Best Toys for Ridgeback: Kong Knots

Ok, so anyone who has a Rhodesian Ridgeback knows how difficult it is to keep toys around the house. They live for destroying toys. In my experience anything with a squeaker is dead in a couple of hours. Emma doesn't have much interest in hard toys, but if it's soft and squeaks then she's all over it. 

I have been amazed at her ability to find a squeaker or component in a toy that squeaks, and destroy it. She takes it almost as a personal challenge. 

This article is going to focus on one toy in particular that I have found which Emma loves, and actually lasts more than a day. 

Ok, let's talk about this toy, it's made by Kong and called Knots. Kong is a major dog toy company with headquarters here in Golden Colorado. I have found their products to be hit or miss. Sometimes they are tough and sometimes they aren't. This toy called Kong Knots comes in different sizes. I always get the large one because Rhodesian Ridgebacks are large dogs. They come in all kinds of different animals, Emma has a flamingo right now, but she has had the bear, a robin, and santa, in the past. 

There are a couple of things that make these toys great. Firstly they are soft and bendable like any stuffed toy; there is a squeaker in the front chest (Emma's favorite part) and the toys have have thick rope running through them. 

This achieves two things which make the toy better. Firstly, the ropes make the toy stronger. When the dog steps on it and pulls with those teeth the ropes hold the toy together so it tears less readily. 

Second, there is significantly less stuffing inside these toys because the ropes take up most of the space. When Emma tears a hole in a stuffed toy her next objective is finding the squeaker and killing it. Directly after that she moves on to pull all of the stuffing out of the toy, every last fiber until she has made a complete mess. 

One other thing that makes these toys great is that after the outer toy has been ripped and torn up by the dog, the rope inside becomes a second toy. We have these ropes laying all over the house now because Emma pulls them out and carries them around. Sometimes I tie the ropes together for a tug-of-war game. 

Don't buy one of these expecting it to last forever, because like most toys with our ridgebacks it will not last forever, but it might last a week. In my books as far as toys go that is pretty good, and she loves playing them and carries them all around the house with her. Expect it to get destroyed, just not right away. 

I recommend this product for your ridgeback. They cost $17.49 on PetSmart. And if you buy two of them you get one free (that's what I do, then I put to away for later). 

Emma's latest Kong Knots toy after 2 weeks (a bit dirty but still alive)

Emma playing withKong Knots Robin 

Emma Playing with ropes found inside the Kong Knots Robin toy

Surprising Foods for Ridgebacks

Let's spend a moment and talk about what is important... FOOD. I have heard claims that ridgebacks will eat anything, because they are part of the hound family and hounds will eat anything. 

Knowing this, I set out to raise Emma without letting her have "people food". There was also the concern I had about an 80lb dog begging for food from family or visitors. Heck, the truth was if she decided she liked something she could walk up and take it from a lot of people, which seemed like a bad idea to me. 

So from day one the plan was no "people food" for the dog. As we can guess, that didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. Though in the end I have learned a few things from this and had some successes. Emma does not beg for food as a rule, occasionally she will steal it from a counter or stove top if given the opportunity, but she doesn't beg like some dogs do, with their pouty sad eyes. I know the look well because as soon as anyone sat down at the dinner table, my previous dog would put on the pouty sad eyes and rub up on you until she got a bite herself. It was extremely annoying when she did it to guests. 

I never feed Emma from the table, ever. I strongly encourage never feeding dogs from the table. If Emma is going to get a leftover bone from a steak for example, she gets it the following day after everyone has finished eating and the dishes have been cleaned. This way she doesn't associate people eating with a treat or food. 

The other thing I decided was that my if I got a ridgeback, she wouldn't get fat. I think fat dogs are largely the result of too much "people food" rather than consumption of too much dog food or not enough exercise. Feeding dogs "people food" makes them fat. 

But, despite my best efforts, the little devil, still managed to get treats from me. Yep, I give her "people food". But you won't believe what kind. See I thought I was being smart, I thought if I tried giving her something I didn't like to eat when she was young, she might learn that the food I ate tasted yucky, I thought it tasted yucky. I happened to be eating raw snap peas. So as I sat crunching some snap peas in my mouth I decided to give one to my 2 month old puppy. I was sure she wouldn't eat it. I knew I didn't want to eat it. 

I was totally wrong. That dog chewed on the snap pea and swallowed it without a thought. I was shocked, so I handed her another pea... Again she ate it, and now she was wagging her tail and looking at me expectantly. 

