So honestly, that picture of Tolby pretty much says it all. If you get a Rhodesian ridgeback from a quality breeder and put the time into them, they are one of the most fantastic breeds of dog that you’ll ever come into contact with.
Let’s explore a few of the top breed characteristics:
- They have the energy to keep up with you all day but are content to lie around and do nothing. This is certainly not true of some breeds who need constant exercise.
- They are loyal with their family but not opposed to having visitors.
- They will love you more than most breeds, always ready to climb on the furniture and they love to be with you. If the door is open they’ll come with you.
- Rhodesian Ridgebacks do not have excessive grooming requirements. Even with a show dog I just give him a quick bath and let him air dry and touch up his nails. But the ones we’ve had that were just pets did not have to have anything beyond occasional nail trims.
- For a larger dog, if well bred, they are fairly healthy. Breeders should screen for major inherited diseases before breeding, and outside of those, they’re healthy dogs who generally live over 10 years, and often beyond 12 or 13 years.
- They are intelligent and easy to train. A ridgeback does have an active brain, but I’ve found that I can almost tell them what I want or give them a quick look and they seem to pick up directions. At the same time they can also get themselves into trouble with that brain.
- Just about everyone thinks that having a dog who was developed to hunt lions is cool. And yeah, if I was a dog, I’d want a cool job too.
So yeah, I love the other dog breeds that we’ve had, but the ridgeback holds a special place. And we’ve been lucky to have good breeders in Arizona and New Mexico who have provided us with amazing Rhodesian Ridgebacks for our life in Colorado.