The Ridgeback's progression from his crate to YOUR bed.

[Rosebud]

The progression of the Ridgeback from the crate to the Master-Bedroom's King
Size Bed.
(a true story)


It all started with an Alpha-Human mentality, there needs to be discipline,
dogs are supposed to OBEY their owners.


The dogs sleep in the crate in their own bed.
       This worked for a while, the whining and howling took some getting
used to but a dog is supposed to sleep where it is TOLD to.


The Ridgebacks can sleep in the bed-room on a dog-bed in the Floor.
       I'm a mean mommy, Ridgebacks are people dogs, they want to be near
there people, I can't bear to leave them in the front hall anymore. Let's get them a
dog-bed for the bedroom.


The babies need a blanket.
     It's cold tonight, they need some covers. Do you want a ninkie-blanket?
There that's better.


It's the Big Pond, why can't they sleep in the bed?
      Come on, you don't have to sleep in the floor at the Big Pond, get in
the bed with Momma.


But, your going out of town, I'm going to be lonely. Can't they sleep in the
bed just this one night?
      I'm a mean mommy, I have this whole bed to myself, come-on get up here
and keep me warm, I don't care, you're sleeping with Momma tonight.


The King-Sized Bed
       We need a bigger bed, there's not enough room in this one, let's get a
King-size.


That's MY pillow, get at the foot of the bed where you are supposed to be.
       Fine, move over and let momma have some of her pillow.


Sally wins the Pillow fight and the dogs are now part of the sleeping
arrangements.
       This is MOMMA's pillow, here's yours, now move over and let momma in
the bed. Rocket are you coming to bed?

Poor Jake we need to put the love-seat at the foot of the bed for you.
          There, here's your ninkie-blanket.

Michelle



Thought some new RR's owners would enjoy this. uh I mean this warning


For those who had read this before, I had to add the last line, since it is what has happened, I have a love-seat at the foot of my bed for the RR's to sleep on, since two in the bed is enough for now.





Michelle

[sarah yates]

I had the SAME ISSUE!

Khale slept on a nice bed on the floor of my room for the first 10 months of her life. She was never allowed on the bed. She never really even tried. When she turned 10 months and got her first heat cycle i sort of felt sorry for her, in addition, i was moving and all the packing and moving and throwing stuff away was making her very insecure i think. So up on to the bed she came and she's been there ever since. Occasionally she'll start on her bed on the floor and then join me or vice versa. She also gets her front part on and snoozes 1/2 on the bed and then eventually pulls herself on (she can jump on but she prefers not to for some reason.

So then i got the puppy. First the crate, then the pillow by the bed, then he would move to Khale's bed when she got on my bed, and now...HOW DID I LET THIS HAPPEN?! I fully intended for him to spend at least 10 months on the floor! In addition, i only have a double bed- what am i going to do when he reaches full size?!

Khale prefers to take the bottom corner, i mean quarter of the bed. Naro just jumps up by my head and snuggles into me, he eventually gets his head or paws on my pillows.

I do need a bigger bed. Well, they need a bigger bed anyway.

[k9crazyrr]

Mine all started on the floor in a crate, not no more!!  Leo is under the blankets by my side or lets, Tanzi likes to keep my feet warm, and Kumar sprawls out down the side of the bed.  I get the tiny space in the middle between Leo and Kumar.  I think it is time for that love steat. 
Angie

[Rosebud]

I think it is time for that love steat. 
Angie

Trust me your won't regret it. Double duties as an actual love-seat if you have a t.v. in front of it. Very nice to have, will always have one there from now on, the cedar chest's look nice, but the love-seat is the bomb.



Michelle

[Christine]

LOL! This is exactly how it happened!! We now have four pillows on the bed: one for me, one for Dean and one for Koa- and one for me again when Koa steals mine at 4am. 

[Micah]

Michelle, do you have a spycam in my house?  Have you been watching us?

Actually, we just stopped allowing one of our dogs in bed (yes, we're playing favorites).  It's amazing how much better I sleep!

Micah

[Rosebud]

   I can't tell.


