Ebbey the Canine Actor

Jackie writes: I just wanted to comment on the trainability of Ridgebacks. My son owns a 3 year old Ridgeback. He bought him as a puppy from a breeder and as soon as possible started working with him in dog obedience classes. He's an extremely well mannered dog, very calm. He does love to chase squirrels. He never goes outside of the yard off leash because he is an incredibly powerful dog but I've watched him around a variety of other dogs and people and he has never shown any signs of aggression, even when barked at by other dogs. I've been on many walks and overnight hikes with him and he does not ever try to chase the wildlife, always waiting for commands from my son. I believe Ridgebacks are a hard breed to work with because they must be trained as young puppies by someone who will take as much time as needed to do a good job. The owner must be consistent and firm. This is not a breed for the casual dog owner, but my son's dog is one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever been around, so it can be done.

Allex Michael: Jackie's comment seems pretty accurate to me. I've likely had more difficulty training Ebbey because:
I adopted her as an adult.
The females can be more of a handful than the males (according to several ridgeback owners).
Ebbey is more clever than most dogs, having survived as a stray, which makes her more of a challenge for training.

Ebbey Trivia with Photos has some revealing behaviors, some of which are very characteristic of ridgebacks.