I was at a friend’s cottage last weekend and their were a few dogs there. A Weimar, Vislah, Retriever and a Ridgeback. By far and away the best behaving, best trained, nicest and quietest dog there was the Ridgeback. Know anything about them?
The owner did say he went to a training course with the dog and spent a lot of time with it, so I expect that that explains 90% of the dog’s behaviour. The only problem he seems to have is if the dog picks up on a rabbit - GOODBYE! See you in a few hours with blood all over my face!
I’ve been looking at the US Ridgeback club: http://rrcus.org/
and they have tons of info, but I was wondering if any doper had an opinion on them. I won’t be able to get a dog until I move into a house with a yard, but I’m researching now.
They’re generally docile and even-tempered. But any dog has it in them to be a liability, its pretty much down to how you bring them up. Im sure if the owner of the Ridgeback had been the owner of any of the other dogs there, then that dog would have behaved the same.
I’ve met a few ridgebacks in my day, and a cow-orker of mine owns one that comes to work pretty regularly. The nicest dog you can imagine. Totally quiet at all times, walking around without disturbing anyone and coming when he calls, never failing. It’s the only ridgeback I’ve known personally, but I’ve spent quite some time at dog shows and fields where dogs are allowed to run free, and ridgebacks always seem well-behaved, calm animals.
Note that they were originally bred to hunt lions, so it’s not like they can’t be tough when they want to.
If you do a search on the boards for Rhodesian Ridge Back you’ll see I started a thread a while back about them. My wife and I have a Male RR named Grissholm - or Griss - like I call him.
RR’s were originally bred in Africa - Rhodesia - to defend against lions. Yes, they actually would defend their owners from bands of roving lions. RR’s are notoriously courageous, loyal and very strong. For all those who comment on their being quiet, this is quite true as well. When they want to intimidate they use low growls. It is very eery, and very intimidating.
My wife and I took three weeks off from work, to take Griss to a training course. He is by far a wondrous pup. He never barks when someone is at the door, never even enters the kitchen or eating area when we are in it, and never, ever jumps on guests. As a matter of fact, we usually have to take our guests to see him. He likes our large family room downstairs in our house.
Another little story for you about the renown courage of the RR. Whilst camping with Mrs. Phlosphr and Griss, we were awoken at night by a very low growl. Scrambling out of our tent we saw Griss standing up, with his head bent not moving a muscle. He was growling at something in the woods that we could hear “walking” around our camp site. As it came closer, his growl got louder, and louder. It was so loud at one point my wife was getting quite anxious, as it was a very menacing growl. I grabbed the flashlight and figured out that there was a small herd of deer going by, so it was ok. But I’ll tell you we were more scared of the growl coming out of Griss’ mouth than anything else.
In all RR’s are wondrous dogs. Extremely well behaved and obedient. One thing that could be considered a slight downfall, is their intense loyalty. That means they do not listen to anyone else.
The famed author Andrew Weil - health book author, bald with large white beard - lives in Tucson AZ and has twin RR’s. That is where we initially got the idea to get one. One more thing, they are very expensive. our’s cost more than a grand when all was said and done, after first vet visit and all.
I have a friend with a Ridgeback. It is also a well behaved dog. To have a well behaved Ridgeback, you need to train it and exercise it. If the critter gets plenty of exercise out of the house, then in the house it becomes a very large couch potato. Their owners tend to describe them as foodhounds - the dogs will eat as much food as they can whenever they can get it.
I went to a Ridgeback “party” - a gathering of people and dogs at a farm that allowed the Ridgebacks off their leads. Individually and as a goup, the Ridgebacks were well-behaved. They have a very rough play style amongst themselves. The pack would try to run one of the dogs down, and one or two dogs would try to herd the target dog by pushing into its body. The dogs seemed quite pleased with this - the people had to dodge out of the way occasionally. Also, as an example of a well-behaved food hound, when it was the people’s turn to eat, the Ridgebacks wandered around with a “feed me” expression, but not a single one tried to take food.
They seem to be good dogs if you have the space and time for them. I thought about getting one, but I think my house is too small.
I met one once that was a therapy dog, when my great-grandmother was in the hospital a few years ago. He was gorgeous, and of course very friendly and well-behaved. Also quite large!
As for size our’s is 75 pounds - large for a RR - and he’s reddish with a dark muzzel. Absoluelty beautiful if I do say so for myself!