The little story I wrote is so true. I was not a dog person, I have a little IG, but she was just a pet my babies were my cats.

Sally and Rocket started working on me at the tender age of 3 weeks old and they didn't stop till they got the best seats in the house. Now, they just look at me and go Phuf and roll their eyes if I even ask them to scoot over and let me in the bed.



Michelle

[Micah]

Hah!  Jazzy will go scratch at the doorwall to go outside, and when Martha or I get up from the armchair (Jazzy's favorite seat), she'll run around the back of the chair and jump up from the other side while we just stand there amazed that we have just been suckered by a dog!



Micah

[Keeper]

    still laughing!  Michelle C. says, "Poor Jake we need to put the love-seat at the foot of the bed for you.  There, here's your ninkie-blanket.
Thought some new RR's owners would enjoy this. uh I mean this warning
For those who had read this before, I had to add the last line, since it is what has happened, I have a love-seat at the foot of my bed for the RR's to sleep on, since two in the bed is enough for now."

Ahhh-hum!  Got to get Alpha-serious now.  Everyone that has more than 1 RR knows that Ridgies are like potatoe chips...you can't own just one.  So, if you are planning on getting an rr puppy, or you have a rr puppy in training, OR if you think you are READY for the 2nd RR puppy.....Then you need to make necessary housing arrangements immediately! 

Your master bedroom should have floor space equal to a 2 car garage or close.  As you begin to add the paraphenillia for the dogs, crates, revolving doggie beds, 1/2 a front-end loader of toys, bones, rawhides, ropes, continuous filtering water bowls, The LoveSeat, big screen tv with surround sound (so the dogs can try to find where the lion sauntered to) 52" ceiling fan with remote control, a cedar chest full of Biederdack furry ninkie-blankies - you will quickly realize that you should have bought a house with two master bedrooms...

4 dogs later we are considering adding an 'addition' to the family (don't get excited! At my age an addition to the family ALWAYS means another dog!)  No problem...a king and a queen bed is good...but maybe now is the time to trade the queen for another king.  Hey where is the Art Van Furniture store add???

Sandra

[re]

Here's Copper at 4 months. He figured out how to get on the bed, and tuck himself in!!!!!!

[Karen]

Oh he looks so sweet anbd happy. Good boy.. 

I love snuggling with my guys, they seem so content to be sharing our space.

Karen

[Rosebud]

 

Sandra you are tooo funny.

Seriously though, You left out the 3 car-garage sized living room with two full sized sofas, two double-wide recliners and a fire-place wide enough to accomodate 4 X-large, extra thick dog beds.

and of couse the furniture has to be at least 3 feet away from the wall and each other to accomodate the racing track which starts and ends with the master room bed.

Michelle

[Keeper]

Now you are into serious RR Comfort Mode Michelle!
I've had to spend time resting recently...and it seems as tho' my queen-size bed is not roomy enough for me and the dogs.  So they stand on the bed looking forlorn and keep poking me to get me up and into the master bedroom with the kingsize bed.

Sometimes I will oblige them by moving there, but by the time they are all comfortably settled and covered with their own blankies there isn't enough room for me.  I have been known to pull 3 of their oversized beds together and from my own bed on the floor.  However, since the knee problems I don't dare get on the floor - as I may not be able to be vertical again.  Geez, they are really going to hate me when I get back from surgery!  Best thing would be for me to move into the kennel and let them have the house!
 
Sandra

[melissap]

 

You will appreciate them all the more after your surgery!! they will provide you so much comfort durring your recovery!

Brando was so sweet to me when I was stuck in bed ~ but I did keep a long wooden spoon close by so he woudl not be able to steel my food from me....

hahahehe

[Breezybare]

A couple of weeks ago Zuri figured out it was easy to jump up on our bed.  She still sleeps in her crate, but I think only because we close the door at night.  Every opportunity she gets she jumps up on the bed.  Her favorite times are 1st thing in the morning right after going outside and late at night when she knows it is almost bed time.  She lays real still as if trying to will us to let her stay on the bed! 



Sabrina

[Rosebud]

 

OH that is soooo sweet. Although she could be trying to be invisible so you don't realize she is in the bed.


