In a nutshell: A playful,
food-motivated dog that is 'independently' intelligent!
 Description:
Athletic in a
very compact, powerful way, a well-muscled dog. Smooth of coat and very easy to maintain.
Energetic, loyal and intelligent with a great love of food and warmth.
Temperament:
They are very loyal and loving dogs that show their devotion in many ways. Reserved with
non-family
and other dogs – playful with the dogs and people in her own family. Want to please
and love to learn new things, especially if a clicker or food are involved! Do
many tricks and problem-solving skills are first rate. Territorial at home and at
trials if in the van or tent. Need to be trained well when young (and small!). It is
not uncommon for them to become hooligans and take over the house if not trained from the
start!
Advantages as an agility dog:-
-
 Incredibly
fast and powerful for short bursts
-
Able to turn very tight
-
Naturally athletic and surprisingly
agile
-
Good
balance and wonderfully adept at jumping
-
Not too large to manage the equipment, but have the power and speed of a larger dog
-
Very honest worker that does not
experiment around by changing her performance on the equipment
-
Once taught how to do something, can be
counted on to perform in a reliable, consistent fashion
Disadvantages as an agility dog:
-
Gets bored easily and can dislike
repetitive tasks in training, so you can’t try the same sequence too many
times in a row. This can make them hard to motivate
-
Doesn’t tolerate heat or other adverse conditions
well
-
Loves to please and works well with
handler, but will not run for other people at all
-
Does not enjoy crowded areas,
especially if there are less-than-friendly dogs around
 Rating
out of ten:
Hard question, but maybe a 6/10 or a 7/10. Not fast enough for some people – not enough
distance work for others – probably too careful a worker for others. Consistency
is probably their strongest attribute, with animation and speed only being there if they
feel like it.
Examples of dogs that have done well in agility:
There aren’t that many Ridgebacks in agility, but there are some that are
lots of fun to watch! There was one
competing at the World Championships last year
for a foreign team – and Nicky Taylor's Kendal in the UK. Diane Siow's Chupa is at the
Excellent/Elite levels in her trialling, and if the courses have good flow, she does quite
well. When she qualifies, she is usually in the places.
What is it like to live
with?
Awesome! Couldn’t ask for a better family dog or one that is more devoted to
her family. Loving and very cuddly with us! Laid back around the house and you'd feel safe
with one around if anyone broke in. Can be territorial of house and yard, which might not
suit some people. Ridgebacks are sighthounds. If you enjoy working with the
sighthound mentality, you’ll enjoy a Ridgeback.
Would you buy another
one for agility?
Not sure. If the right pedigree came along, I’d sure consider it.
Chupa is almost seven years old and breeders are taking directions with the breed that I’m
not sure I like. Some I’ve seen lately are too large for agility or don’t possess the
compactness needed to turn easily and weave well.
Source: Deanna Siow (USA) & Nicky Taylor
From Penny Garner-Carpenter -
Just to say that I have a rescue Rhodesian Ridgeback cross who competes in
agility. She is very fast, although lost confidence about four years ago and hasn't
fulfilled her 'promise' although she came fourth in Novice Jumping at Newton Heath on
Saturday. Most of what is said about RRs apply to Pepsi (Kimmy's Little Sister) apart from
she is happy to run for other folk and has had a third place in juniors. She loves warmth,
food and cuddles.
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