Is this the right dog for you ? 

Since you're reading this on a homepage for Rhodesian Ridgebacks it must be fair to assume, that you have a certain interest in the breed, for one or the other reason..

If the reason is, that you are a potential first-time owner of a Ridgeback, this text is meant for you -  the following is an attempt to highlight a few important considerations,  I think you need to make before deciding to have a dog of this breed.

Let me make my conclusion first: This dog is not recommended as the beginner's first choice, and regardless if it is going to be your first dog ever, or if you've had several dogs of other breeds before, you need a proper introduction to the breed to be sure - first of all - that it is really the right type of dog for you, and that you're not making your decision on false assumptions, possibly making the future alliance unhappy for both parties.

I am not trying to "over-dramatize" this point. No doubt, that basically the Ridgeback is "just" a dog, and no mysterious or mythic creature, on the other hand it has some unique traits, and if you do not know and understand them, respect them, and are able to live with them, and to work with your dog on these conditions, your partnership is bound to be less than a success.

The following comments on characteristics of the breed are referring to the adult dogs. Do never base your decision on just looking at the pups, and maybe their parents, at one breeder. The pups are naturally always tremendously cute, and immediately causes the "I want it" - feeling, and seeing only one or a few adult dogs is not sufficiently representative for the breed.

To get a broader view of the breed and the variances in type and mentality the advice is to see a lot of dogs in different situations: In their homes (at different breeders), at exhibitions, in training-situations (obedience, etc.), in mental tests. This process eventually also will help you in deciding on which breeder, you want to buy from, and even which pup to decide for.

In parallel, you're strongly recommended to read - not all available, but a part of - literature about the breed, to learn about the historical background and to get a broader description of the nature of the breed. And in this context it has to be mentioned, that unfortunately some parts of the literature tend to be a bit too "lyric" or to create a bit too much "fascination" of the breed, and this you have to filter a little yourself. The same, by the way, applies to a lot of the information you get from "Ridgeback-people" who, also being fascinated of and devoted to their dogs and the breed, sometimes unintentionally tend to "over-sell" the breed.You have to filter this as well.

All these "introductory excersises" may seem like demanding a lot, or even to be overkill, but it's not that at all. Given, that the dog will be with you for the next 10-12years + , and that it will be an integral and important part of your everyday life, it evidently will pay off to use some time and energy on making the right decision - and a more or less similar procedure of course applies to whatever breed, you're considering.

So, getting more to the background for deciding for, or not for, a Ridgeback: What are the special traits of this breed?

The "platform" is that of a natural dog, i.e. the dog is not appearing as domesticated as most of the other breeds. This does not mean that it is a "wild" dog, but only, that some of its behaviour still has it's roots in necessities for survival under wildlife-conditions. Therefore, a general trait for a Ridgeback is, that it almost never uses a "head-on" approcah to things - in other words, before engaging itself in a new/unknown situation or - activity, the dog will try to evaluate, what the possible dangers and implications are, and consequently, if the situation seems too dangerous, or too unclear, it will not participate, or it will try to avoid the risk. This applies to a lot of situations, and is the background for the caution, you often see in the Ridgeback's behaviour, sometimes even looking like, and called,  "cowardness", which it is not - it is just a matter of securing survival, or avoiding getting severely injured, also a matter of survival in wildlife.

The famous "aloofness" with strangers, mentioned in the breed-standard, is of course somewhat associated with the above, and it should be there. If you like a dog which is  always extrovert, contact-seeking and very friendly to all strangers, do not look for a Ridgeback. If you should happen to meet a Ridgeback with these characteristics, it is not in accordance with the breed-standard's specification of temperament. This trait of being distant or reserved towards strangers, as you could also call it, means that basically only the nearest family is loved, and all other visitors to your home have to earn their interest and respect and - maybe - affection from the dog. In general, initially the Ridgeback is just not interested, maybe even retracting itself a bit, if contact from a stranger is attempted, depending on the situation (people you meet on the street, people coming to your home, do you know them already or don't you, are you with the dog or not, the atmosphere in the situation, a.s.o.). This conduct is not always making life easier, for example in the showring, where there's not always a large tolerance for the typical Ridgeback-behaviour, thereby putting some demands on the handler and the previous training of the dog.