As for roaming room, we have a large modern log home, and about 10 acres that is our own, but about 500 acres of woods right behind our house. He runs alot. He loves to play with my tractor when I am mowing the lawn. (which reminds me I have to do that soon)
My sister has one: and he’s pretty much the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. He knows that the cats are higher up on the totem pole than he is, and that my Dad is a sucker for taking him walkies.
Keep in mind that they don’t always know their own strength… something to keep in mind with anyone who has problems staying on their own two feet at the best of times, and/or small children, lightweight furnature, etc.
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Oh good thing you mentioned that Nightsong. Our 75 pound pup, knocks over my 3 year old nephew all the time, especially when competing for my attention, which he gets little of when nephew is over.
One thing I will say about him around kids is this, he would never nip or anything. So RR’s are good with kids. Also, my nephew pulls his ears, tail, jowls, everything he can get his hand on, and Griss does nothing.
I’ve met some sweet RRs. Of course it was obvious that the owners had put a lot of effort into their training. Also, they were active owners and kept up with their energy needs.
I’ve also met a couple out-of-control RRs. Their owners did nothing with them, and they were out killing small animals and jumping all over the place.
As long as you’re recognize their exercise needs and train, you’ll have a wonderful, beautiful dog.
Glad to see you researching early. I hate to sound like a broken record, but join a mailing list for the breed and you’ll learn tons.
My boyfriend has a part boxer/part RR - and she is the sweetest dog I have ever met. She is loving, docile, even-tempered, does not bark much, and is very affectionate. She’s large, and sheds quite a bit however.
If she does see a rabbit, be careful… she’ll drag you across the pavement if need be. And around other dogs (whether excited or nervous), her ridge will stand up in the back
My 5 Year Old, 75# Ridgeback, Bayser, was truly our nemisis as a puppy.
After he brought us to the breaking point we called in a pro. About 5 in home obedience classes and 2 months in a “prong collar”, he was finally broken of most of his worse habits .
Things Like:
Chewing through both the sheetrock & metal corner beads of a room he wanted to get out of.
Running around the den and living room so fast in circles that he’d literally be up on the walls in a sort of soup bowl effect.
Destroying so many shoes it would have made Imelda Marcos shed a tear.
Not coming when called.
Running out in the street.
Shredding a Leather Couch
Taking the toilet paper roll off the wall and making the house look like the Cheerleading Squad stopped by to pull a High School prank.
Unbroken Bad habits I Still Deal With
Jumping up in excitement on anyone who comes in the house. He brought my 70 year old Grandmother down on her ass so hard last month I though it was bye-bye hip.
Over-Aggressive protectiveness, especially around my daughters.
He bit a jogger who was in leash range as he ran by the girls while I was pulling them in their wagon.
He bit a mason who was using a blacktop rake in my vicinity.
He hates to get wet. I have to literally use a 6’ Diameter patio umbrella when I take him out for a walk in the rain.
His evil snarl when someone goes near his bones.
Scratching the shit out of the window sills with his front paws to bark at every Tom, Dick and Rover that walks past the house.
An indescribable hatred of the mailman, who won’t deliver the mail if the front door is open and there’s only a screen or storm door between them.
Picking fights with every strange dog his size or larger
Being a total bed-hog
Even though I probably sound like Mr. or Mrs. Peterson in defense of their son Scott, I wouldn’t trade him for all the tea in China (notice I didn’t say all the weissbeir in Bavaria).
I’ll continue putting up with all his flaws, those pine-needle like hairs that are almost impossible to clean up and his energetic, overzealous ways…After all, he’s my Bayser boy & I love him.
You truly can learn something new every day on SDMB. I had seen the name Rhodesian Ridgeback on a car sticker, and assumed it was a J.R.Rowling invented Dragon Breed.
Our next-door neighbor had a Ridgeback named Andy or Charlie or Lucky or something like that. We got to know him pretty well (it’s been a while, so I’ve forgotten the name).
He was a smart, strong, relatively well-behaved dog. He didn’t bark too much, but he was obviously fairly territorial, and took his duties in the back yard seriously. Once he was introduced to us and knew we were no threat, he immediately warmed up to us. (I compare him to a friend’s Rottweiler that way: very disciplined in his social connections.) We liked him too.
