Be patient and respectful when inquiring with a breeder. An email inquiry asking only "if we have puppies and how much do they cost?" is inappropriate. Most breeders require a puppy questionnaire as an initial part of the process, before opening their home for visits. Breeders have busy lives with jobs and families too so please be patient. The questionnaire gives breeders a background on each candidate and gives a basis for further interviewing. A good breeder is one who plans carefully each litter and very carefully interviews for appropriate homes for their puppies. A good breeder is active in conformation shows and/or performance events and is a member of breed clubs (such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States (RRCUS) and/or a local obedience, training or performance club). They are proving the viability of thier stock by participating in such events. That said, spend the time to investigate breeders as these affiliations do not guarantee reputable breeding and support is happening. The goal of any breeding should be preservation of the breed through correct conformation, with the goal to place some pups in the show ring and hopefully in the future of the breeding program. A good breeder quite simply is involved in the "dog fancy", not just selling dogs to pay their mortgage. You could ask yourself, is this breeder working for a living, or just producing puppies? Do they always just use thier own stud dogs, or are they open to the financial commitment which involves potentially using frozen or chilled semen, or a dog of vaster distance to get to for breeding?? How many litters do thier girls produce? How many litters per year do they produce? What do they do If a dog winds up in rescue (of thier breeding)? Will they take a dog back and/or rehome a dog they bred? Is this breeder running health tests as recommended by RRCUS on thier breeding stock? Many times these are good things to consider overall in investgating breeders. They all reflect integrity and responsibility in breeding dogs. As is obvious, research and time needs to be done to find a quality puppy from a solid breeder.