The dog is very communicative and - especially - sensitive to signals of all kinds. The positive effect is, that you need not exaggerate your communication to get understood, so for example low volume on your voice usually does it. Another  - sometimes more problematic - effect is, that you can not lie to the dog, play a role, pretend, whatever - it looks right through you. If you go to an exhibition, or an obedience-test, or the like, and you are nervous in the situation: Trying to pretend that you're not nervous does not help. The dog will know about your mental condition, and will of course be affected.

In the contacts with other dogs the signal-sensitivity is normally an advantage. A Ridgeback with normal mentality will have no problems in being together with other dogs, be it Ridgebacks or other breeds, but be aware that a good socializing of the dog already from the early puppy-stage is a precondition.
This socializing should also include other people, adults as well as children.
 If this has gone wrong, the dog can be anything from a small irritation to an abomination - but this of course applies to a lot of breeds.

Mental sensitivity is another trait of the Ridgeback, sometimes seemingly a strange combination with the wilfulness and stubborness, also being parts of the character, but it all relates to the origin and function of the dog. What the sensitivity means to you in the daily life is, that coarse handling of the dog will very fast spoil the confidence from the dog, your leadership of the dog, and your relation to the dog in general. Since the dog has an excellent memory, nothing is forgotten, you can not erase it or "overwrite" it. Never try to force your way  with a Ridgeback - it will ruin the dog and your relationship.

Stubborness, being a positive trait in some variants like perseverance or persistence in combination with f.ex. hunting (in the pursuit or on the bloodtrack), can be far less amusing in many other applications of the trait, combined with the dog's wilfulness, typically: A walk in the rain: If the dog does not like rain, and quite a few Ridgebacks don't, you need not bother. The dog will not walk. If the dog goes into "overload" during training-sessions or competitions, often caused by too many repetitions, or demotivating leadership, you can experience the "full stop" condition. No more action, or even response, save your energy.

The independence, also one of the major and necessary traits, referring to original function, will become clearly visible, as soon as you are not in control of the situation (the reference not being your perception of your control, but the dog's perception). The effect usually is, that the dog makes its own agenda, which can then be hard to change or break. This applies to a lot of situations in daily life, during training, competitions, hunting, etc.
Do not misunderstand this point: The Ridgeback is not a monster, tearing around as soon as you are not dictating it what to do, not at all. The point is just, that if you want a certain action/chain of actions, and the dog is not convinced, that your way is the better, it will very likely find it's own way. Also, if you want no action at all, and the dog finds a specific action natural (chasing something, f.ex.), it's own judgement will prevail, if you're not on top of the situation - in the dog's mind!

As a consequence of  the above, you'll understand, that the Ridgeback is obviously not a dog designed for "blind obedience", and this you have to bear in mind when considering not only obedience-training, but all kinds of activities for the dog. Not to make this look unnecessarily negative, it has to be added, that the dog is intelligent, and learns fast, as long as you do it the right way. From your side the necessary ingredients will be calmness, patience, tolerance and firmness properly mixed, plus perseverance, a good sense of humour, and brains.

Last, but not least, we should not forget the physical aspect. Although the adult Ridgeback is a quite calm dog, not getting enormously frustrated or nervous or hyper-active in the home by lack of physical exercise, it still is an important part of it's life to be physically active, not to mention the need of fitness and health, so you have to evaluate carefully, if you're able to provide the right conditions for this part. You need the time, and you need the right place(s) to enable the dog to really get moving, preferably frequently with other dogs.

This concludes my summary of some of the major considerations, you need to make when evaluating the Ridgeback as your next partner. These comments only being selected and/or compressed parts of the total picture, they can not at all do as a full description of the breed, which was also not the intention.  I therefore strongly again recommend you to study some literature on the breed, and to contact the Special Breed Clubs for further reference and advice.

If, by reading my comments, you feel that something should be changed/erased/added, your feedback should be very much appreciated. The aim is to give good advice, and you could contribute to that.

Good luck with your dog(s), whatever the breed might be!