ridgebacks and water?

[benb]

Do all ridgebacks not like water?  Can they grow to enjoy it?  Also, what is the best way to get a ridgeback to play "fetch"?  I've always owned labs and am about to pick up my first ridgeback so any information would be helpful!  Thanks!

[Kapani]

Do all ridgebacks not like water?  Can they grow to enjoy it?  Also, what is the best way to get a ridgeback to play "fetch"?  I've always owned labs and am about to pick up my first ridgeback so any information would be helpful!  Thanks!

Plenty of RR love the water, fetch no idea I never wanted to play fetch with a dog.  When I throw a ball my boys go after look at it and then move on..LOL

[oscarsmom]

Welcome - is it Benjamin?

I second the statement that plenty of RRs love the water - mine does! In fact, about the only time he really "fetches" is in the water! He trembles until we chuck a stick in and then he dives in after it (not very graceful, but he has fun ). He'll swim out, grab the stick, swim back, then climb out of the water and run away with the stick.

RRs may like water, but they are not retreivers. From my experience, if an RR chases and picks up something you've thrown for it, the goal is not to bring it back to you but the KEEP IT AWAY from you! My boy LOVES to be chased, and he only ever wants a ball or a stick if he thinks I want it. Be prepared to run around and duck and dodge a lot - it's a favorite game around here. If you stop showing interest in the toy, most likely they will to. I always kind of liked it that way - it's like the goal of the game for my dog is to play with ME, not obsess over a tennis ball (like a lot of labs I know - no offense!).

RRs are PEOPLE dogs, not only do they have to be with you at all times, but they have to have their nose in everything you're doing, and they want YOU to be equally interested in them. Very interactive companions.

Best of luck with your new pup - please share pics when you have some! Do you know if you're getting a male or a female? Pet or show? What fun - I'm envious!

~Natalya

[melissap]

 

Welcome to life with a ridgeback

Brando will swim, and we take him to northern MI for our annual up north trip ~ he skirted in and out of the water the first day (he was 9 months then) and the 2nd day, once I went into the water to swim, with out any hesitation he was RIGHT there behind me - all the way out     He did look a little shocked when he started to paddle LOL . He really got a kick out of the boats and played quite happily with a lab he met at the beach that day...but the lab did  have a little different Zest for the water.

I have also had labs before ~ you will LOVE your ridgeback SO much & I am sure if you love the water, so will your RR. He/She will most likely not enjoy the rain; but hey - who does!

I can tell you that Brando enjoys the beach and lakes VERY much so!

Melissa

[Rosebud]

Welcome - is it Benjamin?

I second the statement that plenty of RRs love the water - mine does! In fact, about the only time he really "fetches" is in the water! He trembles until we chuck a stick in and then he dives in after it (not very graceful, but he has fun ). He'll swim out, grab the stick, swim back, then climb out of the water and run away with the stick.

~Natalya

Rocket does the exact same thing. He brings the stick back, we play chase, he usually wins and I have to find another stick to throw. So while he is retrieving (or is it saving) the second stick I go and get the first one back. He won't go get a stick on land for nothing.

His favorite land game is soccer. He just has an absolute blast trying to keep me from getting the ball away from him. He will actually use his feet to move the ball back and forth in front of and behind his front feet to keep the ball where I can not get my foot in to pull the ball away from him.

[melissap]

 

hi rosebud, yup - I get the infamous wrinkled head tilt if I throw a stick

He did steel the labs stick and played keep away from him, thankfully the labs owner was well versed in "stick rotation" LOL

Brando does like the soccer ball ~ I thought it may have been due to the many we have ~ as my son is a soccer player!

Melissa

[benb]

Thanks everyone for getting me "in the know".  Wow, this is really cool.  I'm so excited to have people to talk to about RRs because nobody i know has one or knows anything about them.  THANKS!

[oscarsmom]

No doubt, RRs are the BEST!!

Sometimes Oscar will get tired of running around with the stick and he'll just stop dead and drop it in front of him. If I walk up to him he'll lower he head over the stick and wait for me to try to pick it up. The game: whichever part of the stick I reach down for - that's where he darts down to grab it. If I stop mid reach and go for the other side, he darts over there. He doesn't even want the stick - he just doesn't want ME to have it! Bratty little beast ... It's a good game. Then I have to distract him and make him "Look Look!" over his shoulder while I snag the stick and run away... to funny...

Michelle, I love the idea of a dog using "fancy footwork" on a soccer ball !

