Welcome to the life of Riley

[MyBuddy]

Such a good boy and handsome at that! No wonder everybody wants to touch him.

 

[GennyB]

No wonder everybody wants to touch him.

I did noticed we had a lot more people both try to pet as well as ask to pet the cute little pup. I think the posted ears and the fact the it was a doberman deterred people from doing it with my prior pups.

 

[GennyB]

@jazzies mum what were you saying about Riley being a big boy?
He's about 3 1/2 months old.

 

[jazzies mum]

@jazzies mum what were you saying about Riley being a big boy?
He's about 3 1/2 months old.
View attachment 152116

That's a nice big print! He is going to be a big solid boy and you will have a SERIOUS home guardian that no one will mess with. When he reaches teenage years be prepared for him to go sort anything out that he thinks is not to his liking, and it doesn't have to be anywhere near him. People being loud, angry or making loud noises! Ask me how I know!!!

 

[Two Dobes]

Very cool....I love photos of their feet prints

 

[GennyB]

When he reaches teenage years be prepared for him to go sort anything out that he thinks is not to his liking

I see it already.

He has been fun to get to know. He amazes me with how smart he is. I like that his independence. Makes him a little different when it comes to training. I have to think outside the box with this guy. I think that's a good thing cause changing things up keeps life interesting.

Very cool....I love photos of their feet prints

That pic was hard to get because the sun was so bright. I took several and of course posted the worst one cause I couldn't see. Bright sun and lots of snow is just not the best time for pics.

 

[Ddski5]

I am following and very impressed with how handsome he is! It’s gonna be interesting to hear your thoughts on the differences from rearing/training a Doberman.

 

[GennyB]

It’s gonna be interesting to hear your thoughts on the differences from rearing/training a Doberman.

So far he's been pretty similar to a doberman. He is a really smart energizer bunny with sharp teeth and quick movements.
The differences I have noticed is he much more independent and a bigger, heavy boy. he is roughly 3 1/2 months old and weighs almost 50 lbs.
One thing that was an adjustment for me was his gait. Really different from a doberman and the sound of his big ole feet hitting the ground was odd and took a minute to adjust to it.

 

[JanS]

he is roughly 3 1/2 months old and weighs almost 50 lbs.

Wow! What is the average adult weight for that breed?

 

[GennyB]

Wow! What is the average adult weight for that breed?

I think the standard says 85 lbs. for males.
He weighs either 46.8 or 48.6. I can't remember which and I already filed his paperwork. I don't like to get stuff out of the files unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm not sure what happens but it never seems to make it back in the file.
I think RR's just grow at a different rate. At least that is my understanding from other owners.
I have seen pics of his parents and they are both within standard. Dad is exceptionally stunning so let's hope it's a case of like father, like son.

 

[GennyB]

I just realized that Riley is 4 months old today.


I have been reading about the breed and learning lots. While they have many similarities to the doberman there are probably more differences. All that said, I think I am going to love the breed overall.
I found this on the breed club website...

The Positives of Ridgebacks

1. Ridgebacks have a short coat, don't shed much and are practically odor free–great for hot climates.
2. They are quite discriminating in whom or what they bark at–you should ALWAYS go check it out.
3. They are not fussy eaters and have virtually "cast-iron" digestive systems.
4. They love living with people and are generally quiet in the house.
5. Ridgebacks are intelligent and want to please their owner.
6. Ridgebacks are easily house-trained.
7. And, of course, they are the most handsome of dogs!

The Drawbacks

1. As puppies they have surgical, knife-sharp teeth and the jaw power of a Doberman Pinscher–they should never be allowed to play roughly with humans of any age. They can do major damage to coffee tables, shoes and anything else they can find to chomp on. Crate training is a must to protect home furnishings while you are not at home. As juveniles, if left unattended, they can cause your house to self-destruct–at least, it may appear that way! If left in the yard, they will find things to chew on that you may not even know you own until it ceases working. A bored Ridgeback is a major disaster waiting to happen.
2. They are capable of digging ranch-sized holes, biting the limbs off shrubs and ripping up small trees. People who love to garden must contend with the fact that their backyards will belong to the dog!
3. They are not fussy eaters and have cast-iron stomachs–and you thought this was a good thing–NOT! It also means they will attempt to eat anything that doesn't eat them first. They are master counter-surfers– nothing is spared and they are fast. Ridgeback owners have a tendency to overfeed their dogs, causing gas–not the most pleasant aspect of dog ownership. Remember, a Ridgeback always thinks it’s hungry! You have to feed on schedule and stick to your plan.
4. Ridgebacks are "people" dogs, which means they should be treated as family and not made to live solely alone in the yard, otherwise, you wind up with a big, powerful, pushy creature of your making! An adult RIDGEBACK can clear a five foot fence if they want to. A bored dog is going to look for something to do, even if that means outside your yard. No one wants to live next door to someone who lets their dog out to eliminate on the neighbors’ yard, whose dog gets out and kills cats or scares the walkers, joggers and bike riders.
5. Ridgebacks grow to be big dogs and must attended obedience classes with you so he won't become a "bad apple" and make an ugly impression of the breed on anyone. Learning to walk on a loose lead at an early age is essential–nobody should be dragged around by a big dog.
6. Ridgebacks are intelligent–this too, has been said–what it means is they are fully capable of training you before you can train them. They are quite clever and can be willfully disobedient. The earlier the obedience classes the better. We can’t say this enough–a bored Ridgeback can be quite destructive and may develop bad habits of chewing, escaping crate and fencing, barking out of boredom and generally making a pest of themselves. It is essential that you have the time to put in with them, which can be as simple as having them in the house with you when you are home or spending time making sure they get a good amount of exercise–whether outside hiking, training, running or walking with them in safe areas.
7. Ridgebacks must be introduced to cats and even so, may be aggressive towards strange felines. Before you get a Ridgeback, please consider the adult size of a Ridgeback and whether you and your family members will be able to properly keep the dog and to train the dog to be a great companion and a good canine citizen.

