06/30/2024
Got more action out of Nemi & Roadblock 😆
River Oaks Kennel
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I show and breed American Staffordshire Terriers. I show in AKC & UKC. I also compete in sports.
06/29/2024
Bryon got a new bubble gun
06/21/2024
Help Stop the New Dog Importation Regulations Before It’s Too Late!
On May 13, the CDC published new federal dog importation regulations that go into effect August 1st. (Federal Register, Document Number 2024-09676).
In a shocking example of government overreach that will have negative effects on dog lovers and small businesses nationwide, the 311-page document is a poorly written and unactionable "one size fits all" solution for the importation of dogs from every country in the world with no exemptions for the military, government employees working abroad, or service dogs in training as puppies.
Click here to read the complete article: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=290260
06/11/2024
Happy Amstaff Day! On June 10th,1936 our beloved breed was recognised by the AKC.
06/04/2024
Nemi & Roadblock hanging out outside
05/24/2024
I think she's broken.
04/11/2024
Mojo was very relaxed
04/11/2024
Roadblock
04/09/2024
The beautiful Nemi.
02/22/2024
Really girls? I wonder who did this? This is why they can't have nice things 😆
02/18/2024
Puppy Buyer Etiquette
(Copied and shared from a friend, who got this off the internet)
I am posting this specifically because I do NOT have any puppies here now, and don’t anticipate any for a while. So you know that I’m not singling any real person out. This is because it seems that there’s a lot of confusion about the whole “proper” way to go about things. So, puppy buyers and anyone else thinking about maybe someday approaching a good breeder about a puppy, here you go:
1) STOP LOOKING FOR A PUPPY. The classic mistake puppy buyers make is saying “I need an xx breed puppy at the beginning of the fall” or whatever it may be. So they go out looking for litters due in August.
BAD IDEA.
Puppies are not interchangeable; one is not the same as the others. This is largely because every breeder has their stop-the-presses criteria for breeding or not breeding, and each has preferences for size, personality, working ability, etc. Breeder X’s “perfect puppy” is not the same as Breeder Y’s.
Stop looking for a puppy; look for a BREEDER. Make a personal connection with a breeder you feel shares your top criteria, and then wait for a puppy from them. Maybe they even have a litter on the ground, which is wonderful, but maybe they’re not planning anything for a few months. Or maybe they’re not planning anything for a year; in that case, ask for a referral to another breeder that shares those same priorities and has a similar (or just as good) personality and support ethic. However, it works out, screen the breeder first, then ask about a puppy.
1b) EXPECT TO WAIT FOR A PUPPY. It’s VERY rare to wait less than a couple of months; four to six is normal. I’ve waited a year on a couple of occasions; no, even we breeders don’t walk through the field, able to pick puppies like tulips. We ALL have to wait, and we ALL have to get matched up by the puppies’ breeder.
2) INTRODUCE YOURSELF THOROUGHLY. The initial e-mail should be several paragraphs long; block out at least an hour of quiet for the first phone call. When you initiate contact, clearly communicate three things: You are ready for a puppy, you are ready for a puppy of this breed, and you understand what sets this breeder apart from the others and you share that commitment. Specifically describe your plans for this puppy; be truthful. If you are not going to be able to go to four training classes a year, SAY SO. Don’t say “Of course, training is a huge priority around here,” or you’re going to end up with a puppy who’s flushing your toilet sixty times a day because he’s so bored and you’re not challenging him.
The ideal first contact e-mail usually goes something like
“Hi, my name is X, and I’m writing to inquire about your dogs. I’ve been doing a lot of research on [breed] and I think they’re the right one for me because of [these four reasons.] I know puppies are a huge commitment, and I am planning to [accommodate that in various ways.] I’m approaching you in particular because of your interest in [whatever,] which is something I feel is very important and plan to encourage in [these three ways.]”
That’s the kind of e-mail that gets a response and usually pretty quickly. If I get something that says “I hear you have puppies on the way; how much?” it goes in the recyle bin before you can blink.
