyday fellowship of the dog’s family.
Our care doesn’t end with the leaving of the puppy. We are staying in contact with the new puppy’s masters and we are ready to give an advisory opinion in any sphere related to dogs or help 24 hours a day.
Raising the puppies in our kennel
Socialization, character development…
Puppies are in permanent touch with their mother and from their 2nd – 3rd week also with other members of the kennel. (currently one adult male, old females, adult females, grown female).
With that, I want to ensure good shaping of their character that will take effect when grown. This puppy won’t be coy nor aggressive, will be able react on and communicate with other dogs without useless conflicts.
Firs visit for the further owners we allow when the puppies are at least 3 weeks old. Time between 4th and 8th week puppies use for exploring the “world”. Puppies, under surveillance of their mother and other members of the kennel, are getting to know the rush not only in household and on the yard, but also on individual and collectively walks (vacuum cleaner, mixer, car horn, water, differently dressed people, little children, cry, rain, storms, bangers, shooting…).
I take that as the most important part of the raising, for them not to be coy and sensitive for rush, have positive attitude to children and react well in various life situations.
In this stage we are starting with exhibition training with all puppies with showing disposals. With every day’s few-minute training we fix showing habits – leash, touches further handler job.
With individual walks of every single puppy in supervision of his mother we ensure habit of collar and leash. The presence of his mother eliminates natural fear of open space (meadow) as well as of closed rooms (tunnel), scents and sounds.
With special tools (obstacles) on the yard or during the walks, We are trying to develop abilities to think independently.
Of course, this is really time-consuming, but the truth is that the puppies that are socialized in this way will not have any problems with fitting into their homes or coping with any new and stressing situation in their lives. They will also be better prepared for development of their working skills in their maturity. They will have good basics and all the prerequisites to grow into mentally well-balanced dogs!!!
All of our puppies take the Puppy Aptitude Test when they are seven weeks old. This test is helpful for determination of the dog’s individual qualities and can help you chose correctly the most suitable home for each puppy (particularly important for families with small children and families with more dogs). It can also indicate if the puppy will be rather dominant or rather submissive in his maturity. Furthermore, the test reveals how high is his threshold of sensitivity, which then determines a proper choice of instructional means, and a proper approach to work and training.
Taking care of our puppies
Feeding, hygiene, health…
The mother and her puppies are fed with B.A.R.F and the high-quality feeds, the special feed for rapidly growing puppies of large breeds, which is also Rhodesian ridgeback. Before and after her gravidity, We add folic acid to the mother’s feed, and from the second half of gravidity to the end of breast-feeding. The puppies are breastfed until they are six-seven weeks old. When they are 4 weeks old, they are given B.A.R.F. and special hight quality additional feed for large breed puppies.
In this way fed puppies are habituated and prepared for both methods of feeding in their new homes. The new owner can choose between a natural diet B.A.R.F. and granules.
We prefer natural breeding, which means that all of our puppies are guaranteed sufficient free outdoor movement and the puppies themselves can delimit the areas for rest, games and hygiene. The whole day, they have the options of staying inside or going out. (It is important to check up whether the puppies do not have problems with hygiene in their new homes.)
For healthy evolution of joints, the puppies are not allowed to move or play at slippery or cold paving or linoleum. (Dysplasia of loin joints can also be acquired and in the first eight weeks, it is considerably influenced by the nutrition of the mother and puppies, and the surface on which the puppies move.)
Aapplication of chips (tattooing), veterinary care and all the necessary vaccines are undisputable.
The puppies from our breeding station do not incline to allergies or dysplasia of loin joints. On principle, we breed only on healthy parents who come from healthy breeding. The parents and also the grandparents are tested on inherited defects.
Published 2/2005, constantly updated. All Rights Reserved!!!
What you will get from TUSANI with the puppy:
- Contract
- Take-over document of the puppy
- FCI Pedigree, card with the dog’s origin
- EUROPASPORT / The dog’s International vaccination card
- Documents for DNA testing of the puppy
- Copies of the Pedigree, cards with both the parents’ origins
- Documents for DNA testing of both the parents
- Copies of all the executed medical tests on the parents
- Copies of championships, respectively exhibition results of both the parents
- Infromation about whole the litter, its development, and possible problems which occurred in the litter
- Information about the parents and the litters which they come from, and possible problems which occurred with them or in the litter they come from
- Breed standard of Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Puppy Aptitude Test
- Literature about the breed (RR breed monograph + RR breed profile)
- My book: The Rhodesian Ridgeback – We’ll have a puppy, tips and tricks to be ready and do not make a lot of mistakes
- My book: The Rhodesian Ridgeback – Breeding with love and understanding
- If the owner is not a member of RR klub SK so far, he or she will be granted one-year membership
- Information about following vaccinations and parasite disposal of the puppy
- Information about the puppy’s training and nutrition, with the menu and the schedule of feeding
- basic equipment for the puppy: a toy and a chewing bone, a dog-collar and lead, our proved “exhibition lead for good luck” for future champions, a set of a bag and little lair, granules for the first days in new home and for the journey: sponge biscuits and a blanket and a toy with the smell of the mother and siblings
Our demands on the future puppies’ owners:
- The puppy is not a subject of dealing and thus we require personal contact and personal purchase. (The first visit to the puppies is possible on the 20th day, the purchase after eight weeks.)
- We require appropriate conditions for keeping the dog. We will not sell the puppy into the cote, kennel, or in the garden… We believe that every dog, especially Rhodesian ridgeback, needs the contact with people and his family.
- The puppy’s owner must be able to provide proper care for the puppy, give him enough love and socialize him properly (contact with other dogs and people).
- The future owner of the puppy must know why he or she has chosen ridgeback and at the moment of the purchase, he or she must have basic knowledge of the breed, its character, particularities and method of training. (We are ready to answer all your questions.)
- We want to keep in touch with all the puppies’ owners and we expect them to let me know about exhibition prizes as well as breeding outcomes and also everyday delight and troubles. We appreciate if the owners let us know in case of any health or training problems. We shall be very pleased to help them.
