RR-Melbourne

KC Blue In answering your question directly two outstanding guardinas and alert dogs are the Boerboel or the Cane Corso, especially that you are slanting to a larger breed. Also with these two dogs you will never have to worry about people entering your property and leaving the gate open - no-one will be getting thorugh any gates without you being there. My preference the Cane Corso - they take guarding and protection very seriously are very family oriented so will not venture far from where the humans live. However your responsibility will be to train train train etc for them to become an outstanding dog for you. Totally trustworthy with other pets, animals and children and consider all of them part of the family. Good Luck

Hi Lab_Rat Thank you I could go on all day about my Rocky and should be getting back to work. They are just amazing creatures and the experience with him has changed me as a person and really improved me as a person and how I relate to other people as much as my skill with dogs. Regards Marc

Hi Mav_1 What ever you choose be prepared to have your heart stolen by either of these breeds they are unique, special and most of all will change you as a leader (for the better :rolleyes: ). I had a doberman when I was in my 20's and now 25 years later am the owner of a fantastic male ridgeback who is turning 20 months. Let me say both breeds will not let anyone in your house when you are not there! Both breeds are aloof to strangers and not aggressive however if the unfortunate opportunity arose where you or your family was threatened, these friendly dogs will turn into demons. My doberman Alcor and I were very close and he was smart as a button and stubborn as a mule (RIP my old friend). I guess it was my understandiong or lack of understanding at the time that makes my relatinshp with my RR - Rocky very different today. Your RR will give you back just as much as you put in but you must put so much into them. Rocky not only is my shadow but his preference is to lean on me even when we are waiting at traffic lights to cross. I live in inner city Melbourne with a small courtyard but this does not faze him as long as he is part of the family and gets lots of exercise. Rocky is very reliable off lead especially for a young dog, he has been socialised with lots of noise meeting many different people and dogs and is absolutely bullet proof around young children. He is stubborn so we train him differently, forget it if you are thinking about competing in obedience trials. Sometimes it feels like you need to take a number and Rocky will get back to you when his diary is free. However your leadership skills will strongly determine his actions but his character will develop independently. Rocky jogs beautifully with my 23 year old son. He jogs by his side on the lead and takes this task very seriously as he sees this activity as being an equal to one of his masters. If you also throw a ball and run up to chase it he will gladly run and try to beat you to it. If you throw the ball for him to go fetch he simply sees this as not important because after all you are not running to get the ball so obviosly no urgency or particular reason to go and get it. Off lead at the beach Rocky also runs beautifully by your side and does not cross your path. It seems the more time off the lead the more reliable off the lead. Even thougth he has the freedom to run and check out all the scents he wants and delights in chasing seagulls, his eyes are always fixated on us and does not need to be recalled as he just wants to hang around us, if we start walking in a particular directin he is back to us in a flash, his pack drive is stronger than his prey (hunting) drive. As for cafes he sits quietly as we drink coffee most peopel are amazed seing a 50 kg dog patiently sitting there while we chat, althoutgh at this stage of his youth if we had very yummy food on the table his muzzle would be on the table checking things out. Obediance training started form the day he entered the house. He attended puppy socialisdation, basic manners course and now attends regualr training and we aim to be in a masters class before the end of the year. He loves training and challenges so please find the right trainer and training methodolgy. Repetitive, or harsh training will be a waste of time and will degrade their spirit but most importantly will ruin your bond. Sorry about the long Post but when I had a doberman there was no other dog for me, now that I have a ridgeback there is no other dog for me. What ever you decide be dedicated to your dag and you will get so much more in return. Also you will have to wait for a while to jog with them because of growing bones but after 18 - 24 months you will tire much quicker than they ever will. Good Luck