2a) Bring up price either at the end of the first contact (if it’s been successful and you feel a connection to this person) or in a follow-up contact. It’s nice to say “If you don’t mind me asking, about how much are [breed]s in this area, if there is a typical price? I just want to be prepared.” The breeder will usually give you two pieces of useful information: Her price and the median prices around you. That way, if you decide to go a different way, you know about what to expect. If the second person you contact names a price that’s double the median, try to discreetly find out why. A very difficult pregnancy, nationally ranked parents, a surgical AI, c-section resulting in very few live puppies, those are some reasons a breeder could be asking more and it’s reasonable. If there’s no real difference from the other breeders except price, think carefully.
3) BE WILLING TO BE TOLD NO. Not every person is the right match for every breed. That’s just fact. There is no way on earth I could make our home appropriate for a Malamute puppy, and I’d have to lie through my teeth to get approved for one. And I have my entire life devoted to keeping dogs happy. I don’t expect you to have anywhere close to the obsession I have, so that means there will be some dogs that are just plain wrong for you. If a breeder says no, ask why. If the answers make sense, don’t keep calling people until you finally get one who will sell you a puppy of that breed. Go back to the drawing board and be very humble and honest with yourself about what kind of dog really would be right for you and your family.
4) PLEASE DO NOT GET ON MORE THAN ONE WAITING LIST unless you are VERY honest about it. This goes back to rule 1. You need to understand that we think our puppy buyers are just as in love with the puppies as we are. We’re posting pictures, writing up instructions, burning CDs, researching everything from pedigrees to nail grinding, all so we can hand off this puppy, this supreme glorious creature of wonderfulness, with the absolute maximum chance that it will lead a fabulous life with you, and we’ve built all kinds of air castles in our heads about how happy this puppy will be, and what it will do in its life with you, and so on. Finding out that you had your name on four lists shows that you don’t realize that puppies are not packages of lunch meat, where getting one from Shaws is basically the same as getting one from Stop and Shop.
Also, as soon as your name is on one of our lists, we’re turning away puppy buyers. If we’ve sent ten people elsewhere because our list is full, and then suddenly you say “Oh, yeah, I got a puppy from someone else,” it really toasts our bread. So just BE HONEST. If someone came to me and said “I’m on a list with So and So, but she’s pretty sure she won’t have a puppy for me, and I’d love to be considered for one of your dogs and I’ll let you know just as soon as I know,” I’m FINE with that. I understand how this goes. It’s not a disaster for me to have a puppy “left over” at eight weeks because you ended up getting that So and So puppy; it’s just frustrating to have the rug yanked out from under me.
5. PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT TO CHOOSE YOUR PUPPY. This one drives puppy buyers CRAZY. I know this, trust me. I have a lot of sympathy because I’ve been there. But the fact is that when you come into my house and look at the eight-week-old puppies and one comes up and tugs on your pant leg and you look at me, enraptured, and say “THIS IS IT! He chose ME,” I’ve been looking at people coming into the house all week, and every single time this same puppy has come up and tugged at them and every single one of them have said to me “THIS IS IT!”
What you are seeing is not reality. You are seeing the most outgoing puppy, or you’ve fallen in love with the one that has the most white, or the one that has a different look from the rest of the litter (when I had one blue girl puppy in a litter of black boys, every human that came in the house wanted her; when I had one black girl puppy in a litter of blue boys everyone kept talking about how much they loved HER), or the one that’s been (accidentally) featured the most in the pictures I’ve posted. Or, sometimes, you have a very good instinctive eye, and you’re picking the puppy that’s the best put together of the litter. And that puppy, of course, is mine, and you’re going to have to pry him out of my cold, dead hands.
My responsibility is not to make you happy. And that, dear friends, is why I am posting this now, and not when I have a bunch of actual puppy buyers around 😀. But it’s the truth. My responsibility is to the BREED first. That’s why my first priority in placing puppies is the show owners because they are the ones that will (if all goes well) use this dog to keep the breed going. It’s not that I like them better than I like you; it’s that I have to be extremely careful who I place with them so that they can make breeding decisions with the very best genetic material I can hand them. My second responsibility is to the PUPPY. I will place each puppy where I feel that it has the best chance of success and the optimal environment to thrive.