~Natalya

[Porga]

Welcome - is it Benjamin?

I second the statement that plenty of RRs love the water - mine does! In fact, about the only time he really "fetches" is in the water! He trembles until we chuck a stick in and then he dives in after it (not

My Bam does the same, he adores to swim for a stick. I usualy have two of them, he is hard to catch when he is out of wather with his stick. 

[Rosebud]

Michelle, I love the idea of a dog using "fancy footwork" on a soccer ball !

~Natalya

He will actually put his foot on TOP of the ball. He loves it. We actually use one of those jr. sized basketballs instead of an actual soccerball.

I bought him a frisbee a month ago and he is not interested in it. He caught it a few times and loved it, but of course he would run away with his prize and wouldn't give it back. As soon as he figured out I wanted him to keep chasing and catching it he would just watch where it landed and walk over to it and pick it up and run off.

[Breezybare]

Zuri doesn't like wet grass, but didn't seem to mind the light rain today.  She got all crazy when my girls were in a little inflatable pool this weekend, splashing around.  We haven't had her near any bodies of water yet, she is only 15 weeks old.  But most of Idaho's bodies of water are cold, so I am guessing she won't like it too much.  She liked her bath really warm the other night!

As far as fetching, I have had her bring back a ball a couple of times.  I think she has to be in the right frame of mind to do it.  The key is not to throw it too far away, only a couple of feet and I got her really interested in it.  Then once she went and mouthed it, I told her how good she was in a real sweet voice.  Then with her mouth still on it and looking back at me I slowly acted like I was going to run away from her.  She couldn't help but chase after me.  I turned HER game on her!   Then when she brings it back make sure you tell her how good she did, and make sure you end the game with her bringing it back to you and treats.  Not guaranteeing you it will work, but if you want to try that is what I have done.

Good Luck,
Sabrina

[sarah yates]

Sarah's Treatise on Teaching Ridgebacks to FETCH

i was told when i got my new ridgeback puppy that ridgebacks don't 'fetch', this is not true. however, they do have a vested interest in themselves and so 'fetch' will come to be 'ridgeback fetch' and soon you'll forget what 'classic fetch' is. 'ridgeback fetch' involves you trying to fetch the object from the ridgeback.

i taught my ridgeback 'classic fetch' by a technique called 'backchaining', which is essentially breaking down the components of fetch into each task and then teaching them backwards. i didn't know what backchaining was when i did it but it still worked fine.

so i taught DROP first. when my ridgeback had something in her mouth i would command DROP and if she dropped it she would get a treat (or a Good Girl!). i then taught GIVE, meaning she had to drop it into my hand. (the distinction between DROP and GIVE is that sometimes you don't want what's in their mouth.) if the object reached my hand after GIVE she got a treat. i then started the PICK command, meaning 'pick up this object', all she had to do was pick up whatever i was pointing at. the chase part is easy because she had a high prey drive. the hard part was COME, which you'll have to practice practice practice with a ridgeback (with a treat it gets easier and start them young!). the last part is getting eye contact (i call it the WATCH command). so with a treat or toy bring the dogs attention to you- a point between your eyes, and treat.

so the activity becomes:
1. WATCH (the toy in my hand)
2. throw the toy
3. FETCH! (as the dog is running toward the object)
4. PICK
5. COME
6. GIVE

all of these commands have lots of other uses, i'm trying to teach my ridgebacks to put their toys away, but i think that will be a long time coming. remember that a ridgeback will always try to get you to play by their rules. i've found i get maybe 2-3 good fetches in a session then the game changes to ridgeback fetch.

good luck!

[melissap]

 

I love the fetching stories Sabrina and Sarah ~ Just last night Zola brought back a ball ~ three times before she realized it may be  more fun to ram into her brother for a while 

Then, he stole the ball and layed on top of it so she could not get it agian ~ He is the anti-fetcher     

No sister of his is going to chase a ball 

JK

great fetching stories ~

Melissa

[oscarsmom]

He is the anti-fetcher     

No sister of his is going to chase a ball 

The "anti-fetcher" - that's hilarious!

This water subject had me going through some old photos of baby Oscar on his first trip to the lake - I think he was about 4 or 5 months old...

Here he is doing his best backwoods Baywatch pose:


And here he is rethinking his decision to be a lifeguard...:


boy do I miss those puppy days

~Natalya

[Lynn]

JC acts like water is hot lava. HATES it.  Took him to the beach, loved the sand wouldn't go near the water.  When the other dogs ran into the water, he came to a screeeeeeeeching halt and watched them until the ran back out of the water.  And he doesn't like moist grass.  He will walk on our landscaping rocks and do his business there rather than have his precious toes touch the moist grass.

