# My New Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 11, 2006, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098 "2006-07-11T23:29:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/21 "2006-07-12T18:22:15Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Awwww! > > I want one! > > Have to wait until we get a new (bigger) house though ☹ Actually, they’re fairly quiet inside once they’re grown up, and don’t necessarily need a ton of space. Many are couch potatoes, especially from these lines. The can be very active outside, though, and like to play rough with other dogs, especially in the first few years. I’m in a 3 bed 2 bath condo with an eat-in kitchen, so fairly good size, but not a house. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/22 "2006-07-12T18:34:01Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > Zee ears…are they very silky, zoze ears? How about the paw-paws? Are they kissable puppy-paw-paws? And does she have a nice rubbable puppy tummy? She’s so CUTE! ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/23 "2006-07-12T22:03:28Z")
[Here](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/porcupinebarb/Ridgies/Ridgies%208%20Weeks/puppies.jpg)’s one of the entire litter, all looking at the camera, at 8 weeks. I think my girl is the one all the way on the right. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/24 "2006-07-12T22:42:22Z")
Awwwww! Puppies! ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/25 "2006-07-13T02:14:00Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > My grandma’s Airedale never could understand that he could no longer fit on a human lap. He was pretty dumb, so he kept on trying, despite our grunts and protests. I have friends with Rottweilers that think they are lap-dogs - I think that’s about my upper limit on lap-dog size. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/26 "2006-07-13T11:38:38Z")
We have a friend with a year old Great Dane, Zoe, who thinks she is a lap dog. ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/27 "2006-07-13T12:56:12Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > We have a friend with a year old Great Dane, Zoe, who thinks she is a lap dog. I would love to own a great dane but my sister would be scared of them. Too bad they don’t live long ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/28 "2006-07-13T13:05:28Z")
Way too cute, **porky**. Looks like years of fun ahead for you. Glad the old dog is taking it well. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/29 "2006-07-14T13:18:15Z")
Well, Zilla earned her keep yesterday. She killed and ate a nasty earwig that got in from outside and was crawling around on the living room floor. I’m also turning her into a junkie. Yesterday, she got 1) Easy Cheese right from the can, 2) peanut butter off my finger (and off her nose) and 3) ice cubes to play with on the deck. I think the PB was the most popular, with Easy Chesse a close second. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/30 "2006-07-14T15:44:20Z")
> [@BluePitbull](#): > > I would love to own a great dane but my sister would be scared of them. Too bad they don’t live long ☹ They can. My mom had one which was eleven years old when he died. (Not from natural causes.) He was healthy and active up until the day he died, though he did seem to be getting a little stiff-jointed. I have no doubt he would have lived a few more years. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/31 "2006-07-24T02:49:16Z")
Bump for more pics [From last week.](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v395/porcupinebarb/Zilla%20and%20Gizmo/July%2017%202006/) [From this weekend.](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v395/porcupinebarb/Zilla%20and%20Gizmo/July%2022%20and%2023%202006/) She seems to be getting the idea about house-training the last couple days, which is great. Still spending time in her crate when I can’t watch her, but I’m gradually giving her more and more time out. Tomorrow is my first day working in the office again (I worked from home this week). My dog-walker will be coming at about noon, and I’ll be home at about 3:30, working the last couple hours of the day at home. I worked on the crazy barking between the two dogs with a shake can (pop can with a few pennies in it - makes a lot of noise when shaken or droppped). Except I think the message Gizmo got wan’t “don’t bark” but “don’t play with the puppy.” I think he’ll get over it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/32 "2006-07-24T03:00:31Z")
> [@porcupine](#): > > I think the message Gizmo got wan’t “don’t bark” but “don’t play with the puppy.” I think he’ll get over it, though. He’ll get it eventually. My two youngest dogs took a while to understand the difference. It helps if you use a command like “Hush!” rather than a generic “no” or a punishment. (And it’s great for when someone rings the doorbell.) It can be a hard command to teach, especially if you allow them to bark at other times. What I suggest is this: Stand by with treats while someone else does something that always makes the dogs bark, such as knocking on the door. Give the command loudly and clap your hands, or something else to distract them. When they stop barking even for a millisecond, say “Good hush!” and give them a treat. Repeat as many times as it takes them to learn the command. Then, start slowly lengthening the time they have to remain quiet before they get the treat. The, start using it while they’re barking in play. They should understand at that point that you’re not saying “stop playing” you’re saying, “Be silent.” Something else about barking: train your dog to bark whenever they hear the smoke detectors go off. It could save your life someday. Reach up and hit the test button on your smoke detector. If they don’t bark, start jumping up and down and squealing, acting like you’re terrified-- whatever you need to do to get them to bark. (Which they will usually do if you’re acting really weird like that.) Reward. Lather, rinse, repeat. Soon, they should start barking as soon as they hear the sound because that sound means reward. At least once a month, when you test the detectors, repeat the lesson if need be. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/33 "2006-07-24T21:33:48Z")
Thanks, Lissa. We already use “shush” for quiet, and he (Gizmo) listens pretty well when he’s barking to tell me something - I just go to see what he’s barking about, tell him “shush. Enough. Good boy.” This doesn’t transfer as well to play-barking, but we’re working on it. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/34 "2006-07-24T21:51:44Z")
[Fixed link to pics](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v395/porcupinebarb/Zilla%20and%20Gizmo/July%2022%20and%2023%202006/) ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098/35 "2006-07-24T22:28:18Z")
Precious angel!!! Give her a big old kiss right between the eyes from me! 🆒 And don’t let the Tewwible Boa Constwictor eat her up! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-new-rhodesian-ridgeback-puppy/364098.md?page=1)