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If you might be intersted in adopting a young Kushinda dog, please visit Kushinda's Available Young Dogs.
Please feel free to call me after 7pm EST at 304 216-3617 most any evening to discuss your requirements to see if we have a potentially good match for your adoption for you and your family!
To start our adoption process, please email me your completed Kushinda Interview Sheet. Please read past the puppy photos (further down on this page) where I describe our Adoption Process in greater detail.
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We sincerley hope you have enjoyed pictures of our babies! Please check back often as we udpate with new photos as often as we can. Hi! You have landed on the web page of a 30-year+ breeder! If you are just window shopping, please click here. If you are serious about adopting a Kushinda Rhodesian Ridgeback (and you have checked with your Significant Other, wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, the guy down the street, and anyone else in control of your life) and you have confirmed that your schedule [family reunions, birthdays, vacations, etc.] fits with picking up your puppy in the August timeframe, and you have sufficient time to spend with them these next 10-12 years, please read on! A young man from Pittsburgh called the other night and after a 15 minute chat, he said “Thank you for providing me all this information. I had no idea how hard you have worked over the years to get the dogs you have.” I told him, that I initially ask the same questions of everyone … “May I ask you a few questions?” “Have you ever owned a Ridgeback?” “Do you have a fenced in yard appropriate for a Ridgeback?” “Are you looking for a puppy or an older Ridgeback?” “Where are you located?” and “When are you interested in adopting?” … to get started. Both the sire and dam, have all of their Health Clearances. Do you know what those are? Hips, elbows, thyroid, eyes, cardiac and they are clear (N/N) for Degenerative Myelopathy. Do you know which ones are required by RRCUS? Also keep in mind that not only do the puppy’s parents have these Health Clearances, but as a Breeder with a 30-year Breeding Program so do their parents and grandparents. And so do many of their siblings [Kayla, Noah, D’Ante] and aunts and uncles [Gweneth, Walton] and nieces and nephews [Beatrice, Fergie]! We are not an owner with only one or two dogs, but we have an established Breeding Program that allows us the privilege of choosing our breeding stock using very strict requirements and subsequent evalution. We are probably the only kennel that maintains Genetic Pedigrees! With this approach we are producing very consistent Ridgebacks, both in health, conformation, and temperament. All of these characteristics should be of concern to you and your family. If these attributes (which guarantee Ridgebacks will look and smell and act like Ridgebacks 20 years from now) are not of concern to you, please click here. When you adopt one of our Kushinda Ridgebacks you are reaping the blood, sweat, tears, and 30-years+ of hard work that we have invested to obtain our competitive show, coursing, and therapy dogs. Between 80-85% of our puppies are show quality, placed with you as a Family Pet (that means no contract to show/course so I won’t be looking for you at a dog show!) Since we cannot keep every puppy/dog we look to you as responsible owners to provide those puppies we do not keep or retired older dogs forever loving homes! As you can image, you become part of our Kushinda Family and our dedication to preserving the “true functioning” Rhodesian Ridgeback. In order to do this in the most efficient way, we use a tool to gather your requirements to ensure a good match between what you want, what you are capable of handling, and what we may have available. This tool is our Kushinda Interview Sheet. I always encourage you to look over our Health Guarantee and Contract BEFORE completing our Kushinda Interview Sheet and emailing it back to me as an attachment. Keep in mind our Contract it is a set of guidelines. I work full time, I show, I course, I judge and as I care for a maintain our kennel (my first job) so I do not have time to come and bang on your front door to make sure you are feeding the dog food we recommend. But I wish to provide you with some key recommendations/guidelines (what/when to vaccinate, when to spay/neuter, what to feed, etc.) to ensure you have a positive experience with one (or two) of our Kushinda Ridgebacks! NOTE: ONLY IF you are seriously serious (you've deliberated) in adopting a puppy or older dog, please email us at Kushinda@pobox.com with all of your contact information. You should also try to email us a completed Interview Sheet ASAP to schedule your pick-up visitation/appointment. Thank you in advance! For tips on how to complete our Kushinda Interview, please visit our Jokes page! In the past 3 months I have fielded calls from owners who have had their Ridgebacks hit by cars and killed. One lady even remarked that she did not know that Ridgebacks were sighthounds. Her puppy was only 8 months old. Her breeder never bothered to dicuss the Ridgeback in detail. At Kushinda, we strive to provide you enough information so that you can make an informed decsion in adopting a Ridgeback. Ask yourself, do you have an appropriate environemnt (i.e., fenced in yard) for a Ridgeback? If you are not sure, please contact us to discuss.