 

[Breezybare]

This water subject had me going through some old photos of baby Oscar on his first trip to the lake - I think he was about 4 or 5 months old...

~Natalya

Great pictures!!  My compliments to the photographer and of course the model!

Sabrina

[Lynn]

Natayla:

Adorable puppy pictures!  He is beautiful!   Puppyhood goes by too fast.

[ShellyK]

Great pics Natalya!  LOVE the second one.  ( :

Kodi's never done any swimming except for when he was about 5 months.  I was at my aunt's and she has an in-ground pool.  My aunt and I were standing next to it talking and Kodi is bounding around looking for the squirrels that had loved her house before he started visiting.  Next thing I knew there's a splash and I turn and he's in the pool.  I promptly scooped him out and he hasn't tried swimming since.  Good news is that he doesn't seem overly traumatized by it.  Runs around the pool like before and on hikes he runs through streams and such.  Haven't gotten him to a big lake yet (not many here in Colorado) but hoping to get to lake Michigan someday when I'm home visiting family.  So we'll see. ( ;

Shelly K.

[jkonye]

Natayla,
Love the pictures! We had Cooper out to Thompson Lake in Howell and hot lava is definitely what he thinks of water right now.

Our neighbor's GSP loves water and goes crazy when the hose is on - jumps, bites at the water, etc...Cooper just stands there, cocks his head to the side and looks at her like she's crazy!! It is so funny to watch!!

Hopefully he'll get more comfortable with it as he gets older and has more exposure to it.

[oscarsmom]

Thanks for all the comments on the photos - they're a few of my faves

I have to say, Oscar doesn't seem very fond of swimming for swimming's sake (he won't just follow me in if I decide to go wading) but the inclusion of an item to chase brings out his true calling and over-rides any desire to keep his coat dry .

I found this link the other day and thought it was just a riot, and, though it does not feature a ridgeback, it seemed pertinent to the conversation in regards to dogs thinking up creative ways to deal (or not deal) with water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCBTZ6-ORFE

If I'm hyjaking, mods please feel free to nix the url...

~Natalya

[AliCap]

I've had some who like the water and some who don't.  Here are a couple of pictures of those water loving hounds - first is Herman, second is his father - maybe in this case is was genetic???

[melissap]

 

Hey guys - Love the pics, I just got back to this thread. I just Love Oscar in the water as a puppy! Herman cruising along is great too!

Melissa

[somesuchlike]

Our Thulani, three month old ridgeback, loves water at once. When he came to the lake for the first time he'd just jumped in the water and swam.
Look this photos:
http://teo.inetia.com/Thulani/

[melissap]

 ;)Hi Some such like! I saw your profile and I was thinking to my self when I was looking at your little darling that these pics were perfect for this thread. He looks like he took right to swimming & what a lovely plave for him to "get his feet wet" 

Love the little swimmer pics and welcome to the forum!

MP

[kitoyogi]

One of the things I love about ridgebacks, is that they are not water dogs or retrievers.   No offense to the retriever lovers - I grew up with a Golden Retriever and had a Lab mix.  I just don't like the constant obsession with playing fetch or frisbee.  Nor do I miss driving home from a hike with a stinky wet Golden or Lab. 

Mine will go in the water a little but usually just to cool down by getting their feet wet and get a drink. 

Trek was chasing a deer once and the deer had great ridgeback survival instincts and took off through a shallow pond - it stopped Trek short.  By the time Trek had decided which way was the better side of the pond to go around, the deer was out of sight.
I also made the decision even more difficult by bribing Trek with a cookie as an alternative to chasing the deer.  Poor boy was so confused. 

Mine don't play fetch but then I don't really try to get them to do it.  I do throw things for them to chase but I don't expect it to be brought back.  It usually just starts a chase game between whichever ridgeback got the object thrown and those that didn't.

One thing that I have always heard with ridgebacks and why they don't like water is because they were bred to be wary of the water because of the crocs in Africa.  A ridgeback that would go swimming was dinner for a croc.

[hewathe]

Well I think Jenga thinks there's crocs in Canadian water, too.  He only comes in to "rescue" me. The first and only time we've been swimming together, he ran back and forht on the beach whining, and then suddenly jumped into the water, RAN towards me, circled me and ran back thinking I was behind him...he was very disappointed when he realized I didn't follow him.