Hi Stay Calm I totally understand your sister's frustration and admire your motivation to help with the situation. In reading this I found it amusing since I had similar issues with my beatuiful pup that is the love of my life and now a superbly behaved dog and for his breed, at 20 months now still in his puppy hood. My dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback, I was instantly drawn to this pup when I saw the litter, I got him at 8 weeks old. He was the first of the pups to directly come and greet me. I thought great he is the most friendly since he was the first one to come straight to me. I have gone through a huge learning curve and now realise that him coming to me was not a gesture of friendliness but he was the protector of the litter he was coming to greet me as I was an approaching threat, just that he looked cute as a pup and I did not realise that this young pup will eventually be the alpha dog of the litter. So my Ridgie was on a daily basis growing into a head strong stubborn dog where he would push his way through, think that everything was his to chew on, lay on, eat etc. The tips that others have given here are fabulous however what made a difference with my situation is that after a lot of reading and consulting trainers the penny dropped, I had to change before I could do anything with my dog. I had to establish my leadership and the only way that his behaviour would chage would be through my ability to get through to him. So some research in leadership will help tremendously and consistency consistency consistency. The elements of my success - Leadership, Exercise, Discipline (motivational, set the dog up for success, no screaming, absolutely no hitting as leaders are followed through respect not fear) and lots of affection but I use affection as a reward the dog must earn the affection through NILIF. So your sister and OH might have to change their mind set i.e the dog should commence being an inside dog to be with human contact and learn impulse control about what is his and what he cannot touch. Especially if he is part bull breed he will crave human contatct. Even though she has acreage a lot of walking and training on a lead, not pulling. A lot of training to stay close to you as if he was on a lead. Every moment she has spare needs to be spent with this dog for him to turn around and become a great dog. He already has a lot of energy and spirit the leadership skills will direct and shape your dog in the best he can become. Sorry about he long post and again I could go into pages as exactly what I did with my dog so just a rougth outline above. I only bothered to write this because you said that giving up the dog was not an option so there is ligth at the end of the tunnel but your sister and OH will need to make the biggest change before they can turn around this young pup. I guarantee once shown how to! he will be yearning to please and put all his energy into trying to please his leaders. Good luck.

Charliehotel In my persoanl opinion I would pay the fine. If you want to avoid paying then it depends on how you respond to the discrepancy on the notice. The notice is a legal instrument (pentaly/infringement). So if you respond that the date is incorrect you have admitted to the infrigement and the penalty is still relevent and they may issue a new notice or you would pay on the existing notice. OR You could answer that your dog was not at large on the date stated in infrigment hence no infringemnt coudl have occurred on that date. The council may call your bluff and press you furterh however you could then rfere to te Victorian Omsbudsman Office and they will rule strictly to the evidence on the notice and the notice is incorrect so they must declare it null and void. Your evidence will be based on the discrepancy that your dog was in the pound. The coucil cannot issue a new notice with a new date because the infringment is declard null and void and is struck out (could not have occurred). As I said my opinion save yourself the heart ache and pay the fine.

Hi Thought we could make our first Kepala but ufortunatley not, we are looking forward to eventually getting there.

Hi The dog that your friend has may not even be remotely close to a Pit Bull. The BYB is by no means a responsible person by the sounds of it and may describe his dogs as Pit Bulls beacuse he wants to portray that image. The dog could be classified as a cross bred Bull Breed, Staffy X or Bull Arab etc. However assuming the pup may be identified as a Pit Bull read on. I live in Victoria on the fringe of the Melbourne CBD. The City of Melbourne is our local council. A dog that my dog socialises with is a Pit Bull a classic full PB that is tan coloured and easily identified, her name is Sascha. Sascha is adorbale and her female owner has put a lot of work care and love into her. Sascha is chipped and registerd with the council as a restricted breed and the restriction for Sascha is that if she is off lead in the appropriate designated area she must be muzzled. If she shows agression DA or HA (without any attack happening) and is reported then she will be declared a dangerous dog and must wear a red and yellow collar and be muzzled off and on leash in public and must have an escape proof pen at home. If she ever is involved in any type of attack or even rushing and reported it will be her death sentence. Sascha has been heavily socialised purposely with a cross section of different people form children to the elderly and across many nationalities. She has greetd and been exposed to literally hundreds of people and dogs, especially being inner suburbs. If anyone is ever around the Victoria Market on weekends keep a look out for Sacha as she calmly walks amongst the large crowds and eagerly greets children. Lots of training has gone into Sascha and a trainer/ behaviourist constantly consulted. Your friend must be willing to put a lot of time effort and expense into this dog including a lot of educatin into himself and always have an awarenes of his dog and keep a step ahead of the dogs triggers and impulses. Good Luck, give the pup a chance and with effort your friend will have a loyal and devoted companion. Marc

Hi Wagsalot Our 18 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback used to do this. When he was 10 months old he was aggressively attacked by of all things a Golden at our local off leash park. For a few weeks after this he used to whimper in his sleep and give a little tremble. I thought of gently stroking him when this happened rather than abruptly waking him. After a few days he used to start with a whimper but then as I stroked him and gently spoke to him he started to slightly wag his tail while still sleeping and settles. I am not sure if it is just coincidence but this also helped with his confidence around dogs to the point where he happily plays, has no fear or shows aggression toward other dogs. Give it a try.

