I hope that this can be considered on topic.
The commander of our hunting squad is stressing me to find puppies of Rhodesian Ridgeback to train for Wild boar hunting.
He wants always make experiments with new races. He tested Argentinians Dogos, Turkish and other races, actually his pack is made by beagles, some vandean, some arigeois and some Russian and Dachsbrake. Last year used also two dachshund.

How do Rhodesian Ridgeback work as hunting dogs? are they still a good choice?
Some info please

A PH on a SA hunt used his Rhodesian Ridgeback for a baby sitter. Kids played in the yard with the dog not allowing them to cross an imaginary line. Very protective.

The ones i have been around do not seem to be the most inteligent... but they are protective... I guess any dog that is bred to fight lions cannot be too smart!

I have owned two of them and used them for cow dogs..They were excellent but a little rough on cattle and it took a lot of work to get them to back of the agression...They are super protective and can kill a coyote in a heartbeat. Mine would kill a coyote and then drag him in the damn yard and eat the poor bastard..Oh well, better them than me!

All in all I really liked the two I had, but they are not town dogs IMO...but I am not much of a dog person..I can teach a horse to talk but I can't teach a dog to sit!

I was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback while jogging on the edge of Downtown Dallas.

He tried to "bite me good", but a couple of handgun shots to the head saved my bacon.

I had a ridgeback once. He was smart, loyal and very protective.

As a breed, ridgebacks are inclined to be agressive. They must be properly trained and socialized when young to avoid problems later on.

I never hunted with my ridgeback.

But ridgebacks are hounds, or at least hounds for the most part, and as has been said, they have been used to course lion.

So they ought to make good hunters for boar, or any other big game for that matter.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback while jogging on the edge of Downtown Dallas.

He tried to "bite me good", but a couple of handgun shots to the head saved my bacon.

You carry a handgun when you jog??

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback while jogging on the edge of Downtown Dallas.

He tried to "bite me good", but a couple of handgun shots to the head saved my bacon.

You carry a handgun when you jog??

I'm sure you've seen a western where the guy pulls a pistol out from under the bath water to shoot the bad guy...

A friend of mine was walking his dog last week when a pit bull attacked out of the unfenced front yard. He shot it with his handgun that he carries.

Although the dog probably thought it was protecting the child playing in the front yard, who leaves a pit bull unattended, not to mention the more important CHILD (in this day and age)? They're mighty fond of pit bulls down here around San Antonio. Good thing some of us are fond of Concealed Handgun Licenses.

quote:

I'm sure you've seen a western where the guy pulls a pistol out from under the bath water to shoot the bad guy...

I have a hard time believing that. Those westerners dont take baths......

<a href="http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c112/kwansafaris/?action=view¤t=PurdeyLeopold-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c112/kwansafaris/PurdeyLeopold-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Leopold &amp; Purdey"></a>

OK now I got the damn thing right,

First things first, Ridgebacks were bred as a hound, too bay lions, not fight them

The old Boers and Englsihmen in Rhodesia were not stupid how many dogs do you think can survive a lion bite !!!!

They do hunt and very good as well, a pity the show dogs have diluted their blood so much.

I have yet too see a dog in the USA that compares too what we have in Southern Africa, as all those there are from Show breeding stock.

I know of a couple that are used by Rangers in Kruger as personal companions as well and there is a breeder here , that promotes ridgebacks being used for their original cause.

Mine loves too be out with me whilst hunting and is good on blood spoor as well, but 2 years in Moz away from him has not been fair,

But I am back in SA for a while and have young mongrel in training as a pig dog so Leopold is getting fit again, next week we are off too the ranch for some predator culling and I know he will be there all the way

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback while jogging on the edge of Downtown Dallas.

He tried to "bite me good", but a couple of handgun shots to the head saved my bacon.

You carry a handgun when you jog??

In Dallas you do.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback while jogging on the edge of Downtown Dallas.

He tried to "bite me good", but a couple of handgun shots to the head saved my bacon.

You carry a handgun when you jog??

In Dallas you do.

And in Miami, also, FWIW...

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback while jogging on the edge of Downtown Dallas.

He tried to "bite me good", but a couple of handgun shots to the head saved my bacon.

You carry a handgun when you jog??

In Dallas you do.

And in Miami, also, FWIW...

And throughout the hills of Northern California Felis Concolor, not pit bulls.

The limited experience I've had with the breed (in RSA) was favorable in regard to scenting ability and egarness to be on the hunt. Made the mistake of having one along on a francolin shoot. Actually I'd have lost a couple birds in the tall grass without him. As it was I lost them anyhow, he found them alright, then promptly ate them!

I used them to hunt wild boars in la patagonia ,but as bay dogs not catch dogs they bite and release ,one of the guides crossed some with grey hounds to gain velocity,but YOU MUST NEED AT LEAST ONE OR 2 DOGOS TOO ,in my opinion the best wild boar hunters of the world -i just came of a hunt with my dogos and on saturday ,ill be hunting again-My opinion is to use 2 bay dogs ,i prefer ligther than Rhodesians ,and 2 catch dogs like dogos .Juan

quote:

Originally posted by Kwan:
They do hunt and very good as well, a pity the show dogs have diluted their blood so much.

I have yet too see a dog in the USA that compares too what we have in Southern Africa, as all those there are from Show breeding stock.

I know of a couple that are used by Rangers in Kruger as personal companions as well and there is a breeder here , that promotes ridgebacks being used for their original cause.

I have to 100% agree with Kwan. Almost any useful genes have been breed out of American RR's. The dogs we have here are almost unrecognizable as RR's when compared to the ones in South Africa that I've seen/ worked with.