To start our adoption process ==>
Please note that our Adoption Process has been used for nearly 30 years and serves both your welfare in obtaining that “perfect” puppy/dog and the well being of our Kushinda puppy/dog. We use your answers to identify a match with an available puppy/dog. Consider your investment in spending the effort to follow our recommendations as part of your continued research endeavor in finding your first/next Rhodesian Ridgeback. Our goal is to place one puppy/dog, one time, with one owner, for one entire lifetime. Your cooperation is very much appreciated! Remember, you are initating a life changing event with your new/next Kushinda Ridgeback and we will be there 24/7 to address all of your questions throughout your Kushinda Ridgeback’s lifetime! Yes, when your 12 year old Kushinda Ridgeback throws up in your kitchen in the middle of the night, we expect you to contact us - as we will be there throughout those geriatric years as well. Once we have completed your New Puppy/Dog Owner's Interview/Application Form you will be encouraged to join our Yahoo! Kushnda List to meet previous/current Kushinda Ridgeback Owners. Best wishes in your search! Kimma & Kammi Please email Kushinda@pobox.com for details!
OK,let's meet some of our recent Kushinda Ridgeback owners from 2014! We also have younger/older retired Kushinda Ridgebacks (some Championed) looking for loving Forever Homes (and others not listed below)! Please contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment to visit and adopt the perfect matched Kushinda Ridgeback for you and your family! "Running partners ready to go!"Please call me directly at 304 216-3617 to discuss the adoption of an older Kushinda Ridgback! Please email Kushinda@pobox.com for details!!!
Kushinda Rhodesian Ridgebackswin the Coveted 2011 ASFA II Gillette Cup !!!!! with DUAL CHAMPION KUSHINDA'S JESSICA
with an entry (as announced on 04.28.11) of 309 sighthounds |
ALL of the following are eligibility requirements for the Gillette Stake ==>
Gillette Stake – Saturday Only The competition will be run following the same procedures as Best in Field.
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Please check with us about our schedule, as these are excellent opportunities for you to come and meet us, our Kushinda Ridgebacks, to see the puppies and to watch lure coursing! Please contact me at Kushinda@pobox.com to make an appointment.
At this time it's a good idea to read more Kushinda Philosophies to answer many of your questions.
If you are seriously interested in a Kushinda Puppy/Dog, please visit Kushinda's Relevant Documents page. Download the Interview Sheet and Sample Contract. Read each document. Complete the Interview Sheet and contact us to discuss the adoption.
If you might be intersted in adopting a young Kushinda dog, please visit Kushinda's Available Young Dogs.
"The Rhodesian Ridgeback was developed in Rhodesia by the Boer Farmers. He was bred to survive the rigors of harsh country and climate where the fittest survived. He had to be easy to care for and inexpensive to maintain. The Boer required a good hunting dog with stamina to travel long distances over varied terrain to locate game. Once the game was sighted, the dog had to have enough remaining endurance to, in the case of large dangerous game (lions and the like), corner it and be agile enough to escape injury while holding the quarry at bay."¹ After the hunt however, the Boer expected his dog to remain at his side as a loyal companion, on guard constantly protecting not only his family but his livestock and property as well.
At The Lion Hounds of Kushinda, we strive to produce this "fully-Functional Ridgeback" that is able to demonstrate the requirments of the Boer Farmer, by avidly competing in agility, conformation, lure coursing, obedience, and tracking; as well as serving mankind as registered Therapy Dogs.
¹ The Rhodesian Ridgeback by Diane Jacobsen.
Download a 3 page brochure on the History of the RR [an MS Word 97 (3469KB) .doc file] or
download a much smaller JPG file [a JPG file (978KB) .jpg file]
At Kushinda we place each puppy in a suitably matched home.
You are the person to visit Kushinda!
![[a JPG file (978KB) .jpg file]](education/RRHistory/RRHistory.jpg){kind=link}