Question 1

How do I contact you?

Accepted Answer

Questions about the Phu Quoc Ridgeback breed, about my breeding program or about getting a Phu Quoc Ridgeback puppy may be sent to my email bluevelocityridgebacks@gmail.com,(bluevelocityridgebacks@gmail.com) through the contact form on the homepage, or through the Blue Velocity Facebook page.(https://www.facebook.com/Bluevelocityridgebacks)

Feel free to message me about any inquiries! I'm always happy to talk about my breed.

Question 2

How do I get a puppy?

Accepted Answer

The process of getting a puppy will be a very involved process, as I want to ensure that my puppies go to great homes, and that you and your family get a puppy that suits your lifestyle best. The process will be as follows:

Waitlist:
 • Apply to the waitlist online
 • Be approved for the waitlist
 • Informal interview about your home and needs
 • Discuss your time frame for a puppy and which pairings will suit you best
 • Wait for the breeding and announcement

Once puppies are born:
 • I will contact owners on my waitlist to re-confirm interest in the litter
 • Owners pay a $500 consultation and reservation fee
 • Puppies will be given official temperament assessments at 7-8 weeks old
 • Homes will be matched to their puppy
 • Sign the contract
 • Make payment for your puppy
 • Take home your puppy

If you have more questions about getting on the waitlist or any portion of the process, don't be afraid to reach out to me!

Question 3

How much does a puppy cost?

Accepted Answer

Cost will be dependent on the costs for breeding the litter. Some litters will require higher expenses if I need to use AI (artificial insemination), for example. The absolute most a puppy will cost is $3,500. All puppies in a litter will cost the same regardless of sex, color or if they have a ridge. Most owners can expect a puppy to be around $3,000.

This price will help us cover the cost of health testing on our parent dogs, breeding costs including necessary vet appointments (necessary supplements, brucellosis tests, ultrasounds and more), and will go into efforts of promoting and improving the breed as a whole with the parent club.

The consultation fee for puppies is $500, which will go into the total cost of the puppy. Owners will be responsible for any shipping costs of their puppy, whether they come to pick up the puppy themselves or require a flight nanny.

I believe that well bred dogs should be accessible to everyone. People already approved for the waitlist may contact me about a payment plan if the full cost would be an extreme financial burden.

Question 4

How does your waitlist work?

Accepted Answer

The "waitlist" is not a formal list and there is no specific order. I maintain a pool of potentially interested individuals and ensure I understand each home's individual wants. Families will be matched to puppies according to temperament of the puppy and what fits best to your home, and the timeframe that works best for both you and with our breeding schedule.

To get on the "waitlist", fill out the form on the Puppies page. Filling out the form does not guarantee a spot, so please wait for a response or reach out!

Question 5

What is the consultation and reservation fee? How does it work?

Accepted Answer

The consultation and reservation fee is a $500 fee paid for my consultation on the litter and puppy best matched for your family, and to confirm a spot in a litter. The consultation and reservation fee will only be asked for after the litter is confirmed (ultrasound), at a period when I know puppies will be available. The fee goes into the total cost of the puppy, excluding shipping fees; if the total cost of the puppy is $3,000, the remaining cost for your puppy will only be $2,500 after the consultation and reservation fee is paid.

If a potential owner has already paid the consultation fee and chooses to back out of that litter, they may choose to wait to receive a puppy from another litter.

In any unfortunate circumstance where a puppy unexpectedly becomes unavailable, but fees have been paid, we will discuss the next steps with all potential owners. Any owners that may not get a puppy from that litter may choose to receive a full refund of the consultation and reservation fee, or choose to wait and receive a puppy from another litter.

Question 6

What does your contract look like?

Accepted Answer

Please contact me for an early, sample view of our owner's contract!

Stay tuned while I work on making it available to view here.

Question 7

Do you have a health warranty?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The health warranty covers your puppy for 2 years for genetic disorders such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and dermoid sinus. Regardless of the health warranty, I will always do my best to support my puppy buyers. The full health warranty can be found in our sample contract.

Question 8

Do you socialize your puppies?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. I do the utmost to socialize every Blue Velocity puppy well before they go home. I follow important puppy protocols starting with ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) and ESI (Early Scent Introduction) starting from their 3rd day of life. Puppies are raised in my home, prepared with various textures, sounds and smells for them to begin getting used to. They get a new object to explore daily.

When puppies are of appropriate age, I take them on safe trips to vet environments, parks, schools and plenty of busy places to get them used to anything and everything they may later encounter in their lives. I start their housetraining as early as 3 weeks old and begin their crate training with positive associations so that they go home to their families as happily as can be.

Question 9

Can I pick my puppy?

