Our Offspring

A litter begins long before birth

By the time puppies are born here, the decision behind that litter has usually been shaped by a long period of observation.

We want to know more than what a dog looks like or what its health results say. What matters to us is the complete picture: How has this dog developed? How does it live with people and other dogs? How does it respond under pressure? How confident and manageable is it in everyday life?

Its background matters just as much.

Whenever possible, we follow a line from the mother's pregnancy and the birth of a litter through to the development of the individual dogs. We also consider parents, siblings and existing offspring – sometimes across several generations.

This means that we may follow certain lines for years before they ever become part of a specific breeding plan.

Early potential can tell us a great deal. But only time shows us what truly develops from it.

Two good dogs do not automatically make a good pairing

For us, the essential question is not whether the female and the male are each good dogs.

It is: Do these two dogs make sense together?

We consider background, health, dentition, structure and movement alongside temperament, social behaviour, willingness to work, hunting drive and the way each dog deals with stress.

When we know both dogs personally, we also pay close attention to the way they communicate. How do they relate to each other? How do they behave in movement and at rest, around people and with one another? Where do they complement each other – and where might certain traits be reinforced in a way we do not want?

Sometimes we want to consolidate a strength. In other areas, we deliberately look for balance, both physically and in temperament.

And we do not consider only the best possible outcome of a pairing.

We also have to be prepared to take responsibility for what may emerge at the other end of the spectrum.

Every litter has refined the way we look at this. With our A litter, for example, we came very close physically to what we had hoped for. In temperament, we would have liked to see a little more of Boss's calmness in some of the offspring.

With Boss and Maya, many of the qualities we hoped for came together. Candy and Fred are two particularly good examples for us.

Because ultimately, offspring show us which qualities a dog not only possesses, but actually passes on.

Where we want to go

We do not want to turn the Thai Ridgeback into a different breed.

Its independence, sensitivity, alertness and distinctive way of bonding are all part of what we value.

But for us, “typical for the breed” is not a justification for a dog that is barely responsive in everyday life, profoundly insecure or extremely difficult to manage.

Our goal is a Thai Ridgeback capable of living confidently in today's society: independent and full of character, while still responsive, environmentally stable and manageable in everyday life.

That includes a more controllable hunting drive, openness, stable temperament and a functional, resilient body.

Beauty matters too, but it does not come first.

Our ideal is clear: athletic, elegant and functional.

We do not want increasingly heavy or exaggerated dogs. Movement and gait, proportions, angulation, feet, size, substance and physical resilience all need to work together.

For us, a beautiful Thai Ridgeback should not only look good.

It should be able to use its body accordingly.

Pregnancy

When one of our females is pregnant, we adapt her daily life to her individual needs.

She remains part of her familiar routine for as long as possible, receives appropriate exercise and her diet is adjusted as the pregnancy progresses. Our aim is to support her wellbeing while maintaining fitness and muscle condition as well as possible.

When it comes to examinations, our principle is: as much as necessary, as little as possible.

Whether an ultrasound is appropriate, for example, also depends on how the individual female handles the examination. If there is uncertainty, an X-ray shortly before birth can provide additional clarity.

Pregnancy itself also tells us something about a breeding female: how her body copes, how well she maintains her resilience and how she changes during this period.

Because our assessment is not based solely on the finished litter.

The journey towards it is part of breeding too.

Birth

Our litters are born in our bedroom.

Shortly before the birth, the whelping box is prepared there and we remain close to the female throughout this period.

Ideally, birth progresses largely without intervention. We see our role first and foremost as observing, documenting and being ready to provide support when it is genuinely needed.

With the puppies, we monitor factors such as birth weight, vitality, breathing and nursing. At the same time, we closely observe the mother and the progress of the birth. If something does not develop as it should, we consult our veterinarian.

We intervene when necessary – not because we want to control every natural process.

After the birth, the female also has a significant say in how much proximity she wants from our other dogs. She always has the option to withdraw with her litter.

The first weeks

The first days belong primarily to the mother and her puppies.

The whelping area is kept clean, the puppies' development is monitored and their weight is documented regularly. At the same time, we do not believe that every aspect of normal development needs to become an exercise.

Checks for Dermoid Sinus begin within the first days of life and are repeated throughout rearing. A further examination is carried out by the veterinarian.