Sally has now gotten to where she will just stand there and look at me, then she will go and get in the bed without me.

[Breezybare]

I have to add, she looks like she is asleep, but she isn't.  She would peer at me out of the corner of her eye to see if I was going to make her get down.

Sally has now gotten to where she will just stand there and look at me, then she will go and get in the bed without me.

Zuri will go to the bottom of the stairs when she thinks it is bedtime and look at us as if to say, 'Aren't you coming?'  She may run up, but then she is back down wondering why we haven't followed!

Sabrina

[kitoyogi]

When I brought Xhabbo home at 9 weeks, it took about 4 days before she was sleeping in the bed.  I find that it is always better to start them towards their MS title  (Master Snuggler) at an early age.

[robnrbrtsn]

Newbie here, contemplating our first RR pup...
Has anyone out there had any luck NOT letting them sleep in your bed (or lay on the couch, or steal food, or...)??
Our first dog was a G.Shepherd, so I hear I had it easy with training.

[Rosebud]

Mine will get on the love-seat in the bedroom, they are allowed to get on that one. They do not even try to get on the couch in the family room, they are not allowed on that couch.

So yes you can teach them that it is not acceptable to get on the furniture or sleep in the bed.

[shodyL]

Actually my ridgeback (6 mo.)does sleep in the crate also about half the time.  He didn't like the crate AT ALL for the first month but adjusted and now if he even sees me get a treat out he runs for the crate assuming that's what I want!  I have ALWAYS given a treat and the command "crate" when I want to put him in.  I used to have to lure him in or throw it in to sort of trick him, now he is happy to run in and even naps in there and has learned to stay in there during meals with the door open.  He is doing really good at not counter surfing.  He was bad but I started randomly setting him up by leaving something tasty just out of reach and waiting around the corner, watching.  As soon as he looked like he was gonna go for it, I would squirt him with the spray bottle of water, which in his opinion is a fate worse than death.  It has been a while since he has tried it.  He also has never been allowed on the couch, but will sometimes still try.  A firm "off" and he jumps off quickly, he really does know it's not allowed for him, but the chihuahua's are always on it, so darnit he wants to be too.  I know a lot of other people have rather well behaved ridgies, but they are so darn cute it's easy to make the mistake of letting them slip sometimes.  Every time I catch him with a shoe or something he knows he shouldn't have he will freeze and give me a wag and that "what, I wasn't really doing anything wrong" look, almost makes me laugh out loud which is bad for training!  Study and learn but I am sold on this breed, Leonidas is my first.

[oscarsmom]

Has anyone out there had any luck NOT letting them sleep in your bed (or lay on the couch, or steal food, or...)??
Our first dog was a G.Shepherd, so I hear I had it easy with training.

Absolutely! Our male is not allowed on ANYTHING but the floor, and his beds. From day one, this has been the case and we have never had any problems. He wakes us up in the morning by shoving his big head in our face and licking us, but he never gets up on the bed.

Food will always be a VERY motivating factor for RRs, and they will more often than not take an opportunity if they see it, but again, it IS possiple to teach them not to counter surf. I could leave a plate of muffins on our countertop and leave the house without him devouring them - this is because we taught him that by NO MEANS is he EVER allowed to take food off the COUNTER. If I left the muffins on the FLOOR, they'd be gone in a heartbeat the minute I left the room. Respect their temptation, but create some boundaries and you'll be fine.

Teach a solid "leave it" - don't EVER be accepting of puppy behavior that you don't want in a an adult dog (counter surfing, climbing on your bed, jumping up on people, etc.) and maintain your status as a firm but fair pack leader and you'll end up with a well rounded dog. GSDs may be easier to train because their goal in life is the PLEASE YOU, but that doesn't mean that RRs aren't as smart - they just have their own agenda and if something doesn't suit them, they'll let you know.

Good luck! RRs are amazing dogs.

~Natalya

[melissap]

 

I have found that it  depends on the individual temperment of the dog when it comes to ease of training, but the RR definetly has some unique personality traits.