Accepted Answer

No, puppies will be matched to the most appropriate homes based on what the home needs. Puppies or color cannot be chosen, as the best puppy for your home may not be a specific color.

All puppies will be professionally temperament tested at 7-8 weeks, at which time we will match puppies to their homes. Puppies will be tested with both Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT)(https://www.searchdogs.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Volhard-Puppy-Aptitude-Test.pdf) and the Avidog Puppy Evaluation Test (APET)(https://www.avidog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/APET-Packet-Extract.pdf). Owners are welcome to follow along with all the puppies on our social media, and I will do our best to post their growth process and their temperament testing. I may take into consideration which puppy a home is interested in, but there is no guarantee that any home will get a specific puppy or a specific color.

Question 10

How big will my puppy be?

Accepted Answer

Phu Quoc Ridgebacks are expected to be around 25-40 lbs. However, size may also depend on various factors, including the size of the two parents and nutrition throughout the puppy's developmental period. I cannot guarantee a puppy will be a certain size. All potential owners will be told of the parents' height and weight.

Question 11

Will my puppy be registered?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Blue Velocity litter will be registered with the Phu Quoc Ridgeback Association (https://www.pqrassociation.org/)(PQRA), which keeps track of Phu Quoc Ridgeback pedigrees both within and outside of Vietnam. This registration does not give right to breed your puppy.

Question 12

What happens if I can't keep my puppy?

Accepted Answer

If you cannot keep your puppy for any reason, we will always be willing to take back a puppy that we have produced, no matter the age. You can be sure that they will be rehomed them to the best of our ability to an appropriate home that best fits them. In some cases, we may discuss transfer to the owner's family members or friends, or directly rehoming the dog to an appropriate home.

We retain first right of refusal to ensure our puppies always have a home. Our puppies mean everything to us and we will do everything in our power to make sure they never go to a shelter or rescue.

Question 13

What is a "Co-Own"?

Accepted Answer

A Co-Own is a an agreement of dual ownership. Owners will share ownership with me at Blue Velocity, receive guidance, and dogs that are on co-own will be able to continue to contribute to the Blue Velocity line. All of our Co-Owned dogs are evaluated throughout their development for any potential to be bred. Dogs that pass our standards of temperament, health, and conformation will become part of our program while staying with their families. Those that do not pass or are unable will be fixed and remain happily with their family.

I am extremely grateful to all of our Co-Owners. Their dedication to their dogs allows me to expand my program and help ethically upkeep the breed. Co-Owners help to provide genetic diversity and maintain quality within the Blue Velocity program.

Question 14

What is "ENS" and "ESI"?

Accepted Answer

ENS stands for "Early Neurological Stimulation." This is a process for neonatal handling that serves to stimulate a puppy's neurological, endocrine and circulatory systems while their brains undergo massive development. ESI, or "Early Scent Introduction," follows the same concept of exposing neonate puppies to scents in order to to stimulate their brains while under development. It is extremely important that neonatal handling as a whole, begins extremely early — before they've even opened their eyes. Puppies are extensively handled and introduced to various noises and scents as early as 3 days old.

Exposing neonate puppies to various stimulants, including mild stressors, is believed to increase their ability to tolerate stress as adults. This does not mean that the dog will never be scared or stressed, but that they will have more experience with potentially stressful stimulations and be better equipped to recover from stress.

The ENS process includes daily specialized handling exercises that each last 3-5 seconds. ESI includes daily introduction of a new scent. Both of these are done in addition to regular neonatal handling and exposure.

For more reading on ENS and ESI:
AKC Article (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/breeder-puppy-socialization-early-neurological-stimulation/)on ENS
Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine PDF (https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/VA/VA-24-W.pdf)on ENS
Avidog PDF (https://www.avidog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Avidog-Baby-Noses-Transcript.pdf)on ESI
Avidog chart (https://puredogtalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Avidog-Early-Scent-Chart-201710110.pdf)for ESI

Question 15

If my puppy doesn't have a ridge, is it still purebred?

Accepted Answer

Yes! They will still be purebred Phu Quoc Ridgebacks. Phu Quoc Ridgebacks may come ridged or ridgeless, and both are acceptable by the breed standard. All of my puppies will have full pedigrees available that go back to dogs born and registered in Vietnam.

Ridgeless dogs still provide value to the genetic diversity of the breed and are important in continuing to breed healthy ridged dogs in the future by helping prevent dermoid sinus. Read on the Breeding Program page (under About Me) to learn more about dermoid sinus and how I prevent it in our program.

Question 16

Is this a "safe space"?

Accepted Answer

Of course! Blue Velocity Ridgebacks is run by a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Bigotry and racism are not tolerated here.

Frequently Asked Questions