Ok so Mrs. Phlosphr and I are researching the best Puppy to get for ourselves and our new home!! We want a courageous, loyal, playful yet not psychotic, non-barker. We soon came to the breed that would be absolutely perfect for us and our impending family…the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
So as we searched the net we found this site called the straight poop.
Odd that the site is so popular and just chock full of canine information for the soon-to-be dog owners and named the Straight Poop.
I wonder if the designer is a doper? If so I’d like to offer my sincere thanks for designing and operating such a wonderful site. you have helped my wife and I pick the perfect dog.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a decently large dog bred originally in South Africa to wrestle lions and protect familes from danger. Not a to keen on barking the Ridgeback relies on intimidation with low growls and menacing looks. They are completely tireless and 1005 courageous. For a large dog they have exceedingly long lifestyles of 10-15 years. I am so excited to get our new puppy. And what Mrs.Phlosphr doesn’t know is that I bought an 8 week old puppy to be picked up on the 24th of this month and to present to her Christmas morning. I’m so psyched to see her reaction. I have always wanted to give a puppy for Christmas.
As a dog trainer, let me give you one word of advice: SIGN UP FOR OBEDIENCE CLASSES NOW.
Ridgebacks are a difficult breed to handle. The puppy that is sweet and cute may be really difficult as a teenager (8-18 months). I’m always weary of breeders who will sell you Christmas puppies, but be sure you can get his/her help with your pup if you need breed-specific help.
But whatever you do: PUPPY KINDERGARTEN, and basic obedience. As soon as puppy can start (usually 12 weeks).
Ridgebacks are dogs that need “direction” and strong leadership.
We are definitely planning on Obedience training. Unbeknownst to Mrs.Phlosphr we are signed up for classes already for the second week of January. Both of us have some training experience, so we will start before the classes.
His name oddly enough is Bill. Bill Bakota to be exact. It’s weird but there is a long story to it.
As for the Breeder. I have to drive all the way to Bangor, Maine, 6 hours from where I am to get him. The breeder came highly recommended and I had to go through a heck of a screening process to get him, including a back round check.
We have a huge yard, 11 square acres of just grass and almost 250 more of wooded hills. So he will have plenty of area to run, and I am taking two weeks off for the holidays to get a lot of the training started. We’re very excited.
Whats this about 12 weeks?
Chiming in on the training, my uncle had two of this dog (Bo and Luke) and they had to be put down when they began taking down cattle on a nearby farm.
Never saw them, he had to lock them in the garage because they weren’t used to children (we were very young).
Taking down Cattle huh? WOW!! I guess for the dogs that are renown for taking on Lions this shouldn’t surprise me.
Also, Andrew Weil…you know the big bearded * Creating Natural Health for your Body and Mind* guy. He has two of these dogs and loves them to peices. Check it out here .
Any other dog trainers or people with this breed out there. I hope we are not making the wrong decision. Not with the proper training and all.
I would suggest finding a listserv devoted to the breed and signing up. You can find a lot of information that way. Most will have breeders, now owners, show people, etc. I was on a malamute listserv long enough to be an “old-timer” and gave ane found good advice.
I had a Rhodesian Ridgeback from the age of five until he had to be put down 10 years later.
Sweetest dog I have ever known.
Yeah yeah I’m biased. But honestly, this was the friendliest dog you have ever met in your life. 100% courageous? Er…not this one! He was such a wimp that he would run from balloons and hide from the little dog down the street that barked at him. However his brother, owned by my uncle, was quite the little trouble seeker.
This dog never barked once in his life. He’d growl if he felt someone in our family was threatened but otherwise he was the most loving animal I have ever known. He weighed more than me and could look pretty fearsome because of his size but he loved people so much that just sitting on the couch was to him an invitation to come over and sit by you and put his head in your lap. Or sometimes even get right up beside you and practically sit on you. He loved to be close to someone and got lonely very easily.
The main reason this dog was such a suck was because he was the runt of the litter when he was born (although you wouldn’t know to look at him). He couldn’t get a spot to suckle, so the woman who owned him carried him in a Snuggli and fed him from a bottle. Take notes if you want a big lunking sweetheart of a dog. I have no idea what was done about obedience classes because he was a year old when he was given to us by my uncle, who had already had him trained. However he was a dream when it came to obedience. One word and he knew what he was supposed to be doing.
You’ve made an excellent choice. I hope you enjoy your RR as much I enjoyed mine. He was a delight and there was not one person who met him that did not love him.
Benson…PHEW!! THANKS!! I needed that. I was getting a little worried. I mean I have to pick the puppy up in Maine in a week. I just got an email from the breeder who have me a plethora of information on the breed and on this particular ones blood lines. Apparently this little guys parents have been AKC bred for quite a few generations.
I asked her about temperment and she said she has never heard a peep from the father for his whole life - he’d 4 - and the mom just growles when someone does something she doesn’t like.
I’m just planning on getting some much needed training done early and then just romping with the little guy in the snow. RR’s are supposed to be great dogs I can’t wait to get him.
