Your Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy: The ultimate guide to finding, rearing and appreciating the best companion dog in the world

by Denise Flaim

Kinked Tail The Ridgeback is a great cocktail of a dog, resulting from the artful merging of many breeds. One of them was the Bulldog – not the squat, lumbering creature that we know today, but his leggier, more athletic 19th Century ancestor. The Bulldog contributed a strong holding jaw and general athleticism to the Ridgeback, but he also brought along one undesirable trait: the “dud” or bob tail. We see the vestiges of this today in the occasional puppy born with a kinked tail. Such puppies are not bred because the fault is highly heritable: Breed authority Major Tom Hawley called it “as tenacious as old mamma bulldog herself.”

kink is a bend in the tail caused by a malformation of the spinal vertebrae. It can occur anywhere on the tail – at the very tip, where it will be hardly noticeable, or in the middle, where it can cause the tail to change direction, like an “L”-shaped elbow joint in a pipe. Kinks that occur at the base of the tail may not be noticeable, but for the fact that the dog can’t raise her tail! Very rarely, a kinked tail will interfere with the puppy’s ability to relieve himself, and will need to be amputated, or docked, but this will be noted long before the puppy goes to his new home. Usually, though, a kinked tail is simply an aesthetic consideration, and does not detract one bit from a puppy’s quality of life or lovability.

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In order to grind a Ridgeback’s nails, you need a Dremel – one of those hand-held rotary tools sold at Home Depot and other home-improvements stores. I don’t bother with the battery-powered Dremel – it doesn’t have enough juice. Go with the plug-in and use the cylindrical, sandpaper-covered sanding attachment. Many Ridgebacks respond positively to this method of nail maintenance if properly introduced. This involves gradually introducing the tool, which is loud and vibrates strongly, both factors that can initially unnerve your Ridgeback.

Start with your Dremel unplugged, and a pile of cubed cheese at your side. Tap the Dremel gently against your puppy’s nail. Treat generously and repeat many times. Once your dog is more interested in the cheese than the Dremel, plug the Dremel in, but do not apply it to the nails yet! Your Ridgeback will likely be alarmed by the sound it makes. Turn the Dremel on in short bursts, giving treats generously after each one, until your dog is more interested in the cheese than the sound of the Dremel. (If you are really ambitious, you can turn the Dremel on as “background noise” whenever the puppy is eating. This will quickly desensitize her to it.) Once your puppy is comfortable with the sound of the Dremel, begin alternating these two pieces: tap with the Dremel, turn the Dremel on for two seconds, tap, Dremel sound, tap, Dremel sound. When the dog is familiar and accustomed to both, then and only then put them together. Don’t worry about accomplishing anything with the first “live” Dremeling – just tap the toe, praise lavishly, and administered cheese. Generously reward as you go, slowly progressing to more nails and more time on each nail. Do not stint on the food reinforcement: With enough Gouda, all things are possible. Though it is tempting, do not acquiesce to your Ridgeback’s reluctance to have his nails ground. Instead, proceed firmly but positively, even if you must do only one nail a night. A Word About Bathing Ridgebacks are wash-and-wear dogs – they typically don’...

As with all training involving Ridgebacks, the key is to start early and let him think it’s his idea. As soon as the dog is old enough to see over the tub’s edge, or walk into it, I build a positive association by feeding him treats in the tub. You can even serve his dinner in there. (Again, make sure the footing is not slippery and your puppy isn’t panicking.) As soon as he gets used to this and looks forward to being put in the tub, you can encourage him to put his feet up on the edge of the tub and give him a treat when he does. You might have to lure him into position with the treat, and if you do clicker training, this is a perfect application. I also like to leave treats in the tub at variable times and let him “discover” them on his own. This whole process builds an intensely positive association with the bathtub, and when it comes time to add water, your dog will likely handle it with little drama. Again, when introducing water, don’t just fill up the tub and plop him in. First turn the water on when he is outside the tub, and treat profusely. Then put him in the tub when there is only a half-inch or so of water present; again, lots of treats. When you feel he is ready, turn the water on for a few seconds when he is in the tub. Slowly, step by step, you’ll turn him into a water lover yet.