Mav_1

My boyfriend owns a 7 y/o Fox Terrier, and we recently moved houses. In our previous house, we had a backyard that backed onto a national park and we seemed to have lots of lizards that she would chase and and birds to watch which she would occupy herself with whilst we are at work. Now we are living in the suburbs we have a backyard that she seems to find positively boring. I've owned a Labrador in the past, so I know all the tricks of the trade to keeping a food motivated dog occupied whilst I'm at work, but they just don't seem to work on this girl. She doesn't even touch her kong - doesn't matter what I put in it, she's just not interested- She just wont eat anything!! How can I keep her enteratined for the time that we are work each day? I'm open to all your suggestions (short of setting up my own lizard breeding program!! )

Thanks for this info - they both sound great! I just did some googling and it looks like the hounds and utility dogs aren't until the middle of the program. It doesn't give time slots, just the order of judging. So as someone who hasn't been to a show before, how long (approx) does each group take to be judged before they move onto the next group?

Thanks everyone for your replies, I really value your oppinions - so no apologising for long posts! I realise that both of these breeds are going to be challenging, and a big step up from my Labrador, but because I'm aware of this I'm committed to putting all my effort into this, which will include attending ongoing obedience classes, constant training, seeking (and listening) to as much advice as I can and I'm sure I'll have a hardcore socialisation plan right at the start! This is definately not a decision I'm taking lightly, hence why I'm here trying to find out all the bad, or shall we say 'trying' aspects of the breeds, so I know what I'm up for from the start - then I'll only have myself to blame when I feel like tearing my hair out! I've been to the respective Dobie / ridgeback threads here on dol and flipped through the pages - but that doesn't help much because you all post gorgeous photos and share awesome stories about your dogs which make it even harder to decide! And as far as the jogging part goes, I would always run with the dog on the leash, but this would be hazardous with a dog that doesn't run in a straight line. To be honest, I'm probably starting to lean more towards dobies. I love the stories about everyones ridgebacks, Huntia, your dogs are beautiful!, but they all really seem to have a bit of hound in them, with their independence and stubborness. Whereas, with the dobies, I'm getting the gist that personalities can vary a fair bit and there are also seems to be a few different lines out there. Or, I guess what I mean is that there are more variations of temprement types that Dobe breeders strive towards i..e working, family dog, obedience, agility, high drive etc. My challenge now is going to be finding a breeder that has dogs more inline with the kind of temprement I'm looking for. (if anyone knows some good suggestions, I'm all ears!) I just wish you could have a dog with the trainability / responsiveness of the doberman, but with the laidback personality of the Ridgeback - That would be my superdog! And, BTW, I would love to go to some shows. I live in Sydney, and I've had a little look at some of the club websites and they all list the Sydney Easter show as the next show on the calender, but surely there is somethign before this?!

Wow, you guys really aren't making it any easier for me to decide! What are they like outside of the home? do they get easily distracted? Or impatient if you stand idle for too long? Would you trust them offlead and do you trust their recall? dobesrock - your boy is gorgeous!

Hi, I'm a long time ‘guest’ and first time poster to Dol! Nice to ‘meet’ you all I’m posting as I really need some help coming to a decision on a breed. Basically, I’ve been travelling for the past two years, knowing that when I came back to Australia, after settling in and being in the position to, I would be getting a dog. So, I’ve had more than 2 years to think about what kind of dog I wanted and would suit me. Originally, I settled on a Doberman, but after seeing a few Rhodesian Ridgebacks and doing some research on the breed, I decided a Ridgeback was for me. Now I am at the stage where I can start making puppy enquiries, I’ve gone back a step and started to toss the two breeds up again! In my desperation to decide, I’ve come here seeking help, advice and suggestions from people who know and have had experience with these breeds. To start with, it’s probably best I tell you a bit about me and what I’m looking for: I’m a 26yo female and live with my boyfriend (29). We live in the inner western suburbs of Sydney in a house with a backyard which measures approx 50m x 20m and is secured by colour bond fences, just under 6ft. The dog will be allowed inside when we are home. My boyfriend works a typical 9 – 5 full time job and I work away from the home 3 days a week. So, realistically, there will be 3 days a week where the dog will be left alone for 8 hours at a time. We currently own an 8 year old female Fox Terrier (boyfriend’s dog) and I have also owned a Fox terrier growing up, and a Labrador which I took to obedience classes which I enjoyed a lot and would be keen to pick up again with my new puppy. We’re both quite active and will run 7km 4 times a week - but we also like a good veg out on the couch. We’re also very social and enjoy going to Sydney Markets / beaches / Cafes etc. We’re very much looking for a companion dog that will be able to slot into that lifestyle. What I like about both the Doberman and the Ridgeback (from my research): • Both active and fit and when they are grown, will be able to accompany us on our jogs • Both very loving, loyal dogs that are devoted to their families • Both large breeds (which we prefer) with minimal shedding, less odour • Both impressive looking dogs, and will provide me with some comfort to take running with me when I go by myself at night as they will be a good deterrent • Both Aloof to strangers, which I think will be a good thing when we go to busy Sydney cafes / Markets. And my concerns / perceptions from reading different websites, firstly with the Doberman; • Maybe too much energy and too excitable, meaning that if we wanted to say, go for breakfast, we would have to give him a good run first otherwise he may run riot at a cafe • We would want a male to get along with a female, so we worry about male/male aggression if there was ever another male dog around us when out • Being too aggressive. We’re not looking for a guard dog, although it would be nice to know that protective instincts would kick in if, god forbid, a hostile situation arise, I don’t want to worry about my friends / tradesmen coming over and being bailed up if I’m not there • Public perception – To Dobie owners: Do you ever feel like you’re not welcome somewhere, because someone is afraid of your dog? • And, Why I prefer Dobes to Ridgies: Easier to train, can do obedience with them, and I get the idea, and I could be wrong (but thats why I’m here!) that they are more focussed on their humans when there outside. Which leads me to Ridgies... Ridgebacks: My main concern is that they are independent thinkers belonging to the hound group. Being sight / scent hounds, I’m worried about how distracted they get when outdoors and how easy they are to train. I also wonder whether they make good jogging companions because of this, i..e whether they would hold a continuous pace to my side or would dart left and right in pursuit of smells and movement? Although I only have one concern to the Dobies 4, trainability and control are really high on my list for attributes I want in a dog, whilst the concerns I have for the Doberman, for the most part, just require some adjustments from us. I’m really sorry about the mammoth post (I did say before that I’ve had two years to think about it though!), and I appreciate those that made it to here! I’m really interested in hearing peoples thoughts and opinions, or just plain stories if you want to share 