So, while I do care, and I will try to take your preferences into account, do not expect to walk into my living room and put your hand in the box and pick whatever puppy you want. And do not expect to be given priority pick because you contacted me first; conversely, do not expect that because you came along late, you somehow won’t get a good puppy. Sometimes the person who calls me when the puppies are seven and a half weeks old ends up with what I’d consider the “pick” for various reasons (sometimes because somebody called me up and said they’d gotten a puppy from someone else; see rule 4 above). I am going to try to do my absolute best to match puppies to owners as objectively as I can, not according to who called first.
When I was waiting for Clue, I think I was initially called Betty Ann six months before she was born. I waited through two other litters, where Betty Ann thought she might have something for me but then, in the end, told me no. Then I waited until 8 weeks when she thought this one might really be the one, and then another two weeks until she made her final picks and sent me a puppy. I was about ready to vomit with the tension. I UNDERSTAND. But the rewards of waiting and being matched with the right puppy are greater than any frustration with having to sit with an empty couch for a few more months.
6) ONCE YOU GET YOUR PUPPY, THERE WILL ONLY BE THAT PUPPY IN THE WHOLE WORLD. If you’ve been sitting around with your fingers crossed saying “Please, Molly, please, Molly, I only love Molly,” and I say “I really think Moe is the one for you,” you’re probably going to feel disappointed. But take Moe and go sit on the couch, and put your finger in her mouth, and realize that she has a really cool white toe on one foot but none of the other feet have white toes, and let her try to find a treat in your pocket, and I guarantee you by the time you’re five minutes out of my driveway Moe will be YOUR puppy. And a year later you may remember that you thought Molly was so pretty, but Moe… well, Moe could practically run the Pentagon she’s so smart, and her face turned out MUCH more beautiful than Molly’s did. And so on.
7) PLEASE FINISH THE ENCOUNTER WITH ONE BREEDER BEFORE BEGINNING ONE WITH ANOTHER. If you end a conversation with me saying “Well, this just all sounds wonderful, and I’m going to talk it over with my wife and we’ll call you about getting on your waiting list,” and then you hang up and call the next person on your list, that’s not OK. If you don’t feel like you click with me, or you want to keep your options open, a very easy way to say it is to ask for the names and numbers of other breeders I recommend. That way, I know we’re not “going steady,” and I won’t pencil you in on my list. If you are on my waiting list, and you decide that you don’t want to be anymore, call me AS SOON AS YOU KNOW and say “Joanna, I’m so sorry, but our life has gotten a little crazy and I need to be taken off the puppy list.” And I make sympathetic noises and take you off. If, then, you decide you want to get a different puppy, be my guest. Just keep me apprised and let me close off my commitment to you before you open it with another breeder.
…Which brings us to something that is super important and most puppy people don’t realize:
8 ) EVERY BREEDER KNOWS EVERY OTHER BREEDER. Now, of course, I don’t mean the bad breeders, but the show breeding community is VERY small and VERY close-knit. If you’ve been on my list for three months, I’ve kept in contact with you, I think you’re getting a puppy from me, I’m carefully considering which one to sell you, and finally I match you with a puppy when they’re eight weeks old, and THEN you e-mail me and say “Sorry, I got a puppy from Arizona, bye,” my instant reaction isn’t going to be “Oh noes!” My instant reaction is going to be “From Jill?” I probably e-mail Jill several times a year, if not several times a month, and I’m probably going to pick up the phone in the next sixty seconds and say, “Did you just sell a puppy to Horace Green from Topeka? Did you know that he put himself on my waiting list three months ago and has been saying all along how excited he is?” And two minutes after that she’ll get a call from Anne in Oregon, and Anne will say “Did you just sell a puppy to Horace Green from Topeka? He’s been feeding me lines for eight weeks! I had a puppy ready to go to him next week!”
And we will take your name in vain, Horace Green from Topeka, and Jill will feel bad that she sold you a puppy, and oh the bad words we will say. And Horace Green from Topeka will be a topic of conversation at the next Nationals, and t-shirts will be made that say “DON’T BE A HORACE,” and someone will name their puppy Horrible Horace and everyone will get the joke and laugh.
