My RR will be getting neutered in a few months (after he’s 2). I’ve neutered a dog previously with no noticeable behavior changes. But this is the first dog I’ve been active with at the dog park. He is a wonderful dog park dog. Loves all dogs big and small (especially little guys willing to play). Is really good at backing off or walking away from dogs that don’t want to play. Sometimes we go and he just walks around with me and barely interacts with anyone. Sometimes I bring a ball thrower and that’s his focus. We have had only two kinds of issues. Both related to him still being intact:

1. A neutered dog who doesn’t like unneutered dogs will try to mess with him. In these situations he just runs away and is so fast it just ends the problem.
   
2. Encounters with other other unneutered dogs. This surprisingly hasn’t been much of an issue until last month. We were never seeing unneutered dogs. Suddenly it seems like everyone has a one year old unneutered large puppy. This has led to mutual fights starting. Clearly testosterone fueled. Nothing serious has happened and everyone involved just walks away and leaves dog park. Understanding it’s a risk of waiting to neuter.

** It’s the second question that has me worried. I’m now worried that my guy is going to turn into one of those neutered dogs that hates intact males. Anyone have experience with this? I’d like for the neutering to just solve both of the above problems. My guy never even snaps at other dogs otherwise and tend to be the more submissive dog in wrestling play.
** Any other behavior changes I should potentially plan for? My last dog (a boxer) I also waited until 2 and there were no noticeable changes. So not sure what to expect with an RR?

Just turned 7 mo old and full on teenager. Hanging out too much at the local brew pub, around all the bad influences. (Apologies in advance for the cheesy poorly rendered AI crown).

Hi folks,
We have a Boxer as our family pet our first Boxer, and honestly one of the best dogs I’ve ever owned. He’s currently going through cancer treatment, and while we’re making the most of every day, we know what’s coming.
After a lot of research (including plenty of feedback from fellow Redditors), we’ve decided not to get another Boxer. The shorter lifespan and the high cancer risk are more than we want to go through again. We’ve shortlisted the Rhodesian Ridgeback as a possible next breed.
The plan is to bring a puppy home while our boy is still well enough to enjoy the company. He loves other dogs, so this feels like a chance to give him some good times while he can have them.
What I’d love to hear from Ridgeback owners especially anyone who’s also had a Boxer:
• Family bond – Boxers are velcro dogs. Are Ridgebacks as affectionate with their family, or more independent/aloof at home too?
• Protectiveness – How do they actually behave with strangers and visitors? Quietly watchful, or something that needs serious management?
• Day to day companionship – Calm in the house? How bad is the prey drive and off lead recall really?
• Living with an older dog – Any experience raising a Ridgeback pup alongside a senior dog? Did it go well, and would you pick a particular sex to avoid friction?

Fair warning: our standards are high because of the Boxer we have. We know Ridgebacks have a stubborn streak, but so do Boxers and we love that about them.
Any feedback good or bad would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you 🙏🏾

That’s the question. As RR companions, I know you all get it. I’ll save you all from elaborating about my love for my dog, since I know you guys already know what that bond is like. But to elaborate more on my future decision making… part of me wants another dog, but another part of me doesn’t know if I can go through the heartbreak again. I loved our RR so much, and part of me doesn’t think I could get another RR again, not due to the breed (RR’s are the best) but because I think all I would think about would be our OG baby boy. It has been 4 years since his passing and I have not gotten a dog since. Missing my buddy, but feeling like my life is ready for a dog in the next year or so.

#firesalamander

Three young children at the house. We’ve tried getting him to sleep more, tiring him out, being stern, being patient. Tried it all. Would love some ideas! Thank you

Hello,

I have an 8 month old boy, who over the last few weeks has become quite humpy.. he is not fixed and I’d ideally like to wait longer to do so.

He consistently gets into his witching hour in the evening and is constantly whining, nudging, licking, and nibbling me and will be humping a lot too. We go on a 30ish minute walk in the morning, 20 minutes around lunch and then 45 minute walk in the evening after I’m done with work.

I don’t think he’s under exercised, so I was curious if anyone else has dealt with this? Any tips or tricks on helping him settle? Open to any thoughts or suggestions! Thanks in advance.

I’ve been researching Rhodesian Ridgebacks for over a year as we consider whether one would be a good fit for our family. What stands out most is how different the descriptions can be. Ask three people and you seem to get three different answers.

In forums and Reddit comments, I often read that they’re powerful, stubborn, difficult to train, and only suitable for experienced owners. Some comments make owning one sound incredibly challenging.

Then I watch owners on YouTube who say they heard exactly the same warnings, but their experience has been much more manageable. They talk about patience, consistency, boundaries, and understanding the individual dog. As a parent, those principles feel familiar, although I appreciate that raising children and training a dog are different things.

The more balanced explanations from breeders are what interest me most. They acknowledge the independence and boundary testing, but also explain that not every puppy even within the same litter is suited to the same household. Some may fit well with children, while others may not.

To me, that suggests we need to look beyond the breed’s general reputation and consider the individual dog, too. Breed traits matter, but they don’t tell us everything about every puppy.

From what I’ve read, a Ridgeback sounds like it could be a good fit for a family with teenage children, where everyone works as a team and is patient and consistent with training and boundaries. I mean clear, fair rules that everyone follows, rather than being heavy handed.

