Puppy Inquires

For puppy inquiries, please fill out the puppy application. All other inquiries, you can contact me by email or on Facebook. Please like our Facebook page for up-to-date news and pictures of current puppies. 

*Our next planned litter will be early 2025! We are likely planning two litters next year, one with Nilla early spring and then a late litter with Cora. 

I will, on occasion, have Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies available for purchase.  I only breed one or two times per year and I never have "puppies on demand" nor will I over-use the girls to meet demand. Females in my breeding program may only be bred one or two times in their lives.  Breeding is thoughtfully planned and I typically have a waiting list well in advance. All puppies are whelped at home or vet's office and the dogs are a part of my family and community. They will be started on crate training and potty training by the time they go to their new homes at 8 weeks old. All puppies come with a health guarantee, vaccinations, deworming, microchip, AKC registration, and information packet including parents information along with helpful training and puppy care information.
 

If you are interested in one of my ridgeback litters, please fill out the puppy application below and email it to Zanatarhodesianridgebacks@hotmail.com and I will get back to you with any news of upcoming litters or if any puppies are currently available.  Homes for our puppies are chosen very carefully after matching puppies potential and personality with the perfect family and home.  I strongly encourage all potential buyers to visit and get to know the parents and learn as much as possible about the breed.  I welcome questions about my dogs, foundation dogs and breeding program at any time.

When you buy a Zanata Ridgeback puppy, you are buying a piece of my family and the result of ever increasing breeding knowledge.  Puppies are the sole focus of my life and energy for the first several months and they represent a commitment to the love and knowledge of Rhodesian Ridgebacks. All offspring come from healthy and health tested parents that have excelled in multiple disciplines whether its conformation or performance events. Sires/Dams have sound bodies and temperaments, and they are family companions and not kennel dogs.  We are breeding dogs that are worthy of breeding to carry on distinct Ridgeback traits and type that will excel in your home, the show ring or in performance events. 

Puppies that are raised in the House, not Kennel Raised

All puppies are raised in the kitchen and living area of my home so they are accustomed to the hustle and bustle of family life and everyday activities.  Puppies are handled and socialized from birth, with daily attention and exercises which stimulate their brains and bodies.  They are also socialized with children, people of different ages/races, other dogs and cats. By the time they go home between 8 to 10 weeks of age, they have been started on their house training, simple obedience training, have spent the nights in crates, been on car rides, vet visits and exposed to a variety of sounds/activities that are normal to everyday life.   Typically when puppies go home, they are overnight sleep and potty trained to help ease their transition into your daily life. 

Matching Pup to Owner

My goal is to carefully place each pup with a well-suited family. Every effort is made to match each owner or family with the pup that vest suits them. Since I know pups better than anyone, I do not allow our buyers to select their puppy. To effectively match puppies to homes, we gather information from prospective owners about life style, experience in dogs, and expectation for their puppy. We also keep careful records of each puppy's reactions and personality to assist in placement. During their 8th-10th weeks, we also try to have the pups evaluated by other breeders, mentors, handlers and ridgeback enthusiasts in our community.  

Lifetime Support

I have a lifetime commitment to all of the puppies that are bred from Zanata. I expect to remain in contact with our puppy owners throughout the dog's life (and often beyond) so it is important you feel comfortable with me. I provide information on the successes and health of each pup's parents and relatives, as well as suggestions on training, showing, and performance events. We have regular puppy playdates and reunions, so that Zanata Rhodesian Ridgeback's owners and dogs can gather and become a community. 

Lifetime Commitment

I will take any dogs of my breeding back at any time for any reason, no questions asked. 

You have studied Rhodesian Ridgebacks. To begin, we expect you to have thoroughly read and studied the Rhodesian ridgeback standard to ensure that a ridgeback in the right breed for you and your family. I also expect that you have read through our website and have a clear idea of the kind of ridgebacks we produce. Ridgebacks, although they are great couch potatoes, do need a decent amount of exercise. They need a combination of long walks, hikes, off leash play time  with other dogs and a fenced yard with grass to run in to get plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. I expect that you will have evaluated your circumstances and have made a sound decision about whether you really have the time and energy to add a puppy to your family and that a ridgeback is your breed of choice.  

Right Pup at the Right Time

Once you've decided that a ridgeback is the right dog for you, look closely at your calendar. I do not ship puppies as freight so new owners must come get their puppy themselves. I have developed a very good system for preparing pups for their trip home, whether that be by car or plane, so your pup will be ready to go anywhere with you.  

You Have Time to Develop Your Pup

Once home, it is important to have a relatively open calendar until your pup is 20 weeks old so you can focus on its socialization and training. That early period is critical to a puppy's long-term development and must be designed to get the most out of these few months. Vacations, business trips or heavy deadlines requiring long hours away from the puppy are not congruent with the work involved in preparing a young dog for its lifetime. The learning that occurs during those first months cannot be recaptured later.  

The Dog is a Family Priority

Another expectation is that your puppy will be a significant and beloved member of your family. He or she should live in your home (not in a kennel or back yard) and receive premium food, thoughtful and professional medical care, and lifelong training/work.