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How likely is it we could get a Ridgie who is good around farm animals???

We've had two Ridgies now. One was just fine. Occasionally, she'd give chase, but after a scolding, she'd quit and come back to me. She never once tried to bite or harm a horse or goat.

When we got Rocky, we expected to have to deal with chasing, but never expected what happened.

Are more of them like Katie or like Rocky? Neither of these dogs were purebreds. Does that make them more or less likely to fit in with farm animals?

We did raise Katie from a 5 week old pup. Did that make a significant difference in her behavior around farm animals?

If we were to try Ridgies again, would we be better off with a puppy? Are there bloodlines that are known to be more docile than others?

We loff the lap dog aspect of Ridgies and how loving and sweet they are. But the predatory thing is not suitable for farm life. However, I go to many horse events and see a lot of Ridgies with their horses and humans, so people must get it to work somehow.

Thoughts? Comments?

chris

I'd say get a pup but sometimes dogs raised around farm animals still go after them. Maybe if you look for a dog that has been brought up around farms and whos parents where also. I'm not that familiar with the breed but I have heard of people keeping them on farms. My boyfriends old boss had one that he kept with chickens.Just look for a really good breeder/rescue who will work with you to get you what you need. Good luck on finding something that works for you.
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This is an interesting question.

Ridgebacks were developed as "multi-purpose" hounds, rather than simply as "farm dogs" or "sighthounds" or "guard dogs." They are, however, at least in part sighthounds, and have a lot of prey drive. I know RRs quite well, have many very close friends who own them, and have seen a lot of RRs from birth and over multiple generations. They are less sighthound-y than deerhounds, and yet they still have that wild, lion-hunter side to them. It's frankly part of their great appeal.

So this might not be the right breed for you - and yet, you might still find INDIVIDUALS or LINES of this breed that work very well for you. Regardless of everything else they did, Ridgebacks were farm dogs. You just need to evaluate the individual dog carefully. Take him or her from a rescue group on approval, to see if they work out at your place and ignore your livestock. Or get a puppy from a breeder (FIVE WEEKS, the age you got Katie, is far, far too young - go for 10 or 12 weeks. Any breeder who lets a puppy go that young is a bad breeder) who has dogs who are reliable around livestock and preferably, can socialize the young pups around livestock, which you can then continue.

A RR won't be the *most* compatible breed for you, but if your heart is set on one, you can almost certainly make this work if you approach is correctly. They are wonderful dogs.
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Christie Keith
Caber Feidh Scottish Deerhounds
Holistic Husbandry since 1986
www.caberfeidh.com/
Dogged Blog

Oh, I know Katie was far too young. We inherited her. My son brought her with him when he moved in with us. He moved from Wisconsin to our place in Kansas. We couldn't very well send Katie back to her breeder. It's also possible she was older than that. He gets things wrong a lot!

Anyway, being an irresponsible son, my husband took over Katie's care and nurturing and she became his dog. One thing she never quit doing was sucking on a blanket. I think this might have been from being removed from a litter too young. who knows?

She was a marvelous dog. Her pictures are below in another thread. We miss her terribly.

chris

>>How likely is it we could get a Ridgie who is good around farm animals???
>>
>>We've had two Ridgies now. One was just fine. Occasionally, she'd give chase, but after a scolding, she'd quit and come back to me. She never once tried to bite or harm a horse or goat.
>>
>>When we got Rocky, we expected to have to deal with chasing, but never expected what happened.
>>
>>Are more of them like Katie or like Rocky? Neither of these dogs were purebreds. Does that make them more or less likely to fit in with farm animals?
>>
>>We did raise Katie from a 5 week old pup. Did that make a significant difference in her behavior around farm animals?
>>
>>If we were to try Ridgies again, would we be better off with a puppy? Are there bloodlines that are known to be more docile than others?
>>
>>We loff the lap dog aspect of Ridgies and how loving and sweet they are. But the predatory thing is not suitable for farm life. However, I go to many horse events and see a lot of Ridgies with their horses and humans, so people must get it to work somehow.
>>
>>Thoughts? Comments?
>>
>>chris

>>>>>>

Just considering the more common breeds, I'd suggest a well-bred (or carefully chosen purebred rescue) Golden for you. If you can't deal with the coat, then Lab. These dogs were bred to be easy-going around other animals so hunters can have a pleasant day in the field with their hunting buddies and their dogs. Their hunting work is to retrieve the shot game without damaging it for the table. And you've successfully had this type of dog.

If I were going to get a Golden, I'd be drawn to one of the darker red, older style dogs. They rock! My next door neighbor years ago had one like that, not a conformation-style dog at all, but a great dog. One day I looked over the fence and she had a little bird in her mouth. I called to her to drop it (didn't have to scream or anything, she was a doll), went over and got it and brought it home, gave it several hours to chill out, and successfully released it. A dog like that would make a good farm dog!
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

Hi all, haven't been in here for awhile, but had this thread sent to me by a fellow RR owner who was concerned. I personally have had RR's for several years, and raised a litter around horses, MANY deer, and sheep. I agree, the various lines are quite a bit different in amount of prey drive and reliable recall you find/can train in each dog, however, non of my dogs were a problem. This is a breed that requires much more supervision while maturing than many others, but once grown and well socialized to other animals, any of mine would protect any of us, including livestock, from anything, and be as trustworthy as any other breed I have had. By the way, I once rescued a young lab who was a chicken killer and on her way to the big sleep--and she was great around all other livestock, and eventually chickens too--it just takes a lot of time and effort to successfully raise a trustworthy dog. I believe you may be best starting with a pup, so you can have a reliable recall in place before any huge temptation arises for the older/stronger dog. WARNING. Prey drive can erupt quickly and seemingly out of nowhere--this is not a breed to freely roam with livestock it is capable of killing with no supervision at all. Good fences make good dogs when mom is not around!!

Ridgebacks were originally farm dogs in South Africa. They hunted, herded, they guarded. Some of todays dogs have more of one of these instincts then others. Talk to to Matt when he comes today to pick up Rocky. Matt has a lot of hunting experience with his ridgeback. I had ridgeback that was fine around my sister's horses. I've got 2 now that snatch birds out of the sky if they fly too low over the yard. I suspect that the answer lies in monitoring and training. This does not mean that a rescue wouldn't work. I have introduced many foster dogs into my home that had a cat. They were never left alone with the cat. I never left them in a position where I couldn't control the situation. If it meant they wore a leash and went to the bathroom with me then so be it. There is a guy down in Austalia that hunts feral goats with his ridgeback for their food. It may be that you have to be especiallay vigilant around the goats because there is a natural food chain connection between the two.
Michelle, RRUS