In the end, “Be excellent to each other,” as Bill and Ted so correctly ordered us, is pretty much the paradigm to follow. If you err, err on the side of this being a relationship, not a transaction. Try to act the way you would with a good friend, not with an appliance salesman. And the ending will be as happy for you as it is happy for us.
everyonelovespuppies
02/12/2024
My dogs are quite entertaining sometimes. Odessa totally plays with Mojo different than everyone else.
01/29/2024
After recently losing 2 dogs (2 different breeds) from Hemangiosarcoma, 3 weeks apart, I'm starting to question the validity of it being genetic. I have never heard of this cancer yet it's supposedly very common in large dogs. After I had to put Poseidon down, I'm seeing more and more dogs die from it. Again, never heard of it until it affected me. I just saw where a friend lost her dog to it. Is it the food? Makes me wonder. It's always fatal. I haven't read anything where the dogs survive, even with surgery, IF they are even a candidate for it.
01/28/2024
Our beautiful girl
01/20/2024
I really wish we could claim our pets on our taxes. I spend as much money on them as I did for my kids. Took Roadblock to the vet for a limp. He tore his cruciate ligament and needs surgery. I'm financially spent right now. Talking to his vet, I'm going to get him a knee brace until we can afford the surgery. I'm still paying for his blockage surgery. His weightpull season has officially ended (before he got started this year). I can't catch a break.
01/04/2024
If you want to buy a dog and walk away, don’t buy one from me.
If you want to pick a puppy because it came to you when you sat down or gave you a cute look, don’t buy one from me.
If you don’t want to take my recommendations on what food to feed or what is best for the health and well-being of the dog, after years of experience, don’t buy a dog from me.
If you want a puppy in a hurry, because you need it for a Christmas gift or to be in senior pictures, don’t buy one from me.
If you never plan to update me on how the dog is doing, or send a picture once in a while, don’t buy a dog from me.
If you want a dog to live in the backyard, run loose on a farm, and never share time in the house with your family, definitely don’t buy a dog from me.
If you want a lawn ornament, you can buy one made of cement or plaster, not much care needed.
However, if you want a puppy that has parents with health testing, that was socialized, loved, and made a priority from the day it was born. A puppy who’s temperament and activity level has been carefully chosen to fit your lifestyle. A puppy selectively and purposefully bred to the standard set forth by our breed club, then maybe you do want to buy a dog from me.
If you want a breeder who will at any time in the dogs life take them back, no questions asked. A breeder who is there 24/7 for you and your dog for questions and concerns and will work hard to help you resolve any issues. Then you might want to buy a dog from me.
If you want a breeder who loves each puppy/dog with all their heart, considers you part of the family and will laugh or cry with you at any time. Well then, we might be a match.
Reputable breeders should never be lumped in with puppy mills, backyard breeders, or those who broker dogs. A reputable breeder will be able to provide clearances, a five-generation pedigree, an explanation as to why they bred the two dogs. While most of the time they will make little or no money. What money they might get is reinvested into the dogs one way or another.
A reputable breeder knows their dogs and can realistically tell you what to expect and when to guide you toward veterinarians, training facilities, and products that will benefit your dog.
A reputable breeder will be your friend, a guiding hand, and a strong shoulder.
So whatever choice you make, make it with the best interest of the dog in mind and if that’s not your plan, then don’t buy a dog from me.
- Author unknown, but I'm sure most ethical, reputable, preservationist breeders feel the same. Please feel free to re-post, I did.
01/01/2024
Happy New Year from our family to yours.
12/24/2023
Whoo hoo, just what I love to do on Christmas eve morning. Argue with dumb asses about how bait dogs don't exist. I'm ignorant and need to get my facts straight 😆
12/22/2023
When you check on the dogs and Roadblock has moved his kennel to be closer to Nemi 😆
12/13/2023
Anyone else having issues publishing videos to their Facebook business pages?
12/08/2023
Nemi makes this noise when she's excited, that I swear sounds just like Chewbacca 😆
12/07/2023
Mojo just hanging out outside. On deer patrol
11/25/2023
Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our old man. 😢 I took him in to get his bloodwork done for his Cushings disease. He had some trouble walking, and the vet techs had to help him out of the car. His vet called me and told me to come back, he was bleeding internally, that's why he was having a hard time walking. We needed to put him down. I ran home to get Bryon. When we got there and they brought him in, he couldn't walk. He tried to stand up but couldn't. He was so happy to see us, then his breathing labored, and we needed to relieve him immediately. He waited for us to come back 😢 I can't believe we lost him 3 weeks after Damien. RIP, my sweet boy.
