Acerca de
Blue velocity
breeding Program
health, temperament and conformation
Blue Velocity Ridgebacks was started in order to preserve the Phu Quoc Ridgeback breed. Preservation is defined as the act of maintaining, protecting or keeping something safe from destruction, decay or any ill. And this is very much my goal for the breed in order to ensure that they, as a whole, continue to exist in their current condition, or better, for future generations to enjoy.
My goal is to not to produce as many puppies as possible, but to produce Phu Quoc Ridgebacks that are true representatives of the breed in their temperament and in type, just as they developed and exist in Vietnam. I aim to produce healthy dogs that can continue to be the future of the breed, and I aspire to create dogs that will make others fall in love with Phu Quoc Ridgebacks, as I have, and continue our passion for this breed.
Here are some of the ways we champion these values in our program.
Health
Health testing is very important to me, and therefore to Blue Velocity's program. With almost no health testing to be heard of within the breed, I want to heighten the standards of Phu Quoc Ridgeback breeding to the level that is expected, and to what is possible with our current technology and knowledge.
As according to the Phu Quoc Ridgeback Association, any dog bred at Blue Velocity will have, at minimum, hips screened and scored, patellas tested and scored, and DNA testing. Hips are always scored professionally by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). All thyroid testing is sent to an OFA-approved lab to be tested by a specialized veterinary endocrinologist. Completed health screening will be posted on the OFA website and accessible to the public. I will never breed a dog whose health is not fit for breeding and I work very closely with my reproductive vet for every step of the process.
Health screening is not done because my dogs are at risk, but to ensure that none of the dogs that I breed pass on any genetic issues to any puppies produced. While there is no way to completely eradicate risk of health issues, especially those that we cannot test for, I want to work towards reducing congenital issues that we can, to the best of my ability within the breed.
(See our Breed Health section to learn more about the breed's overall health, including Dermoid Sinus.)
Dermoid sinuses are neural tube defects that affect every true ridged breed. While not every ridged dog will have them, they may occur more frequently in ridged dogs. Because these dermoid sinuses are at risk of infection and can even potentially be fatal, I do everything in my power to prevent them in my program. In people and in dogs, folic acid has been proven to reduce the occurrence of dermoid sinuses. My dams receive folic acid supplements before and during early pregnancy to help prevent occurrence.
In addition, scientists have been doing more to learn about the genetics of the ridge. It was discovered that dogs with two copies of the Ridge allele are at substantially greater risk for the development of dermoid sinus, while ridgeless dogs have almost no risk for them. In one study, ten (10) of the twelve (12) dogs with dermoid sinus that were examined had two copies of the allele (often written as "RR," expressing two dominant alleles for the ridge). Dogs with one copy of the allele (written as "Rr," expressing one dominant allele for the ridge) are at risk for dermoid sinus. On the other hand, among 57 litters examined in a study, none of the ridgeless dogs presented dermoid sinus (written as "rr").
RR
Two "ridge" alleles
Ridged
High risk for Dermoid Sinus
Rr
One "ridge" allele
Ridged
Some risk for Dermoid Sinus
rr
No "ridge" alleles
No Ridge
Nearly no risk for Dermoid Sinus
With this knowledge, I aim to retain ridgeless dogs that are within breed standard, and of quality pedigree, temperament and health, within my program. This will serve to retain more diversity within the breed and within my program in the long term. Keeping the recessive genes of no ridge ("r") will also allow for breeding dogs with lower incidence of dermoid sinus.
It is also now possible to genetically test dogs for the Ridge allele, determining whether a dog has one, two, or no Ridge alleles present. I do genetic testing for my dogs to make sure I understand how many alleles they have, so I can make better informed breeding decisions.
Sources, in order:
Roberts, John and Nicholls-Grzemski, Felicity. "A role for folic acid in the prevention of dermoid sinus in the Rhodesian Ridgeback." 1996.
Salmon Hillbertz NH, Isaksson M, Karlsson EK, Hellmen E, Pielberg GR, Savolainen P, et al. "Duplication of FGF3, FGF4, FGF19 and ORAOV1 causes hair ridge and predisposition to dermoid sinus in Ridgeback dogs." Nature Genetics. 2007.
Salmon Hillbertz, NH. "Inheritance of dermoid sinus in the Rhodesian ridgeback." Journal of Small Animal Practices. Feb, 2005.
Waldo, Jennifer and Diaz, Kasandra. "Development and validation of a diagnostic test for Ridge allele copy number in Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs." Canine Genetics Epidemiology 2;2. 27 Jan, 2015.
Temperament
Temperament is a key part of the Blue Velocity Ridgebacks program. My goal is to breed stable, adaptable companions that truly embody the qualities of the Phu Quoc Ridgebacks mentioned in indigenous lore — intelligent, loyal, and versatile. As a part of truly preserving the breed, it is an important goal to retain the original temperament and traits of the breed. I hope to highlight key aspects of the breed, such as their prey drive and biddability within my program.
Every breeding I do is paired carefully in every way, including temperament. Rather than simply breeding any dog that I have with whatever is available, each litter is planned thoughtfully according to the traits that are desirable, and that which is appropriate for the breed. For example, a dog that is more shy, but has great biddability, may be paired to a dog that is very social to get puppies that are both sociable and biddable. Alternatively, some pairs may be chosen to enhance qualities that both parents have, such as pairing together two dogs that are both very motivated to have puppies that are all extremely motivated. Each pairing will be carefully selected, and I am always very transparent about the plans and intentions for that litter, as well as whatever knowledge I have of the bloodlines behind them.
Part of ensuring that puppies best fit the homes they go to is temperament testing and matching. All puppies will be individually temperament tested before they go home. They will be temperament tested with the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) and the Avidog Puppy Evaluation Test (APET). A home that wants a relaxed house dog would be matched with a sweet and calm puppy, whereas a more adventurous family might be matched with a more outgoing and daring puppy. This will help ensure that homes get a dog that suits their lifestyle, and that my dogs can thrive in their new homes.
Conformation
Conformation is absolutely not to be forgotten at Blue Velocity. I aim to breed Phu Quoc Ridgebacks that represent the breed as they are in Vietnam, in type and in function. I pay close attention to, and take pride in my knowledge of the breed standards and of the breed in its country of origin. I have worked to have the breed recognized by various kennel clubs and consistently show my dogs, having them seen by conformation experts, including UKC judges.
As I do with temperament, pairings are also chosen by conformation. Choosing parents with complementary conformation will better the structure of the next generation, and continue the breed's reputation of athleticism, speed, and hunting prowess.
I breed for Phu Quoc Ridgebacks that not only have fit and functional conformation, but are true to type. With admixture and loss of breed type rampant within and outside of Vietnam, maintaining proper type is important to preserving the cultural pride that is the Phu Quoc Ridgeback.
All the dogs bred at Blue Velocity are evaluated for good conformation and type, and paired with consideration to how well they complement or match in these aspects, while maintaining a low coefficient of inbreeding.
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