Carrie Costello - Indiana
Sookie and Sammie
I have had nothing but exceptional service from Michelle. Blue and Gurdy are my girls, yes i ended up with two from the same litter, mom and dad. My girls turned 2 yrs old a few months ago and are weighing in at 103 and 105 pounds. They are all muscle and full of energy. I have a large yard and they run a lot. I have had German Shepards and Rottwielers in the past have have always wanted a RR but couldn't find a good breeder until Michelle. We keep in contact along with one of the girls brother and constantly compare what each one is doing. They are a great family dog and have wonderful temperaments. They are also protective in the sense they let you know if someone is walking by the house or near the yard. They are very low maintenance and do not shed much at all, compared to the other dogs that I have had. They are very happy to learn new tricks and want to please you. They love to go for walks and rides. They do have a bit of a stubborn side but with work you can overcome that. I know Cario, their brother, and mine have all used shock collars....BUT only after training and in a very appropriate manner. Now all I have to do is put the collars on and they obey without question.
They are wonderful dogs. I would get two more if I had room! In would highly recommend Michelle and all of her dogs. I do have to tell you that mine are spoiled and are allowed to sleep with me in the bed.....NO other dogs have been allowed to do this! However they curl up like cats and don't take much room. Please let me know if you have other questions and if you are lucky enough to own one of these beautiful RR send me pictures.
Carrie anguscostello@gmail.com
Kristen - Pennsylvania
Cairo
The new addition - Tsavo
I am the proud parent of Cairo, a 2.5 year old, red wheaten RR. I forget exactly how I came in contact with Michelle, but finding her was the best thing I could have asked for. Because Cairo was going to be my first RR, as well as, the first pet I would buy myself, I had a lot of questions and concerns that I needed to have answered. Michelle was extremely receptive to this and took my gazillions of questions without complaints. She was quick to answer anything I emailed or Facebooked her with; guiding me through the process and commitment - something an inexperienced owner like me needed. Since then I have continually kept in contact with Michelle; growing respect for her as not only a breeder, but also a person. She clearly breeds out of pure love for the Ridgeback; in an effort to let others find out how great these dogs are. She breeds for qualities everyone should be looking for - a good temperament, a great family dog, a protective buddy, and an absolutely beautiful canine. Cairo encompasses all of that and more. He has been the best dog I could have asked for! He is a hiking buddy, a couch potato, a heating blanket, a garbage disposal, a valiant protector, and a loyal friend. As over dramatic as it might sound, I don't know where I would be without him! I quietly find myself routinely thanking Michelle for giving me the best dog ever! As long as she continues to breed, I will always use her for my future new additions and readily recommend her to anyone who asks!
Kristen: scout018@gmail.com
Barb Hastings - Ohio
Nala and Gryphon
Nala
Gryphon
We just recently bought 2 Ridgeback pups from Michelle. Michelle has been very honest and helpful.She is a breeder who really cares about her dogs as well as making you part of her family. You can count on her day or night for questions, concerns, or fresh ideas. We got exactly what we were looking for. A very well bred RR with the sweetest temperments. We can not be happier with our new pups, Gryphon and Nala... Thank You Michelle for allowing us to own our new RR and to become part of the family! I would purchase from her again without question and would recommend her to anybody who is looking for a Rhodesian Ridgeback!
Barb
Dusty Simms - Kentucky
Mazarati
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I love my Ridgeback! After watching the show Dogs 101 on Ridgebacks I just had to have one. If you have not seen this episode I strongly recommend you watching it, they have a lot of information about them. As far as a breeder I highly recommend Michelle and her Ridgebacks. She has been so much help answering questions and reassuring me I was doing a good job raising Mazarati. As a Birthday/Valentine gift from my fiancée I got my precious Mazarati, who is now 1 year old and 95lbs! I think he has Blue’s color but Gurdy’s face and chest. He has been an absolute joy to our family. He gets along great with my 8 year old Boxer Zeke, and my 9 year old stepson. I made the mistake of letting him sleep with me as a puppy, due to my fiancée’s early work schedule, Mazarati’s barking all night was not earning him brownie points lol So since then he sleeps with me every night, and he loves to root his way under the covers and snuggle up against you. Mazarati follows me every where I go via outside or inside to make sure his mom is okay. If I had to tell you as a new Ridgeback owner what the hardest part was, I would say potty training! They do have a tendency to relapse, and with that comes the part of Love and Patience Michelle will tell you about! As a new Ridgeback owner I will tell you the most wonderful part of a Ridgeback is their heart and companionship to you. They want to love and please you everyday, but can still give you attitude from time to time. Mazarati loves to swim, chew on plastic bottles, hog the couch, and shove his nose right in your face! LOL
I would highly recommend and purchase another Ridgeback from Michelle in a heart beat, and would suggest her to anyone looking to buy one. You will not regret it! We have a page on Facebook that all of us owners of Michelle’s current or past litters get on and chat with each other. That in itself was a big help, especially from owners of past litters to give us new owners some advice, encouragement, and reassurance. If anyone has any questions I will be more than willing to help give you answers!