That sounds okay, but I did read a few things that are going to be a HUGE change for me. ^^^^^That is the drawbacks of owning a RR. All in all not bad for what I am gaining.
Now this one I see already is VERY true. Riley is a VERY independent dog! Huge change that has both and bad aspects....

Did you know that RRs were bred to work (in a pack) independently of man? Working independently of man has resulted in a breed that is an independent thinker that is programmed to achieve its goals, not yours. Do you know why you should care about this trivia? You should care because it affects how you train your dog and should mitigate your expectations and understanding about the breed. If you put dog breed personality on a circular scale, if you think of where you would put breeds like Golden Retrievers or German Shepherd dogs (or any other breed that was designed to work closely with man), find the point on the opposite side of the scale (diametrically opposed) and that it where the RR would be found. When you are working with/training RRs there has to be something “in it” for them or they will simply shut down ... this is one of the reasons that punishment /negative training does not work well for this breed.


I did do some reading of the standard. Riely is a very nice puppy. The ridge thing is interesting and Riley's is perfect as far as standard goes. We'll just see how this goes as he matures. His breeder would like to see some shows in his future. Me? My feeling are we'll see how it goes. I got a little burned out in conformation so it's not likely.

 

[JanS]

That's pretty interesting and some of the first drawbacks were a bit amusing the way they worded them.

His breeder would like to see some shows in his future. Me? My feeling are we'll see how it goes. I got a little burned out in conformation so it's not likely.

Unless you get him UKC registered and take another trek up here in the fall.

 

[jazzies mum]

That independent thinking is what threw me to start with. Jazz isn't full Ridgeback but she is an independent thinker. Crazy to deal with as a young dog but wonderful now. She is capable of making her own decisions but knows the ground rules of acceptable behaviour. She seems to have skipped most of the negatives for which I am duly thankful.

I'd love to hear how you adapt training methods as you go along. How do you deal with that willful disobedience for instance.

Can't believe he's 4 months old already. Must be time for some more pics of his handsome self.

 

[GennyB]

That's pretty interesting and some of the first drawbacks were a bit amusing the way they worded them.

There is a whole lot that is pretty amusing on the entire website. What's not funny will scare the faint of heart away from the breed

Unless you get him UKC registered and take another trek up here in the fall.

Time will tell. I'll have to see how I progress out of a wheelchair. I am walking and getting stronger. Just not sure when I'll be ready to trot a dog around a ring.

 

[GennyB]

That independent thinking is what threw me to start with

I certainly understand that! When I read about the breed I thought I can do this! I've raised dobermans after all! WRONG! It's a whole other beast that I didn't fully understand until.....

I'd love to hear how you adapt training methods as you go along. How do you deal with that willful disobedience for instance.

I'm still working on that. Been trying a few different things. Some work okay, others complete disasters! It's not a bad thing though. I kinda like that he's making me test myself and think outside the box.

Can't believe he's 4 months old already. Must be time for some more pics of his handsome self.

Four months and a complete BEAST. Weighed him today and he's 55 lbs.!

 

[JanS]

Just not sure when I'll be ready to trot a dog around a ring.

I tried and can't anymore but there are quite a few people around who will help out and take them in the ring for you. The guy I've known for years took Olive in the ring for me last fall and did a great job. I see that RR's are in the hound group so it would be a different on than Olive.

 

[jazzies mum]

I'm still working on that. Been trying a few different things. Some work okay, others complete disasters! It's not a bad thing though. I kinda like that he's making me test myself and think outside the box.

Yep, I hear you! What worked for me was to find what she had a voracious appetite for and use that to reward her. Turned out that prey games worked. Chuckit was a life saver! And the flirt pole second best.

Watch out for that 55lb cannon ball! Being clipped by a fast moving solid object isn't fun. Ask me how I know!

 

[GennyB]

What worked for me was to find what she had a voracious appetite for and use that to reward her.

I freezedried some organs (liver and heart) and that was a winner! Haven't tried the chuck it yet because we have so much snow. But spring's coming! I have a tuggy and a wubba from Kong that seem to be helpful. Flirt pole came out in the basement cause desperate times call for desperate measures!

 

[Two Dobes]

"what it means is they are fully capable of training you before you can train them"
This is totally in line with a Doberman

 

[GennyB]

"what it means is they are fully capable of training you before you can train them"
This is totally in line with a Doberman

DEFINITELY! I'm finding that my cute little RR is really an arrogent doberman in disguise!

We may have had a break through yesterday. We had some nice weather so I took him out on a long line to work on a few things, mostlty COME. I am a total stickler when it come to certain commands and come is on that list. He learned that I don't quit. He really seemed to think that I would cave to his antics but he eventually learned that I win!

Now we see just how long this attitude adjustment last....