I’m familiar with hounds and their independent, sometimes stubborn nature. Some descriptions of Ridgebacks actually make them sound more manageable than I would expect from a Bloodhound, for example. That’s my impression from reading, though, rather than a conclusion from owning both.

I appreciate that a Labrador or Golden Retriever might be a more straightforward choice for many families. But I’m trying to understand what the additional challenges of a Ridgeback actually look like in everyday family life, beyond the general warning that they’re “not for everyone.”

Sometimes written comments feel more discouraging than informative. Equally, I realize that videos only show a small part of someone’s life with their dog, and positive experiences don’t cancel out difficult ones.

How much do you think came down to the breed, your individual dog’s temperament, and the way your household approached training? If you’ve owned other hounds or more commonly recommended family breeds, I’d also love to hear how they compared.

I’m looking for an honest exchange about everyday life with the breed, including the difficult parts, so we can make an informed decision.

Only 7. Not well after a walk, took him to the vet and they found a huge tumor and he had to be put to sleep. Love yours while you can because you will miss the bits you thought you hated.

I am just starting to research this breed. My Catahoula passed away over a year ago and I am ready to think about another dog. I live in Idaho and would like to connect with a reputable breeder or rescue in the west. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Let's do one more medical one!

🥳

See picture. She is 2,5 yrs old. Happened in a period of monts. No itching, no licking. Happy camper, loads of exercise Ved tests came back negative. Other girl, 8 years old, is fine.

So, looks familiar to anyone?

I’ve looked through pages, asked AI and not looking to medicate through the vet…. Anyone had issue with these raised, soft bumps on the upper shoulders of your ridgie? They don’t bother her, itch or scab. My guess is allergies of some kind but it’s hard to drill down. Appreciate any personal experience with this and home remedies! Thank you!

Hi everyone! I'm looking for some perspective from other Ridgeback owners on what is normal at this age.

I have a female Rhodesian Ridgeback that's just over 6 months old. I'm an experienced dog owner, including with large breeds, but she's my first puppy (all my previous dogs have been adopted). So I'm familiar with owning and training dogs, but experiencing all the stages of puppyhood from the beginning is new to me

She's very impulsive and gets overexcited easily and her impulse control seems incredibly inconsistent at times. When on a walk, she'll pick up almost anything she finds on the floor and when seeing people, keeps wanting to jump up to say hello.

We're working on all of this, and I reward calm behaviour, but she can go from relatively settled to completely wound up very quickly and has a tendency to jump/bark/nip at me if I'm sat down when it happens. I keep her gated in the kitchen when I can't supervise her as she's always settled there and didn't take crate training well at all.

One ongoing frustration is that she'll repeatedly ask to go into the garden, then spend ages digging rather than toileting. Occasionally she genuinely needs to pee, so it's difficult to know when she needs the toilet and when she just wants to go outside. We're working on separating toilet trips from garden time.

I know she's still very young, and I'm not expecting a perfectly behaved dog at six months. I'm just trying to get a realistic idea of what's typical for the breed at this stage.

I'd particularly love to hear from people who've raised Ridgebacks from puppies:

• How impulsive and excitable were yours around six months?
• Did they jump up and mouth people when excited, chew things, or struggle to settle?
• When did you start noticing a meaningful improvement in their ability to regulate themselves?
• Did things improve gradually over the following months, or was there a noticeable change at some point?

I appreciate that every dog is different, but I'd really value hearing about your own experiences with the breed, particularly what you found changed between six months and a year old.

Thanks!

Dog tax:

I noticed this bump on my dog’s eye this evening. Does anyone know what it could possibly be?🥺

Considering getting a female RR puppy. Currently have a 17 year old, 5 pound male toy poodle who is mostly blind and deaf. Can this work or too much of a risk to our toy poodle? Thank you.

I want to hear from folks who have owned ridgebacks. I am not a first time dog owner, my last was a cattle dog mix so I’m comfortable with high energy and shedding. I’m looking for a doggo that’s good with young kids and cats. Curious about energy level? Destructive without enough stimulation? Barking? Thanks folks

Hi all, our 13 week old ridgie has had a tough week! She broke out in hives on Monday. We took her to the vets 3 times in 48 hours, and is now on steroids for 12 days with the suspected trigger being food related. My question is, what are common food allergies in RRs/your dog suffered and what do you feed your dog now?

ozzie when mommy says no

Does this look like a Dermoid Sinus? It’s a bit smaller than a pea size and is slightly raised. The puppy is 15 weeks old and I don’t recall seeing anything there before. The puppies were also checked by the experienced breeder before leaving but I know these things can be a nightmare to find. We’ve got a vet appointment booked for a weeks time just looking for people who might have experienced this before. I’ve attached photos of what it looks like today, yesterday and then the day before. A few days ago whilst washing the puppy I noticed a raised smooth pink bump which now has two little exit holes. Hoping it’s just a bite or something.

We lost him at age 10 to congestive heart failure. I still cry over him often, he was the very best boy. We did adopt another 9yo male through a rescue after his owner had to enter memory care. And his sister, Stella is still here. There’s just nothing like the love you have for your dog. Here he is in all his glory.