Dusty: dusty.simms@yahoo.com
Laura from Canada
Nina
I am writing this letter of recommendation on behalf of Michelle Hesselschwardt of RR Ridgebacks.
If you are looking for a breeder who cares infinitely for her dogs, Michelle is the breeder for you. She not only takes pride in her dogs, but sees her work as a calling. She is willing to go the extra mile to help her puppies find their forever homes.
My husband and I consider ourselves unbelievably fortunate to have found her and our beautiful puppy Nina.
We are from Canada, near Toronto. Our dog Nina is the first Canadian dog in Michelle's Ridgeback family.
We had researched the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed and knew it was the type that best fit our lifestyle, but had spent over 2 years on a waiting list as they can be quite difficult to come by here in Canada. By chance, we found Michelle's website online and were immediately struck by how much she seemed to care for her dogs. At first, we were doubtful about the possibility of getting a dog from Michelle, as she lives over 7 hours away, but we decided to contact her anyway.
Although Michelle had never sold a dog internationally, she did all the legwork to research how it could be done. She knew from talking to us how badly we wanted a Rhodesian Ridgeback so she went above and beyond for us, using many hours of her own free time to contact several government agencies. She also dealt with currency exchange issues, and getting Nina the extra required vet check-ups in order to cross the border. Not only this, but she offered to drive from Ohio to New York so it would be more convenient for us to pick up our puppy.
Since getting Nina, my husband and I couldn't be happier. She is a well-socialized, even tempered dog, who plays well with all 25 kids that live on our court. Michelle has provided on-going support, answering all of our questions honestly and in great detail. We are sure that finding Michelle was meant to be.
If you want a Rhodesian Ridgeback, you would be lucky to get one from Michelle.
Romeo - Beautiful Ridgeless Male
Michelle,
I just wanted to thank you so much for bringing Romeo into my life. He is the highlight of my day, everyday .
Romeo is growing up to be the most wonderful dog I've ever known! He is SO smart and has such a vibrant and unique personality! He knows all of his basic commands like sit, stay, come, shake, wait, leave it, go to your crate, etc, and recognizes a number of other words (he knows the word "cookie" very well--people at the vet and the pet stores always think he's SO well behaved because he always sits very nicely and stares at everyone in anticipation of a "cookie" lol). He loves to play in the water and loves playing with other dogs. One of his best friends is a little female boxer of one of my friends. We have play dates occasionally and he will run and play with her for hours, and even jump into their pool!! He also loves going to the beach and playing in the water and digging in the sand. His all-time favorite thing is probably getting baths . When he wants a bath he will sit by the tub, sometimes drop a toy in, and growl/cry at me if I tell him no lol. Our daily routine consists of a short walk in the morning, then he goes to his crate while I'm in class, then another short walk when I come home, and a long walk or dog park or beach in the afternoon. He is absolutely amazing in his crate (he goes in on his own and doesn't have any anxiety while i'm gone - i tape record him periodically to make sure he's not crying or barking) on leash, and off leash in the dog park. He comes when I call him on the first try about 95% of the time and walks so well next to me on leash that I forget he's even there sometimes lol. Sometime's I'll call him over to me in the dog park, just for practice, and I will have him walk a lap around right next to me off leash and he does incredibly well!! I couldn't ask for a better "son" . He weighs over 90lb now and is still a little momma's boy. I'm so glad I have him! Thank you again SO much for bringing us together!!
Sincerely,
Alesha
I just wanted to thank you so much for bringing Romeo into my life. He is the highlight of my day, everyday .
Romeo is growing up to be the most wonderful dog I've ever known! He is SO smart and has such a vibrant and unique personality! He knows all of his basic commands like sit, stay, come, shake, wait, leave it, go to your crate, etc, and recognizes a number of other words (he knows the word "cookie" very well--people at the vet and the pet stores always think he's SO well behaved because he always sits very nicely and stares at everyone in anticipation of a "cookie" lol). He loves to play in the water and loves playing with other dogs. One of his best friends is a little female boxer of one of my friends. We have play dates occasionally and he will run and play with her for hours, and even jump into their pool!! He also loves going to the beach and playing in the water and digging in the sand. His all-time favorite thing is probably getting baths . When he wants a bath he will sit by the tub, sometimes drop a toy in, and growl/cry at me if I tell him no lol. Our daily routine consists of a short walk in the morning, then he goes to his crate while I'm in class, then another short walk when I come home, and a long walk or dog park or beach in the afternoon. He is absolutely amazing in his crate (he goes in on his own and doesn't have any anxiety while i'm gone - i tape record him periodically to make sure he's not crying or barking) on leash, and off leash in the dog park. He comes when I call him on the first try about 95% of the time and walks so well next to me on leash that I forget he's even there sometimes lol. Sometime's I'll call him over to me in the dog park, just for practice, and I will have him walk a lap around right next to me off leash and he does incredibly well!! I couldn't ask for a better "son" . He weighs over 90lb now and is still a little momma's boy. I'm so glad I have him! Thank you again SO much for bringing us together!!
Sincerely,
Alesha