But: The owners weren’t all that serious about keeping track of him. There was one specific incident where they had lent him to a friend with a German Shepherd to be walked, and when he came back, they let him out of the car unleashed. He spotted our cat and was off like a shot; I had to physically restrain the dog from chasing our cat through our front door and into our house. Things were a little tense after that between us and our neighbors, obviously. They were better about keeping him on a leash, but a little while later they sent him away to live with a relative on a farm. Clearly he was a little too much dog for them, or something.
From this I conclude that the Ridgeback would be a wonderful dog for somebody who’s willing to put in the time. This is true for any dog, obviously, but I get the impression the Ridgeback is a little higher-maintenance than the average.
Sasserfras is 2 1/2 yr old mostly Rhodesian Ridgeback. Sasser was a pound puppy. I do not know what else she has in her, but I have had vets say everything from she is almost pure RR to she has some Pit in her.
She is a sweetheart who loves kids. But she is aggressive to certain other dogs, especially pit bulls and Chinese Pugs but will play with other breeds at the park when she is offleash. She has problems with men, especially if they are drug users. She has been raised around a cat and at first she was too rough with the kitty, but after some training and punishment they now get along great. The punishment I have done has been time-outs. Since she wants to be around people all of the time, being alone is a terrible punishment and she responds really well to it.
Sasser does not have a loud growl, but it is intimidating to say the least cause of her size. Sasser weighs about 90lbs. She is constantly on a diet cause she does like snacks. But she is a delicate eater and doesn’t gulp down her chow.
One thing if you get a RR, be prepared to be the Alpha dog. You need to be in control or the dog will definitely take over and become a menace. You definitely need to take this breed to obedience school and I suggest you start with the puppy classes. The benefit of this is that the puppy will be able to socialize with other dogs while they are learning. Plus it will train you how to work with your dog.
Also you need to socialize the dog starting as a puppy with all different peoples. You will need to take him/her to places where s/he can meet a variety of ages as well as different skin types.
One thing I am happy that I did with Sasser is not to allow her to be food aggressive. She needs to sit before she is fed and allow people to touch her while she is eating. I can also take away her food or treats at any time. Any food that is hand given to her, she must take gently.
Sasser is a great companion. She is definitely a Mommy’s girl who I am certain would protect me from danger. She hogs the bed and wants under the covers cause she gets cold easily since her hair is very short. And gosh do I love her.
[Estelle Getty]Picture it, Long Island, NY, Easter, 2000.[/Estelle Getty]
A beautiful Sunday Morning. The girls get up at the crack of dawn, wake up Mom & Dad so they can see what they got it their baskets. Hey, the weatherman was right…it didn’t rain this year! That means the eggs are hidden outside! Yay! Come on Mom, Come on Dad, Come on Bayser.
“Hon, you want Coffee or A Tab?,” asked the Mrs.
“Neither, it’s too early for caffeine, grab me a boubon on the rocks,” I grunted.
(All right, I admit, I hid the eggs a little too well the night before. I wanted the girls first outdoor Easter egg hunt to be memorable. Not like those shlocky ones they have at the White House or at Church when you’re a kid and they’re just strewn all over the lawn to the point Mr. Magoo could find a couple dozen in the matter of a minute).
After about a half hour, only 4 out of 12 eggs had been found. (I guess hiding a 1/2 dozen 15’ up in the trees wasn’t such a great idea after all).
Then, it happened.
Out of the ivy patch, he came. Bouncing around the back yard without a care in the world. A cute little gray bunny. No, he wasn’t carrying a basket or wearing a bow tie, but he did look alot like the rabbit in the kid’s story books.
Before we had the time to comprehend both how cute and coincidental this visit from one of the neighborhood rodents had been, things got a little hare-y.
Up sprang our Ridgeback, who was lying in a square patch of sunlight on the deck. Within a half second, the dog was chasing that poor rabbit all over the yard. All we saw gray and tan colored blur, similar to the entance and exit the Tazmanian Devil makes on the old Warner Bros. cartoons.
“Daddy, Stop Him!,” the girls screamed in unison.
“Bayser, Don’t Kill The Easter Bunny!,” they shrieked in stereo.
I knew it was only a matter of time, that either:
A. That gray and tan hurricane swarming throughout the yard was gonna have a red eye pretty soon. Causing both girls irreparable mental damage. or
B. Like Christmas, there are such a things as Easter Miracles and that fast moving rabbit was somehow gonna make the right moves and avoid being torn to shreds by a sharp set of canines.
Needless to say, my older daughter is currently seeing a therapist.
But that’s because her Mom & I divorced last year, the rabbit came away unscathed
