Considering RR

[golfpride72]

I'm very much considering getting a RR. Can anyone tell me some prons and cons about RR's and what I will have to have to accompany one? I live in Illinois... Anyone know a trusted breeder in my area?

[golfpride72]

...

[jnridgebck]

Hi,
Besides this forum, a good place to start finding out about the breed is the club website.
http://www.rrcus.org/assets/html/breedinfo/index_breedinfo.htm
There are several good articles about pros and cons of the breed.
Another good website for RR info is the Kalahari website.  http://www.geocities.com/~kalahari/

If after reading the breed info, you decide that a Ridgeback may be right for you...you need to meet some Ridgebacks in person.  The breeders guide on the club website will help you find a local breeder.  You should go out a meet a couple of the local breeders and their dogs and see if Ridgebacks are the breed for you.

Finally, consider a Rescue dog.  Check out different Ridgeback Rescues and see if there are any dogs in your area.  You might try calling the Rescue coordinator nearest you to find out if you could meet some of the local Ridgeback community through him or her.

Good luck!
Ragan Kimbro 

[Ragan]

Hi Golfpride, good luck with looking for a puppy and researching the breed. I have been reading and there is allot of information on here.
On the other  Ragan's message I think she referred you to a breeders kennel for information and this may be against the rules on here. they just had a discussion on this in another thread. Most breeder websites have information. The other link is a good source, but I would bypass it for a click on the health and genetics one. Great stuff there.

Ragan

[caro]

There are several excellent books published on the breed.  One of the best I have come across is Ann Chamberlain's The Rhodesian Ridgeback.  You can get it through Amazon.com.  Annie spent some years living in southern Africa and has an intimate knowledge of the breed, its character, training and health.  It is written in a very reader friendly manner and I think you will enjoy it as well as learning quite a bit about the breed.

The Kalahari website has been around for a long time,  Sandra Fikes who owns it has been a breeder for many years, and is also a judge.  She has over the years amassed an enormous amount of information which she is more than willing to share with fellow ridgebackers.  This is not recommending her kennel or her dogs but rather making use of her research which she has kindly made available for all to read.

You could also go to the RRCUS Health and Genetics website for information on ongoing research into common problems in the breed.

In addition, there is much information on the training and behavior section of this website and also in health and genetics. 

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask them and somebody will be able to either answer or point you in directions where you can do your research.

It's a wonderful breed, but it is definitely not for everyone and you are doing the right thing by finding out as much as you can before you make a decision to get one.

Caroline

[golfpride72]

thanks for the info guys 

[Ragan]

Hi  Golf pride 72   You have a picture of a RR under your name. Who does that cute pup belong to? Maybe they can give you some hands on with living with this breed of dog. 

[Rosebud]

Can anyone tell me some prons and cons about RR's and what I will have to have to accompany one?

Some excellent sites have been mentioned to research the breed.

Some cons to owning a RR. Remember they are hounds.

Food hounds
Couch-potato hounds
Bed hog hounds.
Squirrel and Rabbit chasing hounds.
Anything that moves chasing hounds.
Strong-willed stubborn hounds.
Selective hearing hounds.
Master gardeners/diggers, love to bring you your newly planted flowers. 


Some pros to owning a RR.

Prewasher plate cleaning hounds.
Seat warmer couch potato hounds
Snuggly body warmer bed hog hounds.
Make great snuggle bunnies.
Master diggers, if you can train them to dig where you want to plant a tree. 

and of course you can't forget the main reason RR owners stick with RR's.

They are full of unconditional love and devotion.

but beware the old saying "RR's are like potato chips, you can't have just one." is very, very true.

Michelle C.

[melissap]

 

Michelle ~ I love your Pro's and Con's list!!! hey, they do keep the beds and couches warm & I have always thought of their food steeling tendencies as "weight management" for me! It is hard to finish everything when your RR is looking up at you so sweetly to share! I figure I would have far less Portion control if I did not have Brando to share with!

They will also keep you up and moving! like it or lump it you will always have a shadow ~ or two once you deceide to own a ridgeback! MIne follow me from room to room all day long & I love it!!!

Melissa

[caro]

Would add another pro:

Great replacement for a doorbell (nobody will ever approach your house without you knowing)

Caroline

[Rosebud]

Thanks.
 
I completely forgot all about the will work for food security services offered by the RR's.

They sure do a great job and cheap too.

Michelle C

[melissap]

 

yup - nobody will be breaking into our house ~ and both of my babies are my co-workers as well - who would I have my monday coffee meetings with?? do you think I could expense dog food for payroll???

hahahaaha

[Rosebud]

yup - nobody will be breaking into our house ~ and both of my babies are my co-workers as well - who would I have my monday coffee meetings with?? do you think I could expense dog food for payroll???

hahahaaha

Actually it wouldn't be expensed as payroll, that would mean having to pay payroll taxes and you would need to have a tax id #.

The RR would be a security guard and would be considered a service offered and paid directly to the RR, so I don't see any reason why you could not take the value of the dog food, with receipts as documentation, as a security services expense.

Now it might be a completely different story trying to explain it to an auditor, but it can be debated and who knows you might win.   

Michelle C

[Julie]

Now it might be a completely different story trying to explain it to an auditor, but it can be debated and who knows you might win.   

Michelle C

Especially if the auditor is at your house and you have a ridgeback sitting on either side of you giving him The Look. 

Julie

[melissap]

 

Well the tax ID I do have ~ and I had asked the same question of my CPA ~ she is pretty liberal with me and my business taxes, yet she gave me a thumbs down!!! I was able to write off my electronic home security system as My office is home based but I am not going to have one installed into our new house - the old one beeped every time someone opened the door - seems excessive to have both beeping & Barking

IF I had continued to volunteer with local PD's in search and rescue I may have opened a non for profit and then I would be able to write off the expenses and training time, nut I have not had time with the demands of work, parenting and such....I do hope to get Brando back into the program one day soon!

I had just seen our training partner on the news searching for a lost/missing woman in our local area, and that is truly rewarding work to participate in with your dog!!! Brando was quite good at it ~    
Our breed is so smart, they can do about anything and God forbid we have another natural disaster or incident - I think he and I would be very proud to be of service to those in need!

 IF I could get them to answer the phones then I may have more wiggle room there in my current business