At South Dakota Rhodesian Ridgebacks we do not offer a one-year health guarantee. This decision is based on several practical and ethical considerations intended to protect the welfare of our dogs and maintain transparency with buyers.

Reasons:

• Genetic complexity and unpredictability: Many health conditions that appear within the first year have complex genetic or developmental causes that are not reliably predictable at birth. A one-year guarantee can create unrealistic expectations about eliminating all possible hereditary or developmental issues.

• Medical diagnosis timelines: Certain health issues (orthopedic, cardiac, neurological, autoimmune, or late-onset genetic conditions) may not be reliably diagnosable within the first year. Diagnoses can require multiple specialist evaluations, imaging, and genetic testing that extend beyond a fixed one-year window.

• Variability in care after placement: Once a puppy leaves our care, factors outside our control—diet, environment, exercise, training, parasite prevention, routine veterinary care, and accidental injury—affect health outcomes. A one-year guarantee can place undue liability on breeders for conditions influenced by post-placement care.

• Encourages adversarial relationships: Broad, time-limited guarantees can inadvertently encourage disputes instead of cooperative problem-solving. We prefer to work constructively with buyers and their veterinarians when health concerns arise, with case-by-case evaluation and mutually agreed solutions.

What we do provide:

• full disclosure of all available health records for puppy at the time of sale

• breeder support: We remain available to advise buyers about health, behavior, and care throughout the dog’s life

• Responsible rehoming commitment: If circumstances require rehoming a dog we bred, we will would appreciate being involved in assisting with rehoming to ensure the dog’s welfare.