Waarheid Rhodesian Ridgebacks

Promoting the Total Rhodesian Ridgeback
"Function First, True to Type"
Hunting Companion, Cattle Drover, Farm and Family Guardian

Parallel Breeding Priorities

The Waarheid breeding program is an acknowledgement of a simple truth, and the resulting dichotomy. The simple truth is that there is no perfect dog, there will never be a perfect dog. Why is this? Simply put, because you cannot have it all. All breeding decisions represent conscious or unconscious concessions, trade-offs, and relative value judgments. The dichotomy that is created by this truth is that breeders who might otherwise be inclined to try to have it all (breed the perfect dog) are forced (whether they realize it or not) to choose their 'goods' along with their 'evils'. I.e., "I have to have this...", "I won't tolerate that...", "I'll live with this if I can get that along with it...". In a word, it's about priorities.

In all of our breedings, the overarching goal is to produce a temperamentally, instinctually and conformationally correct working specimen. However, in the real world where you cannot have it all, the question becomes, "Just how close can we get?" By approaching the question in this manner, we hope to get darn close.

Along the way certain priorities will guide certain breedings. These can be described in the largest sense by three non-distinct categories, we'll cal them Field, Show and Exploratory.

Field matings are those where hunting instincts and proclivities are the first priority.

Show matings, despite the name, are not primarily concerned with success in the AKC show ring, where exaggerated size/features and various flavor-of-the-week fads often hold sway. But rather, adherence to the standard of physical conformational perfection is the first priority. If you don't know what that means, see both the written, elaborated and illustrated standards for the breed.

Exploratory matings can be a departure from the two main priorities where things that are new and/or different can be tried without unduly risking any progress made in the other areas. Essentially, these matings create a relatively safe place to answer in-house questions. This is where we might try an intriguing out-cross, or a dog that is too large/too small, or a nice but relatively unproven dog who's show/field career was cut short by injury, or any other breeding that serves to answer a specific question (or questions) about our line, or another line, or a specific dog or bitch.

It's important to understand that few matings will represent a complete focus on only one of the three priorities to the exclusion of all else, but rather certain priorities will guide any given breeding. 

FAQ's

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Individual Litter Pages

If you are interested in being considered for potential placement for one of our upcoming litters please contact me at the following address, removing all spaces:

matthew valdivia @ mail . com

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