Rhodesion Ridgeback - anyone with experience of this breed? General Chat

Hi everyone,

does anyone out there have any experience of this breed.

My freind is getting a pup in may i've never seen or to heard of them before.

do they make good family pets they have two boys aged 9 and 11, shes a bit worried about this its her husband whos decided on the breed they had a border collie for many years.

Just been nosey really, do they get on well with other dogs i'm thinking of max!

Hi there my mate has got an RR called Monty who is now two years old. We were a bit concerned at first but he's turned out to be an excellent dog. They have two children aged 7 and 11 who can both control the dog on a lead. They are strong animals but do really well as long as they are trained well and get lots of exercise.
Niknak

Someone i know has one called Gizmo and he is a perfectly behaved dog with the bonus that you dont have to bend down to stroke him! He can be a little stubourn,but most large dogs are also.

The one's I have met have been good with children and other dogs but as Steve says they can be a little stubborn at times having said that they are in the hound group and most hounds are stubborn. LolYou could always google Rhodesian Ridgeback and see what it comes up with.

I did a Google and got some info - one site says some of them do NOT do well with children as they do not like rough handling:? I guess it is like all dogs, supervision recommended and teach dog and child how to behave around each other. They are a nice looking dog, but don't know much about them

My friend's got one who's 11 months old and a lovely dog, just wants to play with everyone although he is scared of small dogs (a terrier once walked under him and hung off his willy when he was a pup).

However, she has found that he gets growled at a lot unless he's wearing a t-shirt to cover his ridge
Does anybody else find that other dogs take offence to the ridge?

Wow - that's a new one. No, never!!

Syd's is coming up to 18 months old. We have an 11 year old son who she absolutely adores, along with all the friends that he brings into the house.
Ridgebacks are generally very good with children (although the obvious applies as with all dogs).

I have had an occasion when we had a family party that Sydney had 3-4 children on each side of her, just stroking and playing with her. She was in her element. She adores children.

Syds is also not a fan of small dogs. Don't know why - she has never had any bad experiences. I think she wonders what they are!!

If you want to know more try the Rhodesian Ridgeback of GB site, they also have links to some very good breeder sites too.

I hope your friend and family enjoy their new RR.

I love RR's, i've met a few out and about and they are all big softies. They, I think, can look intimidating because of their sheer size, but they make fantastic family pets. Like any dog early socialisation and trianing is vital...a good class and your friend will have a superb dog.Defo a breed I would consider, they are lovely lovely dogs.

Our RR is 8 months old, and we have 2 boys, aged 5 and 9. He is better at tolerating the 5 year old than the 9 year old, because the 5 year old pretty much ignores him!

He's turning into a wonderful family dog, and I couldn't imagine our house without him now. However, do your research carefully. Be prepared to be quizzed intently by a good breeder and make sure your pup comes from health checked lines. Be aware that the breed is incredibly stubborn and dominance can be an issue with humans who aren't bold with their boundaries. Try googling Imbali and buying their book from their website. It was my bible for the first 6 months and, I would say invaluable.

HTH

Agree with you madhouse.

Also used the Imbali book and still dip into it. It was invaluable and here is the link (hopefully).
http://www.imbaliridgebacks.co.uk/siteindex.html

Cannot recommend it highly enough.

Hi
My Ridgeback Gilbert,is fine with my kids (4 months + 7 years)
My oldest,Jack loves hanging off him when wer'e out walking!
The one thing I do have to be carefull of,is when children run past him suddenly.
And funnily enough,I also find that nearly every dog we come across,seems to have issues with him, and starts barking/growling :?

anyone have any training tips for new owners of a 1 year old Ridgeback?

excercise before you train them they are hounds bred for big game hunting in africa they need quite a bit excercise as most hounds do,cracking looking dogs though we would have got 1 but the wife thought they were too big.c'est la vie

I wonder if this is anything to do with owners of other dogs being wary of Ridgebacks? They do tend to feed off their owners feelings. I think a lot of dog owners think that they could be dangerous when in fact they are quite the opposite!! Lovely dogs.

yep lots of other dog owners can be wary, especially if the other owner has a small dog, its not unusual the owner will pick the dog up! They also play pretty rough (well it can certainly look like that!) and this can put people off.

I have just helped raise 9 puppies, they are very loving even tempered puppies, i just loved them

Mandy

I've never met a Ridgy that wasn't lovely. My friend has a ridgeless bitch. She is a bit stubborn, as one would expect from a hound, but she's a sweet dog.

I have a lot of experience with ridgebacks, they are very good with children and Loyal and protective of children.
Make excellent pets but need lots of exercise a minimium of a mile a day to run-not on a leash.

minimium grooming and hair lose

They were bread to run down game in africa!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a 2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. When I got him, I had 2 senior cats in the house (who have since passed away) and he soon learnt that they were the boss.

He has a fantastic temprement, really good with my partner's children and very laid back. We also have a labrador who needs alot more excercise and requires alot more stimulation that he does. As long as he gets his two walks a day, about one and half hours in total, the rest of the time is spent fast asleep, usually on his back with his legs in the air on the sofa. He is harder to train than the lab, he's more sensitive, not really motivated by food and advice is given that they should be carefully handled, mainly because they are sensitive. I am not to concerned about the training, as he is pack orientated and wants to please me, and doesn't wonder very far, unlike my lab who is all over the place and needs the training.

Ridgebacks can be aloof, and protective of their owner, they don't react well to rough training, so it is possible that any bad reputation that the dog may have may be as a result of this. I have over the years encountered the occassional grumpy Ridgeback - with strangers usually.

Other dog walkers who I have bumped into always comment on his wonderful temperment and indeed the man who came to fix my washing machine, ended up asking if his mate could come round to see him. His mate now has a puppy who's father is my dog's grandfather! I recommended the breeder I used.

They are wonderful dogs.

Just out of interest Rhodie, who was your breeder?