I expect most dogs to ravenously enjoy foods like meat, chocolate (despite being poisonous), potatoes chips, you know, things that are savory, sweet, or salty. I do not expect a typical dog to ravenously chomp down and wag their tail for vegetables. 

Over the next couple of years I learned a thing or two about the ridgeback palate. It is a fallacy that because Rhodesian Ridgebacks are in the hound family they will eat anything. I have found Emma to be extremely picky. I have been through dozens of different types of dog foods trying to find one that doesn't use her stomach causing her to vomit or have deadly (to my nose) gas. Seriously, terrorists knew how potent that gas was... I have repeatedly been shocked by the things this dog will not touch and the things she loves to eat. 

Here is a list of her favorite foods that I think are odd for a dog:

1. Snap peas, every time I get these out she expects to get some.

2. Carrots, she loves carrots as much as she does snap peas, maybe more. I use baby carrots for training

3. Grapes and raisins - she ate an entire container of raisins once by accident when she broke into a closet and discovered them. (WARNING: Raisins and grapes are toxic to dogs - If your dog ingests raisins or grapes please seek medical attention)

4. Celery, not as much as carrots or snap peas, but she will eat a stalk of celery 

5. Ice cubes, she loves ice cubes 

6. Apples, one time I stepped into the bathroom for a minute and when I came back my apple core was missing, she had of course eaten it. She loves apples 

7. Peppers, when she was a pup she got pieces of bell pepper which she loved. Recently she broke into the garden and stole one of the growing bell peppers off of the plant. 

At this point I would also like to mention that she has been trained to eat the following terrors:

Spiders

Flies

Bees/Wasps

Other bugs

All I have to do is point out the moving target and she either squishes it with her paw or eats it. This has come in handy a number of times. I highly recommend "bug training" your dog if you haven't already. It makes dealing with those little surprises very easy. 

She also found and caught two skunks by the time she was six months old (in the city) which I believe was payback for all the spiders I make her kill. 

How did Rhodesian Ridgebacks Become the Best? Find Out.

I recently read an article on Quora which asked an interesting question. That question was this; if you could be the best in the world at something what would it be? 

This of course made me think of the ridgeback and all of the things they are good at. Which made me think about the creation of the breed. 

These dogs as most of us know where designed and created to hunt lions. 

Here is something interesting. These dogs have ridges running along their spine down their backs. These ridges are formed by hair growing in the opposite direction. The most interesting part is that we do not know where this genetic trait (ridge) came from. The breed dates back to the 16th century, historically we do know that the Hottentot tribes in South Africa bred domestic dogs which had ridges, but we do not know where those dogs came from. There is no record. There are no other ridged dogs domestic or wild anywhere else in the world. 

That is not what makes them the best though,the ridge is just a cosmetic interest, what really makes these dogs the best is what they were bred for. 

They needed to be fast and strong for hunting, have short hair because of the african heat and high density of ticks. They needed to be resilient for hunting and traveling through the varied bush of Africa where temperatures could rapidly change to freezing conditions. 

And this may be the most important part. As settlers traveled through the bush, they needed a dog to protect them as they slept. The dogs also had to be zealously protect their wives in times when they were left alone. 

The result of all this effort is a a dog with extreme intelligence. The breed is considered in the top 10 for protection dogs. Many experts suggest not training a ridgeback as a guard dog because their natural instincts are so strong. I have had my ridgeback for two years and every time she barks or growls, there is a potential threat. Guaranteed. If I am at a park and someone walks up behind me, before they get within 50 ft, she is on intruder alert status. If they get closer she will bark. In the house if someone steps off the front sidewalk towards the house she is suddenly awake and alert. It is an uncanny ability that I love. 

So does that make them the best? Probably not, there are other dogs that do the whole protection scary thing just as well. So what's different about this one. 

Two words, affection and loyalty. These dogs get so attached to you it's unbelievable. and they are the warmest sweetest most sorted hearted creatures I know. It's difficult to describe the bond these dogs have with their family. 

Here is a quick story though which may shed a small ray of light as explanation. When Emma was probably around 3 months old I took her on a hunting trip at our place in the mountains. My dad and a cousin were there so she got to meet this cousin for the first time. She was too afraid to go up the stairs so she ended up curling up with my cousin when she fell asleep. Remember she is just a 3 month old puppy at this time. She didn't see that same cousin for awhile after that as I was living out of state at the time. 

Fast forward 18 months, the same cousin comes to visit and Emma hasn't seen him since she was 3 months old. Now, most of the time we try not to let people walk into the house without putting Emma in the back yard or kenneling her up, because she scares people and barks a lot. So when the cousin knocked at the door I grabbed Emma's collar with one hand and opened the door telling him to come inside with the other hand. 

