Is the Rhodesian Ridgeback suited to family life?

Q: Are there any special or particular traits we should consider?
A: A puppy born of temperamentally sound stock, with a mother and a father that are both well socialised and adjusted, has a good potential as a family pet. In addition, that puppy must be reared and then homed in an environment that offers it adequate mental and physical stimulation, interaction with people and other animals, and sufficient exposure to novelty and challenge, so that its brain develops to its full potential and risks of fears and phobias in adulthood are reduced.

Q: How dominant is the breed and does it have aggressive tendencies?
A: The Ridgeback is strong-willed with a well-developed sense of protection and, while not overtly aggressive, will stand its ground with other dogs. Males tend to be naturally more dominant than bitches, but a Ridgeback of either sex needs gentle discipline from the earliest age.

Q: What sort of training and discipline do they respond best to?
A: As long as you start training Ridgebacks as early as nine weeks, you should find they prove to be a loyal dog and a great family pet. As with all breeds, the longer you leave training the more bad habits that you and the dog are likely to pick up. Ridgeback respond very well to reward-based training, but do need consistent handling otherwise some will 'try it on'. Look for a good quality dog school which applies kind training techniques. 'One-to-one' training classes at the beginning are considered the best, as a professional trainer will get you started in the right direction. An untrained Ridgeback, given its size and weight and natural disposition, can be a liability.

Q: Is neutering advisable?
A: The question of neutering with a view to changing temperament will always be a contentious one with two schools of thought holding differing viewpoints. Behaviour and temperament can be affected by the presence of sex hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone. Spaying and castration will affect behaviour by removing the hormonal influence, but neither of these surgical procedures will affect behaviours that are not hormonally controlled, so significant amounts of a individual's personality will remain intact after surgery. In other words, if your Ridgeback is fighting with other male dogs because of high level of testosterone the castration would probably help to some extent, however, if the dog is initiating a fight out of fear, the castration is likely to make this condition worse. Some male Ridgebacks can be a bit pushy, but so can males of other breeds. It often happens that a male Ridgeback becomes less competitive when castrated and this can make training easier and more enjoyable. The best way is to discuss these issues with your vet and/or behaviour expert.