Supplementary feeding is also introduced according to the development of the litter, the mother's milk supply and the individual situation.

The litter sets the pace.

At around three weeks, the puppies move into our living room and become part of our everyday life.

Children, cats, our dogs, visitors and normal household sounds naturally become part of their environment. Later, their world is expanded step by step to include the garden, car journeys, nature, town and different surroundings.

Physical handling, touching paws, trimming nails, checking teeth and walking on a lead are also introduced naturally as part of everyday life.

Not as a checklist of tasks a puppy should complete as early as possible.

But as preparation for a normal life.

Socialisation is not about doing as much as possible

We are not interested in how many situations a puppy has experienced by a certain age.

We are interested in how that puppy processes them.

New experiences should build confidence, not simply produce an impressive list. This is also why not every puppy receives exactly the same preparation.

The better we understand what its future home and lifestyle will look like, the more deliberately we can incorporate relevant experiences into its upbringing.

Rest is equally important.

Our puppies do not need constant entertainment. They are allowed to learn that everyday life also means waiting, observing and settling down.

Throughout this time, we observe their development: closeness and independence, frustration tolerance, reactions to new situations, recovery after excitement, communication with other dogs, physical dynamics and orientation towards people.

Our adult dogs are an important part of their social environment. Boss, for example, has contact with his puppies, communicates with them and sets boundaries.

Not everything a puppy needs to learn about dogs can be taught by a human.

Future families

Ideally, we get to know future owners before a pairing even takes place.

We are less interested in whether someone looks perfect on paper than in how that person actually lives, what they expect from a dog and whether those expectations fit a Thai Ridgeback – and one of our puppies.

Previous dog experience is not a requirement.

Self-awareness matters more to us.

During rearing, we keep future families closely involved in their puppy's development. Photos, videos, conversations and, once the puppies are old enough, visits are all part of that process.

This means that we are not the only ones getting to know the people.

The families also get to experience how the litter develops.

Which puppy fits which person?

Future owners are, of course, allowed to have preferences. Sex can also be an important consideration.

But we make the final match only once we know the individual puppies well enough – usually between six and eight weeks, sometimes later.

We do not romanticise this process.

A puppy has not automatically “chosen its person” simply because it spent a particularly long time on someone's lap during a visit.

We live with our puppies every day and see them in many different situations. At the same time, we try to understand their future families as well as possible.

We bring those two sides together.

If we do not see a particular puppy with a particular person, we say so. And if our assessment and an interested person's expectations do not align, the right decision may be not to place one of our puppies with them.

We are not trying to find a puppy for every person. We are trying to find the right person for each of our puppies.

Leaving us is not the end

Our puppies leave us no earlier than eight weeks of age.

By then they are vaccinated, microchipped and dewormed, have their EU pet passport and have been checked for Dermoid Sinus. The relevant examinations and documentation for the litter are also completed.

They leave with all relevant documents and information, along with familiar items to make the transition into their new home easier.

If a family cannot collect their puppy themselves, whenever possible we take the puppy to its new home personally.

Once there, the puppy is given time to settle. After that, it should begin experiencing its real everyday life – because that is what we have been preparing it for.

And we want to know what happens next.

Health, dentition, behaviour and the development of our offspring provide important information for future breeding decisions. Positive development matters to us just as much as difficulties or unexpected findings.

This is also why we appreciate our offspring being evaluated later for HD, ED, Patella and spine.

Only honest feedback allows us to assess our breeding programme over the long term.

Part of our breeding for life

Our puppy owners can contact us even many years after their dog has left.

We cannot take responsibility for a dog away from its owner. We expect initiative, a willingness to learn and the ability to reflect on one's own approach to the dog.

But if questions or problems arise, we want to know.

And if a home genuinely no longer works for one of our dogs, we want to know that too.

Our contracts include a right of first refusal for dogs we have bred. If necessary, we believe responsible breeding also means being prepared to take back a dog we brought into the world.

Once a puppy leaves us, that dog belongs to its family.

Its development nevertheless remains part of our breeding.

We want to know how our offspring mature and eventually grow old. Which traits repeat themselves, where difficulties arise, what becomes apparent in their health – and which of our earlier decisions we may view differently with the benefit of several years' perspective.

That knowledge shapes the next generation.

When is a litter truly finished for us?

Probably only with the last breath of the last dog.