Home      Our Dogs      Puppies     Co-Owns      Family      About Us      Info     Fun&Games       Rescue       LINKS

This is not a "filler" page, full of shovelled information. I personally evaluate all the sites I list, and use most of them. And if they contain information about specific products, I have bought and tried the products. This is meant to be a list of real resources you can count on. Please contact me if you would like to give me feedback (good or bad) on any of these listings. Clicking on links will open that site in a separate window so that you won't lose your place on our site.
Updated September 2, 2008.

Organizations

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)
You can check the Hip and elbow ratings of any dog listed with the OFA. Just enter the dog's name or just the kennel name in the search box on the home page. The OFA has genetic databases for hip and elbow dysplasia, Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Congenital Cardiac Disease, and Patella Luxation.You can now also check CERF (eye) and BAER (ear) ratings. This is a beautifully done site with tons of info. Check out the DNA section for the latest on canine diseases that can be diagnosed by DNA testing.

The American Kennel Club (AKC)
The premier registry for purebred dogs in the U.S. Information on responsible breeding, ownership, registration, care and training, schedules of dog shows and other AKC sponsored events, etc.

The American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA)
Have I mentioned how much fun lure coursing your Ridgie can be? This is a good place to start, with info, rules, and event dates. They also have a listing of top lure coursing dogs by breed. Also check the AKC site for their lure coursing events.

Medical and Health

ThePetCenter.com
A very comprehensive site. Loaded with ads from this or that pet supply house, but I guess someone has to foot the bill. They put a LOT of work into this site. The idea was to create a virtual animal hospital, with photos, advice, and a huge library of articles. A few of my favorites: "Do Pets Grieve?", with a moving little anecdote about a cat who,when her master dies, carries a small beanbag baby everywhere she goes and showers it with affection; "Snake Bites and Dogs," with photos of the six most common venomous snakes in the US., plus a good list of what you should and should not do if your dog is bitten. Keep in mind, however, that this site is written by vets, and therefore the vet is God.

Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP)
A new method of evaluating hip integrity, it claims to be accurate in puppies as young as 16 weeks. The main weakness of the program right now is lack of a large statistical base for evaluation. As more and more dogs are evaluated using the PennHIP system, its predictions will become more accurate.

Canine and Feline Cancer Links
Maintained by a man whose beloved dog died of cancer, this page has over 200 links, including traditional and alternative treatments. Much on diet for specific cancers. I don't have much information about the veracity of this site, but thought it would be worth a look if you have a dog battling cancer.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
Rhubarb can cause kidney damage; American Bittersweet can cause convulsions; Oleander can cause cardiovascular abnormalities and death. And those are just a few of the ones in your garden. However, you may want to read over this information before you have an emergency. They charge a consulting fee if you need to use their hot line.

Dr. Jean Dodds' Vaccine Protocol
Dr. Dodds has been a major voice in the movement to cut back on unnecessary vaccinations for dogs. Here, she lays out the logic behind the movement, the dangers of over-vaccination, and alternatives to yearly vaccinations. If you share your life with a dog or cat, you need to have this information and discuss it with your vet. Many vets are already practicing this protocol and will ask you if you want "yearly" or "every 3 years" vaccination. On request, most will run titer tests to determine if your dog needs the vaccine. Read all about it here.

Ridgeback Specific

Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue
In a perfect world, every Ridgeback puppy goes to a forever home with loving humans. But not here, not now. There are many Ridgebacks and almost-Ridgebacks out there waiting for good homes. If you can't adopt right now, at least support the cause with a trip to the online stores of the rescue groups. There are a number of rescue groups. The most active are:

          Etosha Rescue. Operating on a tiny budget, this is a small group with a very big heart. Etosha currently has a lot of ridgebacks and ridgeback mixes they have rescued from truly dire circumstances, mostly in the Texas area. They do a fantastic job of rehabilitating and placing their dogs. My first choice for rescue.

          Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, Inc (RRRI). The official rescue program of the national club, it is considerably better heeled than Etosha. RRRI does not rescue dogs that are not purebred.

          Ridgeback Rescue of the United States (RRUS). I know very little about this group, other than that it is a legitimate non-profit rescue (like the others above). Certainly worth checking if you are looking at rescue.

POST (Pedigree Online Search Tool)
A Rhodesian Ridgeback specific search tool with interactive pedigrees of many, if not most, of the AKC-registered Ridgebacks in the US. Many photos. This site is absolutely worth checking out if you haven't seen it already.

The RR-Folk Mailing List
An email list for owners, future owners, former owners, and other fanciers of Rhodesian Ridgebacks, with over 1,000 subscribers. It's all here: the stories, the gossip, the advice, the complaints, the compliments, the brags -- if it's happening out there, someone here is bound to let everybody know. This site will get you signed up. Feeling lonely and eager to fill your inbox with emails? Then this is the group for you. Be prepared to receive up to 60 emails a day.

The Ridgeback Pix Group
My email list of choice, this is a Yahoo group. A wonderful community of ridgeback owners. Most are pet owners rather than breeders, so it lacks the edgy competitive quality of many ridgeback groups. A good place to see what it's like to live with ridgebacks day by day. Some wonderful photographers belong to this group, but everyone is welcome.

Miscellaneous Dog Sites

Dog Fanciers' Acronym List
Have you ever wondered what HIC meant? How about U-ACHX or VS or FDCh or ILP or ACVO? It's all here. Just the facts, ma'am.

Complete List of Dog-Related Email Lists
A very comprehensive list from Cindy Tittle Moore. If you ever feel lonely and just can't get enough email by subscribing to RR-Folk, just peruse this list.

Rec.pets.dogs FAQ homepage
An almost overwhelming compilation of FAQs and links covering everything you ever wanted to know about dogs and a lot you never wanted to know until you read these pages.

Photos of Every Breed you've (n)ever heard about
Great Dog Site hs an impossibly generic name, but has wonderful photos of a LOT of breeds,, common and esoteric. Fun to browse. Have you ever heard of the Alpine Dachsbracke or the Icelandic Sheepdog? They have, and show them in full color.

Dog Training

Sports and Fun