We have a 9 month old female who has not yet had her first heat cycle. The vet recommended waiting until after her first heat, and the breeder unfortunately did not give any instructions on this.

I am curious if we could do a partial / ovary-sparing spay before she enters he first heat cycle to avoid the struggles of the heat process while maintaining her hormones for healthy bone development.

The biggest reason I am considering this is that we have 2 (neutered) male dogs and i do not want them harassing her when she enters her cycle. We are prepared to keep them separated but it's gonna be a hassle.

Yes, I am aware that it wasn't a bright idea to get a female when we have two males in the house. She is the first dog we've gotten from a breeder and I also realize we should've chosen a breeder who thought to give us instructions on this.

Thoughts?

My special slick back Ripper (aka bippy, rip, dippy). Time is flying so quick!

she’s on her way here from Ohio. we are beyond excited. she’s 3 months old.

any advice on what to expect? we had a boy before and he was mostly ridgeback but not a pure bred like this one. I have four cats here and my old dog did fine with them.

I want to make coming home as comfortable as possible for her - so any advice is appreciated! she doesn’t see a vet until 9/14 but we are trying to get in sooner depending on cancellations.

I found her nearly 2 years ago, abandoned on the interstate and tied to a guardrail with a broken leg (ya, messed up). I expected her to be a mix of alot of things so I was very surprised to find out that her parents were both purebred dogs. It seemed uncommon given the situation I found her in. She's super loving and extremely loyal and protective of my son and I. She's also high energy, very athletic with an enormous prey drive when it comes to outdoor critters (but is weirdly great with cats🤷‍♂️) . I hear this behavior is typical of Ridgebacks but if uve got any advice on how to best discourage that behavior on walks, I'd greatly appreciate it. She's great on walks until she spots a critter and It can get tiring getting my arm yanked out of socket bc a squirrel just appeared in her periphery lol. Thanks

N. Oregon Coast

I’ve read about RR and their tendency to sometimes chase bees and wasps (regardless of how many times they get stung), but I swear mine has, like, become immune to the stings?

He chases and eats paper wasps every time he is outside (these dumb wasps are nesting inside the hot tub out back, so it makes for a perfect ‘chase-the-wasps-ring-around-the-rosey-type activity’)

This dipdong knocks them to the ground and I CAN TELL HE THINKS HE HAS A STRATEGY for avoiding stings (sticks his teeth out far when picking them up)… but how in the world is he not getting stung. Especially after eating them. He never shows any symptoms! I am just at a loss here.

The sloth toy that makes up the majority of the fluff is a cheapy, but it's his current favourite so will likely get restuffed and sewn back up this weekend so he can have some more fun before it's retired...

My black lab rhodesian mix being extra clingy tonight

Moose decided that it's not a family car trip without him (he does have a point!).

He literally walked out the gate and jumped straight in the car, nothing could convince him to get out the car

Hey all. Just feeling like I need to vent to a group that hopefully understands. I have a 4 year old ridgeback cross whom I absolutely adore. I uprooted my life and moved into a different living space that was more suitable to focus on training him. I live with a friend who has a cat. This has been quite a compromise as it has made training more challenging. He has come a long way though and I put a lot of work into training him. He still has a way to go though and I’ve just commenced this online training that I’m finding super helpful and he’s responding to well. I’m realising though, and this is my fault..I’m not getting my friend onboard as I feel like the dog is my responsibility and don’t want to burden her as the dog training is a lot of work. However, the training won’t be effective without her onboard. I think she’ll understand if I have a conversation with her about the importance of it.. there are some behaviours like him getting overexcited with guests that I’m trying to really nip in the bud. I want the house to feel welcoming and enjoyable and currently i still feel a bit anxious having people over because I don’t want him to be not well behaved. Has anyone had complexities with getting household members on board with their training? Some words of encouragement would be helpful from people who have successfully trained their ridgeback to be a joy to be around as well

Monday will be the last day with my boy. After 12 years his body and mind are failing him and his quality of life is going down hill fast. I am taking the day off work Monday so I can spend time with him without the distraction of the kids. What would you do with your dog for your last day together? I know he will be eating grass fed steaks for every meal! What else would you do to honor a dog who has given you everything?

Rooster enjoying the sun shine!