Funny Timing for this question I am in Gettysburg Pa attending the Ridgeback National Specialty they are expecting around 600 of the big goofy dogs! We traveled from Southern Alabama about 1100 miles with a 4 year old Grand daughter and 4 RRS an 8 month old, 18 month old and 2 8+ year olds....
Where to start??
kaluha
But, I have spoken with breeders and many people who own them, and they mostly said that these dogs are stupid, untrainable and aggressive... I'd like to hear what do you think? Which are your experiences?
Let me begin by saying I have nearly 30 years in the breed. We have 8 in our home right now and after the Specialty we will sadly go down to a mere 6.... we have been training Kota for the St Jude Cancer Canine for Children NYC. His folks love the way he has improved all around and bought him a puppy to keep him company when he goes back home. They asked us to work the pup too. He has all of his basics down pat and now can go into a more formal training for obedience.
We do breed and it's always a rare and utterly careful thing. All of the suggested tessting is done and we now require Temperament Testing to be done too. The least acceptable is a CGC. There is NO reason for a well trained and loved RR not to pass the CGC. The Parents should have OFA on Hips, Elbows and Patellas, Cardiac, Thyroid , Cerf and Baer. They can not fail any of them or be iffy ...there is simply too much really good stock availible to breed less than perfect healthy dogs There are some who want to breed a dog with one iffy elbow ," it was barely off" types run don't walk away. And demand copies of each anad every test , then verify them.
Anyone who said what I selected from your post above is Either Stupid, too lazy to train and dealing with their own aggression issues OR they are hoping to discourage yet another person thinking this may be a cool breed to own. I am very up front in every applicant's phone call I will tell them I could never live with out RRs and they have proven to be awesome family dogs BUUUUUUUUUUUUTT they are NOT for everyone. They do requier a lot more works and think on your part to train them. You can not use hard line tactics to teach them anything , offend their sense of dignity or fairplay and forget it you are not worth noticing. Try ot force them and you will quickly learn how stubborn they can be. Try to bully them and you will earn their feelings of distaste and disgust. They will not work for a bully or oaf. Try to take short cuts and all you will do is teach them the shortcut. They are most cool with using them themselves. Intelligent? OMG overwhemingly intelligent our kennel motto is simple... " Vos ut exsisto magis dolosus quam Canis " Or You have to be Smarter than the Dog..... What works for one may not work for another. Each is unique and the same. Want a dog to play fetch?? Not a RR, Throw it once they run happily and get it, throw it again they look at you and go get it, throw it a third time they either go get it and hide it or yawn... why "fetch" you obvioulsy don't want the darn thing?? YOU keep throwing it away! So someone who thinks they understand dog training and dogs and thinks a RR will learn to fetch is kidding themsleves ..as long as it amuses them to play cool...the minute you are annoying about it ...forget the whole thing. As a prey driven and food driven hound they are almost to the individual happy to run and chase... rabbits, deer, other dogs, kids you name it they will do it. But if you train them away from prey instinct then you can not be upset that they won't jog with you , run next to your bike or horse etc. You can also not be unhappy if like one of my puppy owners you train them to leave the pet sheep alone and then try to get them to herd and they ignore the sheep like it's candid camera. From an early point in a Ridgebacks life you need to know what you want to try , and then plan ahead for it. If you have a dog who may one day stand at stud you can not correct the humping games young dogs play... you distract but never correct. If you have a dog you want to run flat out , joyously at your side in agility then it is unfair to expect them to only walk sedately by your side in a conformation ring etc.. They have to know there are different games and you are happy with the effort shown in each as they improve.
Don't want a dog to counter surf?? Best bet learn to put stuff away !! Throwing cans with pennies or surprize attacks with spray bottles will correct them ..as long as you are in the house or near by..this is a breed who has genetic memory for avoiding being the lion's supper you and your tricks to correct are just another game for them.
Are they impossible to train? Not at all but you need to work ONE at a time for the more intense things. Then once that dog is trained you can add another but you will never get the optimum effort again. They are meant to be aloof. Not chummy with every Tom *** and Harry . They are meant to protect independently so you can not be upset when they tree your best friend or back the new housekeeper in to a corner if you are not in the room . Many people resent having a dog who in so many ways is smarter than they are. And others resent having a dog who does not live to fawn all over them. A needy RR is not a correct RR. Think Cat.... eager to be your friend when it suits them and while they may love you to death and beyond a RR with seperation anxiety is again Not Correct, it is flawed by experience or poor breeding.
Anyone who thinks this is a stupid breed should watch them observe at lure coursing trail and when it is their turn see them cheat and anticipate the bunny. Or better yet watch them get even with you for ticking them off... they can be masters at revenge. Untrainable? Nope , not if YOU are smart enough to understand the breed... which of course means paying some smuck of a basic obedience class will get you a prong collar and sighs of disgust or annoyance if that trainer has never known a Ridgeback. Do your homework and maximize your chances by really focusing on the dog one at a time. Leave your ego at home and re learn what you thought you knew about training. Aggressive?? Sure they can be agrressive. Dog aggression can be a line trait, you need to put hands on Dam and Sire. You need to heavily socialize and work, work work on basic manners from day one. People aggression is a different thing, a RR who is people aggressive is one who has had a very bad experience. OR they know something about that person you do not. Most RRS are better than a drug screen, they also are marvels at knowing if you have mental issues and are a danger to others. If my pack , singularly or individually stand ground against a person they are not allowed in my home, car, rv or around my kids. RRs are supposed to insert themselves between you a perceived danger.Mine to a dog have done so weather in a testing field or a rest stop on the road. They size up strangers quickly and convey that opinion to you.
I can go on and on and on about my darling breed.... but honestly , they are not the dog for everyone . And if they are the dog for You , you will do everything in your power to learn all about the breed before you ever bring one into your home. Ridgeback Rescue is one of the Biggest and best funded Breed Rescues in the country. Every breeder with any integrity and ethics will make very, very sure they support Rescue by deed and dollar. The millers and BYBS are just out for a fast buck and will never produce a decent dog. Should you think a RR is the right dog for you let me advise it is raining Ridgebacks on Rescue right now. People who passed applications and screenings from a competant breeder at some point are losing their homes to foeclosure and jobs are drying up. These are large expensive dogs and you can not simply move them to an apartment should the unthinkable happen. By expensive I mean not simply the cost to buy , but upkeep is BIG. With normal care they live 7 years, with good care they make it to 9-10 and excellent care can get you 13-15.... If you do not have a really good idea where YOU will be during this time stick to smaller dogs who can become apartment dwellers if things get bad. Beagles are adorable and landlords will often welcome them as long as they are quiet.... RRs are huge muscled dogs who need a ton of excercise and care... they look to most landlords like a lawsuit walking.
Best of Luck and should you ever decide on a breeder please feel free to run a name or dogs by me...there are very few I think really poorly of and I will give you a very honest opinion.
Bonita of Bwana