I  had read some time ago in a book called the Rhodesian Ridgeback today, By Stig Carlson (I beleive) and there was a brief explanation as to the importance of the dog staying close by its master at night to protect them from other animals while they sleep. (in the open plains they needed a dog that would not wander away from them)

I have had several dogs before who even if I wanted to snuggle all night  would have been bothered by all the movement and would not stay all night in one spot and  would usually get on to the floor on thier own...(goldens and  labs) I loved that Brando would spoon all night and he loved every second of it!!! I have never seen a breed that thinks it is a human like an RR!

Admitttedly, he was my first & he was a little over indulged in the loving department and use of the bed from day one. He had still trained quite quickly and was very bonded to me. He does occationally steal food if left out on the counter (but many larger dogs that can reach the counter will do this at some time in thier lives) but the RR is quite a persistant dog at times - but he will leave our meals alone - RR's are very smart & make good use of their brains - so if you keep them  engaged and focused they will aim to please...

Zola our 2nd had been in the crate every night - and occationally gets to sleep in bed with us ~ she is hilarious about it and she will jump in and lay down immediately & pretned that she is So fast asleep that she can not hear us come in and try to hide under the covers so she can stay! After a little prompting she gets into her crate and  settles in quickly there with no compaints!

None of this is to say that you can not keep yor RR off of the furniture or the bed. It depends on what terms and conditions  you set for them in your house. If you and or your family do not care for this activity ~ just do not start letting them behave in any way you do not find appropriate for you! This is the same process with any dog ~ my dad had 4 dogs all differnet breeds & they have always been allowed to sleep on the bed and sit on the furniture. So it is not necessarily a breed specific thing. This practice is not common in my mothers house and that was her rule ~ when my dogs are at her house - they do not get to use the furniture and they usually adapt well, although she recently had brando over night and he slept in the guest bed  This was her boundry and her house has different rules.

I may add that while I let them on the furniture - I have taught them how they are allowed to use it and how not too - nothing  has ever been chewed or soiled and they usuallly jump up gently and curl into a ball - and snullge in my our sides every night!!! If you have more than one - a sectional is very helpful in getting everyone some community snuggle sapce!

These boundaries are entirely up to how you condition your dog 

Good luck with your decision making process and finding a breed that is right for you. I personally would not have any other breed as my primary companion and if you do decide on a ridgeback - you will love them dearly!!

Melissa

[Keeper]

Hi Robin,
all dogs can be trained....it all hinges on the type of training, and the consistency of the trainer and family. 
My dogs have doggie beds (about 12 throughout the house and kennel).  They are occasionally INVITED to hop on the bed, not allowed on furniture in the home...but know they have their own couch in the kennel and the lower level.

In the past, we have allowed dogs to sleep on the beds...but due to our recent health problems (not caused by the dogs) we have had to change the rules.  They accept it, because they have special beds in the bedrooms, are given treats at bedtime when they lay down, and when it is chilly...they each have their own blankie.....and yes, we cover them up.      

Sigh...RR owners sometimes spoil their dogs....
Welcome to the RR-Forum

Sandra

[kitoyogi]

Newbie here, contemplating our first RR pup...
Has anyone out there had any luck NOT letting them sleep in your bed (or lay on the couch, or steal food, or...)??
Our first dog was a G.Shepherd, so I hear I had it easy with training.

A better question would be why wouldn't one want RR's in bed with you or on the furniture?  

Ridgebacks aren't hard to train, they just require a different type of training and they bore easily.  I find them easier to deal with, in many ways, than other breeds.  They generally aren't barkers and they aren't obsessive.

My RR mix was a great counter surfer but he only counter surfed when no one was around, yet he also had enough restrain to go to outside cafe's and not steal food from me or anyone else.   I could have made efforts to break his counter surfing but instead I retrained myself not to leave out temptations and to keep the trash can locked up.

It's hard not to spoil RR's...and they are so much cleaner than many other breeds that letting them on the furniture is less of a problem for most.

[melissap]

I love that they sunggle up - not complaints here 

Hi Miss Sandy!!! Spoiling to one is just loving to another! I hope that I come back a ridgeback


Melissa