Hi We have wanted to attend Kepala for some time, will know if possible towards the end of the week. My son and I would be first timers, our dog is Rocky and we would like to contribute $10.00 towards food. Regards Marc

Thank you for your respones. I had considered Lure Coursing but though it was high risk since our pet insurance plan explicitly will not cover any injuries sustained or ongoing therapy, if participating in Lure Coursing. Again thank you all you have been a great help. Marc (aka RR-Melbourne)

I posted this in Training/Obedience/Dog Sporst but did not recieve a resposne so I thought I would try posting here Hi I have a 14 month old male Rhodesain Ridgeback named Rocky. We have taken care not to over exercise or over exert him during his growth period. He gets walked twice daily for half hour each time, and gets off lead time at our local park and beaches every weekend. We have not played any ball or fetch games with Rocky since out vet and dog trainer advised the quick sprints and stops with quick turns would not be ideal for a large breed dog. Rocky is very keen on a good run but we want to stimulate him further and he has a high drive for chasing. I wanted to get an opinion on whether introducing him to frisbee or flying disk at this age would be detrimental. Should I wait until he is at least 2 years when his growth stage is complete, or shoudl I stay away from fly disk altogether? Regards Marc (aka RR-Melbourne)

Hi I have a 14 month old male Rhodesain Ridgeback named Rocky. We have taken care not to over exercise or over exert him during his growth period. He gets walked twice daily for half hour each time, and gets off lead time at our local park and beaches every weekend. We have not played any ball or fetch games with Rocky since out vet and dog trainer advised the quick sprints and stops with quick turns would not be ideal for a large breed dog. Rocky is very keen on a good run but we want to stimulate him further and he has a high drive for chasing. I wanted to get an opinion on whether introducing him to frisbee or flying disk at this age would be detrimental. Should I wait until he is at least 2 years when his growth stage is complete, or shoudl I stay away from fly disk altogether? Regards Marc

Hi Living in North Melbourne my son and I trained our Rhodesian Ridgeback pup at Planet K9 in North Melbourne. Nicole Beasley is an excellent trainer and loves dogs to pieces. It is positve reward based training. It is soft on the dog but great techniques to train by. We did the Basic Manners Course and will likely enrol Rocky in the more Advanced Training soon. The training covers basic commands and socialising. it is the type of training to make your dog a good canine citizen and a pleasure to bring with you anywhee you go. It is not the type of training for obedience drills and trials. Hoep you get a lot out of it.

Reading this thread I feel guilty and need to make an open apology to my magnificent boy "Rocky" a 13 month old big Rhodesian Ridgeback. Rocky, I thought you were being naughty when you do not instantly follow a direction. I realise now you are an absolute champion, you have free run of the house and the yard yet have not broken, or knocked over anything in the house and our house is full of trinckets and shirts left hangin up after ironing. While Rocky has been challenging to train, so far he walks beautifully on the lead and when released off the lead responds on recall. SO sorry Rocky for me making unreasonable expectations of you and on the way home I am going to pick up a BBQ Chicken just for you simpley because you are the dog that you are! "I love you Rocky" Rocky has displayed a very independent streak and is very confident in temperament. In the beginning from an 8 week old pup he resisted me being Alpha, however he never got away with anything and from day one NILIF was applied. Gentle and firm guidance have always been used with Rocky. We use the positive training methods as our philosophy but the cornerstone of our relationship with Rocky has has been routine and consistency. Good luck to all of you with your dogs.

Hello If you are still looking for a crate I have one available. It's in excellent condition have used it for 7 months. 42" Precision Dog Crate - Model 5000 size 110cm (42") L x 70cm (28") W x 80cm (31") H. Made in plastic coated wire, totally collapsible, no tools required, with a slide out plastic base tray, carry handle for when collapsed and movable divider panel for training growing puppies. You would have to pick it up from North Melbourne business or after hours. Leave a message if interested. RR-Melbourne

There is a great fenced dog park in North Melbounre - Clayton Reserve - Totally fenced, not to small not to big. A bunch of friendly dogs and friendly people. Included a link to a map for you. http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ForResiden...g.aspx#offleash Regards RR - Melbourne

Hi my dog does exactly the same. I have a 10 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback who is superbly social with dogs, children and happily approached strangers and lets them pat him. We live in the inner suburbs and have a Salvation Army Shelter in the area. He can spot scruffy homeless types in an instant and his demeanour goes from loveable care free to vigilant protector and deeply rumbles and stares them out until they have passed.