Here he is leaping in to save me:



And here he is leading me back to shore, not having yet realized I'm not right behind him.



Hehehe

[kitoyogi]

Very cute!  Just him tellin' ya that you aren't supposed to be in the water cuz it's not safe.   

[somesuchlike]

;)Hi Some such like! I saw your profile and I was thinking to my self when I was looking at your little darling that these pics were perfect for this thread. He looks like he took right to swimming & what a lovely plave for him to "get his feet wet" 

Love the little swimmer pics and welcome to the forum!

MP

Thx Melissa for welcome msg. Yes, our Thulani is a swimmer but on rain he runs away as a devil in front of cross And he also don't want a cold water.... even in the summer.

You can see some photos here:
http://teo.inetia.com/Thulani02/

[somesuchlike]

One of the things I love about ridgebacks, is that they are not water dogs or retrievers. 

They are not retrievers, definitely! Our Thulani go for a stick, but usually he leaves the stick behind him and he is suddenly interested in something else ... nobody knows what!

[la_vista_baby]

My ridgebacks are obsessed with water, and they learned to love it only because they got jealous watching my weimaraner splash around with so much joy! Dodo, when he first saw water, absolutely hated it and would not let one toe to get wet! I guess at first he decided that he would stay dry no matter what. But then all the play moved to the water along with my wacky weimie, and Dodo could not resist!!! Now he is a true water addict - he can spot the tiniest puddle and lay down in it

The funniest thing is that my weimaraner and my ridgeback love to play "tag" in the water. They swim out far, then one literally jumps on the other one, making him go under the water for the second, and swims away. Then the one under the water chases the opponent, dips him under the water, and tries to swim away ASAP! that's their favorite game of all!!! I just wonder if my little girl will join them, too. So far she loves to play in the water, but stays away from the "tag" game.

And one more thing, can someone explain to me how come my dogs, who could stay swimming in the pond for days, absolutely hate the rain and refuse to go outside when it rains?!!!!

[shodyL]

We live in California so haven't had to deal with rain yet, but Leonidas hates walking on wet grass, so I'm sure trouble is coming!

His first time at the lake he wanted nothing to do with the water and stood on the shore whining and barking when we went in.  Then it became too much for him to not be with us (velcro dog) and he leapt as far as he could, hopping and hopping as if he could somehow avoid touching the water.  He got out the same way.  What was really funny though is when he got about to where the water was mid high on his body he would start shaking trying to get it off.  All this did was throw water everywhere with his big ears slapping loudly on the surface.  It was quite hilarious! 

By the end of the weekend he was swimming out to us on his own.  I won't say he liked the water, but decided it was worth it to be with us.  Still dreading that rain though....

[la_vista_baby]

Well, in SC there is very little rain indeed, and when it rains, it's usually for a very short period. So right now my dogs can still refuse to go outside when it's raining, wait it out and hold it in for a while. However, when I move back to Chicago next year, that option will not work anymore. I hope that doesn't mean that my dogs will go back to messing up my carpets on those wet days...

[Rosebud]

Shody,

That visual is absolutely hilarious. I can even picture him being puzzled about why he can't shake the water off.

 

[sillydog]

Our dog Murphy LOVES the water. And will actually jump into the bath tub. He even likes to play in the sprinkler. Even though he cant keep up with our friends German shorthairs. He still loves it!

Andrew

[mkridge]

Hello from Europe / SLovakia.
I  owe 2 RR girls - one black nosed/ one brwon nosed. The black nosed dont like to swimm or going to the water at all. But the brown nosed check it here: http://www.lady-ridgeback.sk/galery/May%202007%20Water%20Show%20_%20Ani/slides/IMG_8385.html
or the little video here: http://www.lady-ridgeback.sk/Ani_photo/jul2006/jul2006.MOV
I have never seen a ridgeback jumping into the watter like she jumps  - she just love it

[kotchfam]

I love those pictures MKRidge! That other poor dog doesnt seem to have much of a chance next to your liver girl!

[la_vista_baby]

Hey Milada! Welcome to the forum!!! I looove Ani's video!!!

[Deniseeb]

Holy smokes.  Ani looks like she can walk on water

denise

[JudithD]

hehe, I love all your stories of your Ridgies and water!!!!!!! Milada - awesome pics!! Seems like your girl has the biggest fun ever.

My Kuna was not super impressed by water in the beginning but surely learned from a lab that stayed with us in the house.

