rhodesian ridgeback puppy arrives today..advice for training family!

[sinisterisland]

hi, i'm very excited our puppy arrives today. 11 wks female, no name yet so suggestions welcome too!
i have 2 dc aged 2.5 and 4.5, the youngest has been nervous of dogs since a large german shepard growled and barked at her a year ago which is why we have opted for a puppy rather than a rescue dog.
also we have 2 staff who work in our home who say they don't like/ are scared of dogs..and also a cat with 4 kittens
so firstly, i have had dogs before - 2 staffies, ex-H took them :( :(

i have put a lot of thought into a suitable breed for our family and home. and have read a lot about rhodesian ridgebacks requiring a more vigorous training.

i'd like advice please on how to be sure that we start off correctly, so that the people in the house can gain confidence in the dog and vice versa

batsintheroof what is clicker training?
AllergicToNutters (love your name by the way ) the cats seem to be ok, i'm just keeping them away from each other at night and feeding times but i suppose the dog has to get used to the cat and vice versa. dog is actually terrified of the cat and 4 kittens when they're sat in a row hissing. the kittens will hopefully be re-homed soon

just re-read advice on jumping and nipping from winky. will perservere

I have a 5 month old cocker spaniel who is doing very well with training so far :) The house training really required a lot of time and dedication! We made sure when he was small that he was taken out hourly to go to the loo. Once he had a wee, we brought him straight back in with lots of praise. In the morning, we would let him out of the crate and into the garden immediately - no fuss in between as he would get too excited and wee on the floor.
As regards to jumping up - he still does a bit - but we tell all our visitors to push him down and ignore him. Once he calms down and sits down then they can give him praise and affection.

We don't do the excited squealing with him either. We don't announce 'walkies!!' in an excited voice - we just put the lead on and go. We try to keep him as calm as possible. When he went through his nipping stage - all play stopped until he calmes down and realised it was not acceptable behaviour. He seems to have grown out of the nipping stage now (I hope!)
Having a pup is hard work - especailly as I have a cat who can't bear the sight of him,and I am 19 weeks pregnant too, but I wouldn't swap him :)

Also reward reward reward with tiny tiny puppy treats every time dog does something you want him to like sit, lie down, toilet outside etc. He will respond really well. Keep treats titchy though

thankyou very much for the replies, really a lot of useful advice.
i'm getting the hang of taking puppy out for wees constantly, so only 2 or 3 accidents today, but to even it out both the dd's wee-ed on the floor today!

the nipping continues, holes in 2 pairs of my trousers and both dd's t shirts, little dd scratched but on the whole we have had a good day with lots of playing and i think puppy is noticing that we stop playing when she nips and both dd's are convinced of need to show the puppy how to play nicely

has puppy got lots of chew toys?

keeping them to a small (easily cleaned) area helps as well as regular toilet visits (for DDs and puppies :) )

winky -It sounds like you are doing really well with everything! Great that the children are all managing to keep the same set of rules as you. I think you are doing great!

hi there, i'm also in africa (SA).
anyway, we also got a ridgeback puppy at home. she's 5 months old, a great dog but a handful. i got her when she was 8 weeks old. they're very intelligent dogs and you need to be firm and consistent but also loving (do not respond well to punishment).
ours was house trained within a week (although i still got up with her a once or twice a night till she was 4 months, now she 'sleeps through'. i didn't crate train her but we have sectioned off a small room with a baby gate (mind you, she could already jump over that at about 10 weeks but she won't if we're nearby). when i am out i leave her in the garden but i am home most of the day. she is great with my kids (2 and 5) but does jump and nip on strangers (still...argh) so when my kids have friends over i have to put her on the lead and attached to me at all times or back into her 'section' because she gets soooo excited. puppy school for the past two months has helped in regards to learning commands and socialising. for mealtimes i fill up a kong wobbler (really best buy ever!!) and fill it up with her kibble. this keeps her busy for a good 30 minutes 3 times a day. i take her out for a short walk in the morning and then a longer one in the afternoon and try to take her off the lead for a bit every day but it is hard since as soon as she sees other people (or dogs) she runs away from me ( i make sure i always have some treats with me to lure her back).

she already counter surfs so i have learned to keep tables and counters neat and food-free.

so having said all that it sounds like i have it all "under control" but i haven't actually. i am still finding it challenging and am learning a lot but the best advice i can give to you is take her to obedience training and read lots of books (not speficially on rrs but on puppies like ian dunbar). there is also a great ridgeback forum, just google rr-forum with more experienced owners to give you advice.

Good luck!!

also forgot to add re: jumping and nipping i keep a spray bottle filled with water and vinegard handy to spray in her face (with a firm no) if she gets out of control. she has stopped nipping me and my husband as we just yelp like a puppy, hold still and then ignore her when she does it but hard to teach kids to do that.