Where passion and love meet, there stands a Rhodesian Ridgeback
Whether you are looking for a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy or simply want to know more about this beautiful breed: you are very welcome. I’m happy to share my passion with you and tell you why this breed stole my heart.
My name is Arlinde van Leuveren and I live with my two Rhodesian Ridgeback girls, Zhara and Zoë, in the Hanseatic town of Kampen. They are my third and fourth Ridgeback respectively, and my fourth and fifth dog.
My love for dogs, and for animals in general, started early, but I got my first dog of my own at 27, when I fell head over heels for a Golden Retriever I saw at the Kampen animal shelter. Brasko enriched my life from his third until his fifteenth year. I still think back on him with so much love and joy.
During my years with Brasko, however, I also discovered that I was more and more drawn to dogs with a somewhat more independent and headstrong character. Don’t get me wrong: Brasko was a fantastic dog. But I noticed I was looking for a breed that would challenge me a little more.
Because a Ridgeback doesn’t work for you, but with you.
I regularly heard: “Beautiful dogs, but don’t go there. They only do what they feel like and are far too difficult.” Funnily enough, that is exactly what sparked my curiosity. I soon discovered that behind that tough and imposing appearance there is no difficult or troublesome dog, but an intelligent, independent and free-thinking character. A dog that is sensitive, wants to be treated with respect and doesn’t work for you, but with you.
If you are looking for a dog that responds well to short, strict commands and does whatever you say without question, then definitely do NOT choose a Ridgeback. Ridgebacks absolutely want to work, but mostly when they enjoy it themselves and see the point of it. If they don’t, or think ‘what is this good for now’, they check out. Not out of stubbornness or deliberate disobedience, but because they make their own judgement and your request apparently loses out to the alternative. Whatever that may be.
It is precisely this combination of intelligence, independence and sensitivity that makes it such a fascinating breed to me. Because a Ridgeback doesn’t work for you, but with you.
Raising a Ridgeback takes patience, calm and above all consistency. You build a bond through mutual trust and respect, not through power or force.
Do you think strict training will quickly bring a Ridgeback into line? Then I have to disappoint you. That simply won’t work. A Ridgeback won’t be forced and will only push back.
And that is exactly what appealed to me so much. Perhaps because I recognise something of myself in it.
If you are looking for a dog that blindly does what you say, I advise you to look for a breed that suits you better. And to be honest, in that case you won’t be offered a puppy by me either. To me it is important that my puppies go to people who understand and appreciate the nature of the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
A Rhodesian Ridgeback may not be the easiest dog, but for the right owner it is without a doubt one of the most beautiful.
When choosing a kennel name, I was looking for a name that not only sounds beautiful, but above all tells what I stand for. The name ye Nhaka Chena captured exactly that.
Nhaka Chena comes from Shona, a language from Zimbabwe, the country where the Rhodesian Ridgeback originates. Nhaka means heritage or legacy, Chena stands for pure and unspoiled. To me this name expresses what I find so important: carefully preserving and passing on the breed, with respect for health, character and true breed traits.
The addition ye means “of” or “belonging to” and refers to origin and connection. A dog ye Nhaka Chena is thus literally of the pure heritage, a dog that comes from conscious choices, care and love for the breed.
My Rhodesian Ridgebacks are not a coincidence or a product, but the result of careful breeding, involvement and responsibility. Every combination is weighed with care, with the dog’s wellbeing first and an eye on the future of the breed.
The name ye Nhaka Chena reflects this principle: an honest, pure foundation from which I work with dedication on the next generation.
They are a year apart and luckily get along really well, but their characters are completely different.
Of my two girls, Zhara is the most sensitive one. A real girly girl, a big cuddler who likes to stay close to me. But don’t let her soft side and good looks fool you: besides being a real beauty, her athletic build makes her lightning fast as well. At coursing a very different Zhara appears, and she shows what she is really made of.
Zoë is the little worker of my two girls. She loves doing things together with you and is truly ‘switched on’. Curious, enthusiastic and always up for something fun; this lady is certainly not short of personality. Everything she does, she does wholeheartedly, whether it’s playing, working, training or cuddling.
Interested in a puppy from a planned litter, or simply a question about the breed? I’d love to read who you are and why the Rhodesian Ridgeback suits you.