As a walked her by her collar towards the back door, the cousin told me it was ok, he wanted to see Emma. OK. No problem, except at that moment she broke free from my hand at her collar. I watched in horror as she raced towards him. Yelling, "NO Emma". As she reached him she jumped up and gave him a big lick on the face. 

Everyone else who walked through that door got several barks, or growling, if they were lucky (the unlucky ones got lunged at). 

She remembered that cousin even though she had only met him one time when she was a puppy 18 months ago. And since that incident I have noticed that she never forgets a person. Once she decides she likes someone they are friends for life. 

This combined with their beauty, physical prowess, intellect, affection, and loyalty, is what makes them the best. 

Rhodesian Ridgeback Olympic Dog

Do Rhodesian Ridgebacks ever get tired, is it even possible to wear them out? This is an interesting question. A lot of
the time out and about people often ask me know much exercise this type of dog needs. Sometimes, people have wanted one but decided against it because of beliefs that these dogs need too much exercise. 

First, let me address some myths. While Rhodesian Ridgebacks do need a lot of physical activity it isn't necessarily as much as you might think. They are very adaptable. I have noticed with Emma that if she doesn't get exercise for a day or two, she gets kind of depressed and mopey. So I take her out for a short walk or run and she's back to normal, good as new. 

My favorite desk, told you she was a couch potato.

Another thing we need to understand is that inside the house ridgebacks are nothing at all like labs. They aren't hyper or "on" all the time. My last lab constantly had a ball and was ready to play. Inside or out, ready to play fetch all the time. Not so with emma, she's kind of a couch potato inside. If I lay down she's right next to me fast asleep, if I'm watching TV she's asleep right next me on the floor. If someone saw this they might even think she was lazy or didn't do much. This is of course completely untrue. 

If I start putting shoes on, she is suddenly completely alert with her tail wagging ready to go. She loves going for walks, but her favorite thing in the whole world besides me, is running. She lives for it. If I take her to a park and let her off leash, she runs in circles and figure eight patterns for ten minutes without stopping. Not chasing anything mind you, not running after a squirrel, ball, or frisbee, just running for the pure joy of running. And I have to say it is amazing to watch these dogs run. Their stride lowers to the ground and you can suddenly see the greyhound blood in them, wicked fast and agile she can turn on a dime. 

I try to take her out daily for exercise, whether it's a walk, swim at the lake, run through the park, or another of her favorites the dog park where she gets to run just fast enough so the other dogs can't catch her. 

The flip side of all this is, I have never seen her truly physically exhausted. There are reports that this breed can capably keep up with a horse for 30 miles before tiring. While I haven't tried this with a horse, Emma has kept up with me offloading on our ATV's in the mountains without trying for several miles. 

The caveat to this is cold or rain, Emma hates the rain, if it's raining outside I can barely get her to go outside, let alone go out and play or run. I think it might be the cold and lack of fur. 

These dogs are a favorite breed of olympic athletes and other endurance athletes because they can take any amount of exercise you can throw at them and they will love you more for it. Just know that once you get them back inside, you'll be dealing with a huge couch potato that hates the cold. 

If I work late this is how Emma tells me it's time for bed 

A crazy life with Rhodesian Ridgeback

This is my favorite video about Ridgebacks. Some of the ones on YouTube are cute, or talk about the dogs qualities, but this is the absolute best example I have found of what it is actually like to live with a one. Ok watch the video then I'll break it down afterwards. Also great song by Vance Joy.





These are just facts of life when you have a ridgeback in your family:



1. Not sure if it's the short coat of fur, or more likely a natural den instinct from their African heritage. but these dogs always sleep under covers. If one shares a bed with you it will use its nose to lift the covers and crawl under.

2. If you pull the covers off of a ridgeback you might get scratched and he/she will get back under the covers. Even if this means pulling all the covers off a bed, the dog goes under the covers.

3. You and your family are large pillows. The ridgeback will lay its head, or sometimes its entire body on you. It may just decide to lay on top of you.

4. These dogs are always ready to play with you. Just not fetch or frisky, or anything like that. But chase or dancing, or hide and seek and they are all in. Just don't say "squirrel"

5. Ridgebacks will steal tea from you even if it's hot. Actually, they will steal food too. Especially if it's in a pan on the stove waiting to be cooked, or sitting on a counter out of reach. Walk out of the room for one minute, and don't expect to get any because it will already be gone.

