Jelani's story begins back in February when he became one of seven males and five females in our J litter. Jelani was a sweet little puppy that never gave us any trouble and was always eager for attention just like all the other pups. During his six week evaluation we made a note that Jelani seemed to show more stress than the other pups while being handled by the veterinarians. The ordeal is not comfortable for the pups and it is a good time to evaluate their reaction in a strange and stressful situation. Jelani's cues were subtle but clearly visible to the trained eye. I made a note to watch him in the coming weeks.
  At 10 weeks of age two male puppies were still here with us. Our most dominant male and our most insecure male, Jelani. It is very normal for male and female puppies of this age to escalate their physical play into a more serious fight for dominance over each other. We were very fortunate with our J litter as the personalities of the individual pups were clearly complimentary to each other and they all got along exceptionally well. Sometimes puppies that have been the "underdogs" in the litter can become traumatized and fearful. To our knowledge Jelani had never been attacked or overpowered by the other pups and we concluded that his tendency to make preemptive strikes at the other male were due to an innate insecurity.
  A behavioral specialist was consulted and the decision was made to keep Jelani with us and socialize and raise him ourselves until we could be sure that he was mentally sound and fit for a new home. Even an insecure male wants to grow and mature and do the things males do even if it gets him in trouble. It is how these episodes are handled that can make or break a dog.
  Jelani was given a tremendous latitude by our three females and they were instrumental in helping him find his confidence and trust. They would let him think that he was the "big man" and then show him who the bosses really are! They challenged him without scaring him. They indulged him without spoiling him. As time went on he began to expanded his trust to the people that would come and visit us.
  Jelani is now six months old and he has truly blossomed. He is friendly to everyone that he meets and eagerly seeks out attention and direct contact with strangers. He adores the children and their friends and is a constant companion to the kids when they are home, interested in every thing they do no matter how mundane. He accompanies us on walks with other dogs off leash and is relaxed and positive.
  The time has come to make an effort to find Jelani a permanent home. At six months of age most of the hard “puppy” work is done. The socialization and training must continue but at this age, that becomes the fun part. Please contact us if you are looking for a great Ridgeback.