The ocean here is super cold and hardly ever gets warmer than 16 degrees. I even never go in there 
Kuna swims in a lake and gets back sticks or bottles and actually 2 days ago she swam in the ocean for the first time. I was very impressed and threw the plastic bottle again and again.

It rains a lot in Winter here and then its quite a mission to get the lady out. She walks like on high heels and twinkels with her eyes. She has the most sadest and disgusted look 
 
Her record time in holding in pipi is 17 hours 

[mkridge]

Hi Judith
yes - our Ani loves the watter - it is her bigest pleasure she can jump into the watter all the day or just swimm and swimm, or play with everyone who is in the watter...
- she loves to play with labradorian girls which we use to take with us to a near lake...
even yesterday - it was freezing outside - degress under 0 -, but sun was also shining and thus two girls Ani and the labradorian went to the watter :)crazy..
I called Ani back (she went there only by legs- but wanted to jump in.. crazy girl ), I am worrie she can get cold, or so... but than girls run adn run...
and as your Kuna - plastic bottles and sticks are also things which they need for the best fun

My older girl is like your Kuna, but not in that way that Kuna swimm... Lady does not like to swimm ( also her parents did not go to watter)
I can imagine how Kuna walks when it is rains - they make faces like it is the worst thing in the world, when is raining

[melissap]

Great pics of your liver girl. I love her dark coloring and the pics of her swimming are fantastic!

Thanks for sharing 

Melissa

[JudithD]

sorry - off topic

@ Milada,

just went on your website and went through the pics. Then I saw your Becky and I thought that I remember that mimic, face and her posture. Lookes so similar to Kuna sometimes. And can you believe it - Kuna and Becky are having the same grand parents of the one part!!! The grandparents of Kunas Dad - Sirocco Jabez of Dwaika - were Cartouche Baneka and Kleinbolayi M´Khosigazi of Terrouges!! Same parents of Beckys Mom!!! So Beckys Mom Terroughes Thembi is the sister of Kunas grandmom Terroughes Thula.

Quite complicated  but thought I recognise a Cartouche in both of them...

I am so sorry what happened to Becky!!!  I am sure she has a good life where she is now and that she can do all her mischief there!!!!
And also truly happy to have found a beautiful half sister of Kuna... - actually only a cousin

[mkridge]

Ow really ? the world is so small - so is your Kuna also a little devil like  always chatting to you, always want to have the last word, siiting on the char so close to you, because there is "nowhere" a place for her energetic... etc. ?
Yes she does not have to be, but I have to say I also like a lot Kunas face... michievous face -  hihi... I really like her expresion...
and Becks also liked the watter a lot

[JudithD]

I think Kuna would be more nauthty but she has a firm Mom 

She is nauthty if i comes to food. If we have guest and we eat, she has the sadest look at them and the guest think that I never feed her 

Or if she cuddles in the huuuge bed we have, she always has to take the middle. Even if I shift her over - she will slowly come back to the middle.

She is not toooo energetic but also gets a lot of exercise as well as mental exercises. She is definetely on fire if she sees a squirrel or if she plays with our 2 cats. She could do that for hours!!! Then she pretty much forgets about her usual good behaviour. Besides that she is actually a very relaxed dog and loves small children!!!

[mkridge]

Becky is now gone, so I could say how she was only til 11 months....
It was an accident, and we went wery hardly trough it....
- just in her junior age she was the little devil and the biggest challenge girl we ever had...
ya - and here is the one when she has to sit on the bench "because there was really not place for sitting"

and she loved to swimm with dady



little monster

[JudithD]

Beautiful little Becky! Sorry again 

I know this "bench-story" very well,
Benches, couches and even small pillows need to accommodate Kuna 

She even sat next to me in a restaurant - embarrassing hey?? 

[mkridge]

hih - about the restaurant - the same with Becky... when we used to go outside during the summer and have a drink - she always sittet on the chair like Kuna... hihi... but people were smailing about her - the loved her

[bob magdic]

Our first RR loved the water!  We used to vacation every summer along the Clarion River in NW PA.  There are canoe rentals and we would take Cassie along.  First time we would hit a rock, the river was barley over 3 feet deep, she would bail out of the canoe and swim the rest!

As far as fetching, everyone else has said it all!

[TifariRR]

My 2 ridges LOVE the water.  There is a dog beach by our house here in Lake Orion, MI and both dogs dive in to escape the summer heat!   They will chase balls and the Ducks.  Occasionally they will fetch me a lilly pad as well.     The key is to go in with them their first time or two, make it a positive experience.

Angie
www.tifarirr.com