But then the AKC is infamous for turning solid working dogs into show poodles for the sake of their altered egos. Look what they've done to the Collie, German Shepard, Irish Setter, Golden Retriver, and many other once fine working breeds. When you breed only for cosmetic traits and ignore working traits and solid working genetics you'll ruin a breed quickly.

Only Peggy can say for sure, but I won't be surprised if he wore one in the shower!

Of Course..

I learned it from Tuco.

This is a beautiful dog! Thanks for sharing.

Roady - A friends RB would leave so rank a fart even he would get up and leave the room. Something was very wrong with his system.
Lee

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I was attacked by a Rhodesian Ridgeback while jogging on the edge of Downtown Dallas.

He tried to "bite me good", but a couple of handgun shots to the head saved my bacon.

You carry a handgun when you jog??

Tony carries three guns while he showers! Not only that, but he knows how to use them as well!
Ask the 300 lb escaped Gorilla that hurt a black woman, and stole her two yr old child, then made the mistake of chargeing Tony at the Dallas zoo, before tony retired!

Understood.
Far away from American blood lines. Look for SA blood lines.
These should be the instructions.

For juanpozzi, he has two or three Dogos, but probably for the kind of Boar hunt that we practice they were considered not adequate. But he is mad for dogs he arrived to have 55 dogs, now he has 45, but I do not remember them during a hunt.

Kwan how can cost a RR pupie?

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Rust:
The ones i have been around do not seem to be the most inteligent... but they are protective... I guess any dog that is bred to fight lions cannot be too smart!

A hunter shooting lions can´t be smart either.

We had a Rhodesian Ridgeback for 12 years, what a wonderful dog, a very good watchdog, great which children and an extremely keen hunter.

The whole SA & USA bred dogs is a very strong point. Boxers, Rotts, dobermans, etc. as well as many hunting dogs like setters have been bred pets for show and not for protection or sport. I had a boxer in Namibia that was a complete different than the boxers i have had in the states. He was a serious guard dog and you would have to go through a LOT of boxers to find that temperment here IMHO.

Stefano ,here Rhodesians mantain hunting instinct ,and are cheaper than in USA,google sierraleona rhodesian breeders from argentina ,Dr Las Heras a well known ipsc shooter ,and FBI shooter used them a lot for hunting boars ,with handguns and even took them to AFRICA as he hunted with pistols he doesnt like our dogos .they dont release the bite until the prey is dead.Say your commander that we use our dogos as war dogs too as they dont be scare by fire explosions or heavy injures ,i can provide photos ,and all the information you need .Juan

My wife and I had a male ridgeback during the 90's. He was a sweet dog and prissy as hell. If a dog could be a homosexual or a sissy, then he was one. If I said an unkind word or raised my voice at him he would run between my wife legs to seek her "protection". I told her if a someone came around he would probably trip her in his effort to get away from the bad guy. I had a dog when I was growing up that was everything a man's dog should be. Though he was a mutt, he was similar looking to a ridgeback. Sadly, I must have picked out one of those AKC ridgebacks.

I love Ridgebacks, they are all individuals, but they are all protective, and they keep the varmits away. We have lots of coyotes out my way, and the Ridgebacks keep them at bay.

I grew up w. African strain ones -- the breeder brought over her initial stock herself. We stopped after they became useless. The ones I had as a kid were great dogs -- protective as hell, and would tolerate anything from young children -- my little brother used to reach in to his mouth, and lead ours around by his tongue.

One used to like holding squirrels at bay, the other was obsessed w. chasing cats, and killed anything (deer, etc.) that he found in the garden.

RRs, and English Mastiffs are the two breeds I plan to trust my children to, if I ever have them.

The PH at ARU in Namibia had a big female Ridgeback when we hunted there in 2007, and that dog was a real game saver (as well as a lover when she had the chance.) She saved more than one hunt for downed game, always to be found standing beside the game with a big grin on her face. She made one particularly memorable save of a Hartmann's Zebra that all of us missed down in the tall grass. We found her sitting beside the Zebra with that big grin, and several hundred yards behind the line of searchers.

LLS

Like some of the others, I pretty much carry a .45 Glock all the time except when I'm packing a .45 H&K.

Mine's a Kimber Ultra Carry 45 ACP.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:


You carry a handgun when you jog??

Seems to be a good idea, especially in an inner city area.

You wimps think 450 packing a pistol and shooting a dog is something, well let me clue you one better. He shot a friggen Gorilla with a 458 in downtown Dallas when he was a police officer there, and rightly so...

I think his 30 some odd years on the Dallas PD swat team qualify him to pack a pistol while jogging.

If I live in Dallas, Tex then I would pack my pistol to Sunday church services, PTA meetings, and while I judged the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders team...Trust me its the thing to do...

I would do the same in LA but the populace would probably hang me or rape me!

Here is another Picture of Leopold last week when I was culling a couple of Impala


<a href="http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c112/kwansafaris/?action=view¤t=S5000360.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c112/kwansafaris/S5000360.jpg" border="0" alt="Leopold"></a>

Good looking dog there Kwan. This is my old fella. Had to put him down at 11yo. I took him hunting once, he chased some pigs but didn't know what to do with them He had a ball however.

My mum's hounds, Chester and Amber. Chester looks the worrying type, but he's not really. Not big on hunting which is a good thing, but effective guard dogs.

Dave

I had a Rhodesian Ridgeback/ Louisiana Catahoula that was HELL ON WHEELS. Never used it on hogs, but I couldn't think of a better mix. We had a problem with our neighbors dogs come onto our place, crapping in the yard, running deer, etc., but the Ridgeback/Catahoula ended that quickly...