11/24/2023
Roadblock says Happy Thanksgiving everyone
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9190 Clifton Road
Woodford, VA
2580
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Got more action out of Nemi & Roadblock 😆 #riveroakskennel #akcamstaf #americanstaffordshireterrier #akcshowdog #roadblocktheamstaff #nemesistheamstaf #weightpulldog #ukcapbt #apbt #doingterriersh*t #enjoyingthesun #shenanigans #enjoyinglifetothefullest #lifewithamstaffs
Bryon got a new bubble gun #riveroakskennel #odessathequeen #mojotheamstaff #enjoyinglifetothefullest #lifewithamstaffs #enjoyingthesun #doingterriersh*t #akcamstaff #weightpullingdog #apbt #ukcapbt #retiredshowdogchampion #shenanigans
Roadblock #riveroakskennel #americanstaffordshireterrier #roadblocktheamstaff #weightpulldog #w3po #akcamstaff #weightpullingdog
The beautiful Nemi. #riveroakskennel #nemesistheamstaff #americanstaffordshireterrier #akcshowdog #ukcapbt #apbt #weightpulldog #w3po #akcamstaf
Really girls? I wonder who did this? This is why they can't have nice things 😆 #riveroakskennel #lifewithamstaffs #akcshowdog #americanstaffordshireterrier #retiredshowdogchampion #ukcapbt #apbt #odessathequeen #shenanigans #ripdogbed
My dogs are quite entertaining sometimes. Odessa totally plays with Mojo different than everyone else. #foryoupage #riveroakskennel #amstaffplay #shenanigans #odessathequeen #happydog #apbt #akcshowdog #americanstaffordshireterrier #lifewithamstaffs #retiredshowdogchampion #mojotheamstaff #ukcapbt
Roadblock, making the bed so he can lay down. #foryoupage #riveroakskennel #lifewithamstaffs #roadblocktheamstaff #americanstaffordshireterrier #akcamstaff #spoiledrotten #ukcapbt #americanstaffordshireterriersoftiktok #fluffingtheblankets
Nemesis & her grandma, Odessa. Odessa is still the boss..#riveroakskennel #lifewithamstaffs #americanstaffordshireterriersoftiktok #akcshowdog #odessathequeen #nemesistheamstaff #shenanigans #doingterriersh*t #ukcapbt
These 2 are thick as thieves. Roadblock just walked up to her and tried to take the ball out if her mouth. She wouldn't let it go. So he dragged her and gently removed it from her mouth. The look on her face after he got it was priceless. Don't mind her dirty belly, they all need baths. We live in the woods 😆 #riveroakskennel #akcamstaf #americanstaffordshireterrier #akcshowdog #roadblocktheamstaff #nemesistheamstaf #akcshowdogsoffacebook #shenanigans
These 2 never stop 😆 #riveroakskennel #roadblocktheamstaf #nemesistheamstaf #shenanigans #akcamstaf #americanstaffordshireterrier #thebiteyfacegame
Hi everyone! 🌟 You can support me by sending Stars - they help me earn money to keep making content you love. Whenever you see the Stars icon, you can send me Stars! #StarsEverywhere
Roadblock getting back I to the swing of things. #riveroakskennel #akcshowdog #americanstaffordshireterrier #akcamstaf #workyourdog #roadblocktheamstaff #weekendsareforweightpull #mdxcaliberweighpullers
Nemi and Roadblock in the river at the house.
Mojo was ready for Fast CAT today!
Introducing Mojo to dock diving.
Mojo picking a new toy for our trip to PA
Roadblock is making Odessa mad. He wants to play and she wants to chill on the couch 😆
Mojo "telling me" he wants to play ball
Mojo is loving weight pull practice. He almost dragged me down the chute 😆
Someone REALLY doesn't want to go to bed. Even though he was asleep already. His eyes are bloodshot and he is sleepy but he doesn't want to go to bed lol. This boy has will power, he can not be bribed with cookies....his brother can haha
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