In the end, remember that, whatever concerns others may bring to the table, in the end it is you and what you want to live with that matters, whatever you choose, not what others on the internet may think you should do.
[QUOTE=alto;7087844]
Since you really like your present dog, why not just contact that breeder & wait for a suitable pup through her (him?) - I suspect this will maximize your chances of getting 2 compatible females 
Look around for a Ridgeback forum, that may give you a more breed specific view of mixing 2 girls (the age difference is likely in your favor) - note that spayed females actually tested as more aggressive than intact females (surprised the research team!).
How determined are you to have another Ridgeback, have you considered other shorthaired breeds where the males may be smaller.[/QUOTE]
We definitely want another RR.
We contacted the breeder we got Cai from about six weeks ago, and they know we want another puppy. They have people in front of us in line who also want one - they only breed one litter per year and the whole litter is usually sold before the puppies are born. Cairo was the last puppy left in her litter and the only reason we were lucky enough to get her is that she has a very small ridge (therefore is considered ridgeless), but we didnāt care, we donāt want to show or breed her, just enjoy her as a pet.
Me, Iād get on the list for next years litter
You have a truly wonderful RR, worth waiting for another pup from the same breeder - especially as you really want another female.
If you feel you want another dog in the house while waiting for āyourā pup, why not foster for local shelters/rescues
or look for an RR breeder that wants co-owners/puppy homes ā¦
I really would never go down the co-ownership road for a pet dog.
Ok for showing and breeding if that is the only way you can get the dog you want, but the requirements of co-ownership can be daunting to someone that ājust wants a pet dog at homeā.
It is hard on such owners to handle all the showing and breeding requirements co-ownership is generally used for.
Yeah we definitely do not want to do a co-ownership thing. I really do not want an in-tact dog, male or female. I also donāt want to be bothered with showing ā I donāt even love showing horses and I know the dog show world can be even worse! We are trying to start a family so we are looking to get a puppy sooner rather than later because Iād like to be able to train him/her before we have a baby, as two large dogs (one of them very young) plus baby would be a lot to handle. Anyway, thanks for all the feedback guys, I certainly learned a lot from this thread!
A friend did the co-ownership thing with 2 dogs, both were hers (as pets) within the 1st year, one pup was shown once by the co-owner, other pup was shown twice: both had littermates that turned out more along breeder ideals so my friend ended up with 2 very nice dogs when neither was āfor saleā
Anyway, google found me several litters on the ground (or soon to be) in a couple minutes, so I suspect youāll have no difficulty finding a pup to buy
since when are male ridgebacks āhugeā? the breed standard says males are 70 to 85 pounds, not 125 pounds. Any breeder producing 125 pound dogs is a breeder to avoid. The only two male ridgebacks I known are around 75 pounds and do not pee in the house. āmarkingā in the house is failure of training, not a trait of males- Iāve owned quite a few male dogs, and not one has ever marked in the house because they are properly house trained. People make up excuses for not training their dogs.
Not sure, but this is not some small-time breeder. They are very well-known and respected in this area, and are very active in the breed club.
My female is about 85lbs. Iām 5ā7" for reference; here she is next to me: http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc480/unionjack044/Cairo/031912_043small.jpg
She doesnāt look like sheād be 85 lbs but she is very solid, no fat at all on her.
Anyway Iām not going to debate on the size of the dogs; thatās what they are, though we will double check with the breeders.
[QUOTE=Starhouse;7089143]
Not sure, but this is not some small-time breeder. They are very well-known and respected in this area, and are very active in the breed club.
My female is about 85lbs. Iām 5ā7" for reference; here she is next to me: http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc480/unionjack044/Cairo/031912_043small.jpg
She doesnāt look like sheād be 85 lbs but she is very solid, no fat at all on her.
Anyway Iām not going to debate on the size of the dogs; thatās what they are, though we will double check with the breeders.[/QUOTE]
Of course! There are very many RRs who are champions, and excellent quality, who weigh more than that. Many male Specials are over 100 pounds. It even says in the RRCUS Illustrated Standard that they may be, if they are heavier boned.
If they are of excellent quality and type, and are the athletic, good moving, active dogs described by the standard, they should certainly not be penalized.
It speaks very well of the breeder of your girl that they are well respected and active in the National club. Sounds like you are fortunate!
