And that is a great breakthrough when he's trying to test his limits.
Welcome to the life of Riley
- Thread starter GennyB
- Start date
jazzies mum
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He really is a beautiful boy! I can see why his breeder is keen to have him compete in the ring. Training is going very well too.
I agree, not shabby at all! And he's just so handsome! I said since getting my first Doberman a little shy of 4 years ago that I would never have another breed but you two are working on changing my mind. Sounds like things are fitting well both ways with you guys.
Most days anyway.
I think the long line was a break through for us. That said I'm not convinced my challenges are over with him.Today is supposed to be another nice day.
I may break out the chuck it.I hit funny for 2 reasons. I said the same thing! I thought the dober was my forever dog. Riley sort of fell in our lap and I think I said somewhere that I probably wouldn't pick this breed. But he is a GREAT choice! He's smart, beautiful and most importantly HEALTHY! It has been so pleasant to not worry about all the health the dobie has. The second reason for hitting funny is be careful what you wish for. This independent thinking can be a nightmare!
You REALLY have to step up your game with training! The good news is other owners say it all worth because they become amazing dogs 
Are they a pretty worry-free breed, health wise? I only know about them what you have shared here. In fact I didn't ever recall even reading that Jazzie was part RR. I'm still on the dobie train, but just starting to think, "I don't know, I could maybe see it".
This is what OFA has recommended for the breed; especially if you plan to breed them.
Pretty much. Cast iron stomachs, no bloat or DCM. No hypothyroidism or vWD. It's been really nice to have some worries lifted.
We're homesteaders and have lots of animals on our homestead. Including free range chickens and ducks. I'm not worried in the least. It's all fixable with training.
Gosh he is beautiful!
Riley and I went on an adventure today. Stopped at a couple dog friendly stores for some good exposure to new things. As I drove past the Vet's office I decided to stop in to weigh him. I almost fell over when I saw how much that was. Wait for it.........68.4 lbs. 
I have talked to some other RR owners and breeders and they said every once in a while one of the breeds used to develop the RR just pops up and you get a larger dog. Looks like I might be the owner one of those. This soon to be 5 month old (Wednesday) is a BEAST!
I have talked to some other RR owners and breeders and they said every once in a while one of the breeds used to develop the RR just pops up and you get a larger dog. Looks like I might be the owner one of those. This soon to be 5 month old (Wednesday) is a BEAST!
that is BEAST! All the early training you have done with him is definitely going to pay off with one that size and still growing.Wait for it.........68.4 lbs.
I hope so! Most of the time he responds like i want but then we have days where I feel like he's flipping me off!
We all have our days, is what I am thinking. Some better than others! He may not be perfect, but you've put early effort in, and speaking for myself, I think that's going to count moving forward!
Oh I get there will be good days and bad days. It's just that there are a couple significant differences with RR's. Unlike dobermans they no desire to please thier handler. This is copied from the breed club website...
Ridgebacks are not Labradors or Golden Retrievers in short coats. They are hunting dogs and have a high prey drive. Translation: They are quite independent–they don’t fawn over your every word, they can be oblivious to being called and require a lot of positive motivation to train them in traditional obedience. Many people are just not prepared for the stubbornness and hard-headedness in this breed.
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.
RRs are master manipulators (it goes back to the concept of them pleasing themselves), be it about food (more on that below), getting on the furniture, getting their toenails done (oh the drama) or simply walking nicely on lead. Put the time in and work with your dog .... there is no shortcut with this breed. This is NOT a breed that you bring home and forget ... they are NOT a short haired Golden retriever that you can bring home, do very little and still end up with a nice social family pet. This breed requires LIFELONG work and socialization. Ignore your RR at your own peril as you may come home one day to a house that is destroyed or (even worse), a dog that has become fearful and phobic of things it does not know - this includes having their toenails done!!!!!!!
My experience thus far is those words are VERY true. I may sound like I am complaining, I'm NOT! While some days it's very frustrating, the next day I feel like Riley was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time. I think it's always good to step up your training skills.
Besides I know we'll get there and I'll have a GREAT dog.....one day.
What a handful! I think that the person/s writing on the RR website seem to have fun with the writing, while being accurate.
jazzies mum
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This is so interesting to me! Your experience with Riley so far does remind me of a young Jazz. I personally got quite frustrated to start with before appreciating the challenge, but in the end it was wonderful to find solutions to each problem. Riley was lucky to find you!