6. Ridgebacks will go through trash. Just get used to this fact. No amount of fear or punishment seems to deter this, so just keep your trash as empty as possible.

7. Will bark when necessary. If a ridgeback barks there is a threat , period. They can be twitching in a dream one minute, and if someone walks buy outside they are wide awake and listening the next minute.

8. A ridgeback in your house will quickly become your new home security system without training. This seems as natural to them as eating or running. It seems to kick in at about 14 months old. Simply say the word "security" or ask "who is that?" and every door and window will quickly be scrutinized by one of the worlds top security systems, ridgeback eyes. And they take it extremely seriously.

9. Loves to Run for the hell of it. In circles, or figure eights. weaving in and out around and around, never tiring. They just love to run.

10. Follow you around everywhere

11. A ridgeback will follow you into the bathroom, if you don't close the door tight. It will open the door and pop a head in to have a look. If you close the door securely then the ridgeback will lay by the bathroom door until you come out. If you take to long it might scratch the door once or twice to check up on you.

12. This 80-120 pound dog does not ask for permission to lay on your lap, it will crawl or jump up on you and curl up.

13. Absolutely greets every "friendly" by licking their face in greeting without fail.

14. Meets an individual once and decides whether or not to befriend them. These dogs remember people for life, once a friend or enemy so it will always be with ridgebacks. Make a good first impression.

Is that a Ridgeback?

The question I get asked most often by people when I am out and about, "Is that a ridgeback?". Yes it is I enthusiastically reply.

This question is always followed up with a garage of questions about the breed. Sometimes people have read a bit about them or seen something on TV. Most people know that these dogs were used to hunt lions. I definitely get asked that a lot.

Without fail, the question people ask most is if Rhodesian Ridgebacks are like labs. Every time they ask this I try not to chuckle. It's kind of a ridiculous question in the first place. "No they are nothing like labs" I always reply. These dogs are way better than labs. But I don't tell people that.

I don't tell them how much better ridgebacks are than labradors because quite simply, this amazing creature is not for everyone. And if your dog of choice is a labrador, then a ridgeback might not be best for you. 

Now there are a hundred of websites and forums where this has been stated but none of them say why. What makes the breed out of Africa so different from a lab? Ok here it is in one word, attachment. 

My dog Emma goes everywhere with me. In a given month there are only a handful of days when she isn't by my side. If I go out to a restaurant I usually sit outside with my dog. If I go for a vacation, she goes with me. We are inseparable, and this isn't just because I'm a crazy dog nut. Emma is so attached to me that she has panic attacks when I leave. If I go on a vacation for a a week she gets depressed and will hardly go outside. From talking to vets and other ridgeback owners I have discerned that this isn't something wrong with my dog, it's just how the Rhodesian Ridgebacks are. They attach to their owner in a way that is very unique to the breed. 

If I'm gone for more than an hour she acts as though I have been gone for years, greeting me by nearly knocking me over and licking with affection. She then quite decidedly follows me around the house. 

If I am watching TV and I get up to get a drink she wakes up from her nearby slumber to follow me. Moving to another room, she's moving with me. Wherever I go she follows instinctually. I take her to the dog park frequently, sometimes I hide behind a tree or something. Within minutes of loosing sight of me, Emma panics and begins searching frantically for me. These are not trained habits, they are breed traits. 

The odd thing is, after two years I have come to love my little shadow. If she doesn't follow me somewhere around the house I start to wonder where she is. Not having her with me out and about leaves me feeling kind of alone. 

As I write this and think about it, it sounds kind of crazy nuts to me. But if you have ever owned one of these creatures you will know exactly what I am thinking about. Please add your comments below. 

TIP: Starbucks is FREE for dogs 

New Ridgeback hot spot for fans everywhere.

Ok folks, new blog here for all of us Ridgeback fans. This is a place for ridgeback fans to post traits they find in their dogs and for anyone to reach out for help with a feisty pup or adult dog.

About a week ago I was looking at Google trends top search results for the U.S. Guess what I saw? Rhodesian Ridgeback was the was the 6th highest search ranking at the time I looked.

I was stunned. I knew how great ridgebacks were, I've had my ridgeback Emma for two years now and the two of us are completely spoiled. But I didn't know others were interested in the breed or that it was so popular it would be trending #6 on google.

Part of me hopes people don't discover the breed because it might lead to bad breeding habits as puppies are "manufactured". Yet, another part of me secretly wants everyone to know how amazing this dog breed is.

My pup Emma sitting in the tent trying to stay out of the rain.