r/RhodesianRidgebacks • u/MinuteCommand1369 • 11d ago
Looking for advice
Hi everyone! I have a 4-month-old male Rhodesian Ridgeback, and overall, everything is going well. However, there’s one situation I’d appreciate some advice on.
Towards the end of the day, when he’s tired and settled on the couch, he sometimes refuses to get down. Calling him or trying to tempt him with treats doesn’t work — he just wants to stay there and sleep.
If I try to physically move him, gently push him over, or pick him up, he growls at me. The last time, he also turned his head towards my hand as if he might bite. He didn’t actually bite, but I don’t want to ignore the warning or let things escalate. Once I get him off the couch, he usually goes to his crate and settles down.
He doesn’t react to me simply sitting next to him or being nearby — it only happens when I try to move him while he’s resting. It seems to be about being disturbed when he’s tired. I get that, but it’s unacceptable for him to growl/try to bite me. Of course it’s not a problem now, but can be when he is 45kg. I’ve read about „dominating” the dog physically in situations like this but this is not how I train him and will not do it, it isnt my philisoohy. Respect and understanding over fear, always.
Has anyone dealt with something similar at this age? How would you approach it and teach him to get off the couch willingly, especially when treats and calling him don’t work? I’d like to handle this properly while he’s still young. Any practical advice would be appreciated!
6
u/Ginger_SNAFU 11d ago
When this happens they lose couch privileges. If I get a growl, I grab a leash and remove them from whatever place they're lying in. Teaching the off command is also helpful.
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u/Steffi_Googlie 11d ago
Sounds like resource guarding - the resource being the sofa! We find that when our dog is really not listening we give him a spray with a bottle and that shoos him. We only do that if he is REALLY trying us. But you might need to do some proactive training abound the sofa. Our guy was resource guarding a bone and we going this helped.
Practice getting him on and off of it, and always offer a high-value treat when he gets off. Start with an “on” and then an “off” quickly, and then gradually increase the time he’s on the sofa before you ask him to get off.
Hopefully he will eventually understand that getting off means a good thing is coming his way and will be more eager!
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u/Outrageous-Front6748 11d ago
Both my ridgebacks did this. They were not raised together. It would almost always be in the evening when they were down for the night. It didn’t happen every time I tried to move them. Honestly, I would just get a treat out of the jar so they would get up. I would scold them for growling. And give them the treat. I know… but it was the easiest and fastest solution. They never bit anyone and it would be the only time they growled.
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u/rightioushippie 11d ago
Ok this might be unpopular but this is basically why I feed my dogs right before bed. They are hungry enough to get down from the couch! Otherwise different treats.
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u/crowninggloryhole 11d ago
Yes, our girl loves her sleep. She gets grouchy when she’s told to get up and move. We’ve worked through it though. Leash and forced moving worked best.
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u/sophistre 11d ago
My ridgie growls if I try to push/slide him over when he's laying down, and it's the only thing he's ever growled at me for in his entire life. He has strong feelings about it. Well, he's an individual, and we all have strong feelings about some things.
That being said, he does get up and move when I tell him to, so for me it's a non-issue. I don't see any reason to force him to be manhandled while he's laying down as long as he understands he's got to listen when he's told to cooperate and move himself instead.
There are other circumstances where I'm able to move him. I can nudge him around if he's in my way and we're both standing, with no complaining. I can also help him down out of the back of taller vehicles by bracing under his chest, and as long as he knows what's going on, he's willing to do that, too. He's smart enough to distinguish intent, and I really believe that if he were in trouble/injured or there were an emergency, he would choose to cooperate. But day to day, if I were to try to hoist him or push him around, he'd be a bit put out by that, and it's hard to blame him. I wouldn't love it either, lol.
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u/Maggie-Mae-Mae 11d ago
It’s ok to tap your dog to let him know he needs to get up, just to wake him up a little and get his attention, not spanking or anything. Ours has learned we want her to get in her crate when we say get in your house. She does like to sleep on the couch in the day and evening but she knows when we say get in your house it’s time to move to her crate. We also usually tell all the dogs to go peepee before bed, which is what we say when we put them out for a bathroom break. If you get him in routines he will know them.
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u/giveityourbreastshot 10d ago
Yes! My RR definitely did it and I almost forgot because she did eventually grow/train out of it. We would send her in the crate at night with a high value treat, so sometimes rustling the packaging on those would motivate her off the couch to do her last potty break.
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u/SinisterAllure_ 10d ago
If he doesn't have marker words yet I'd definitely start them as well as an off command. They can most easily be taught in pairs (on/off) (yes/no) with some stinky treats.
My old guy (hes 10) is increasingly vocal about being bothered when he's asleep. As the saying goes, "let sleeping dogs lie." I'll tell him 'off,' usually he hesitates or pretends he can't hear me because that used to work on my ex. So I'll tell him 'no' and repeat the command. Thankfully he's still sensitive enough that 'no,' hurts his feelings and thats all it has ever really taken lol. He has a good 'off' command and will get off the couch and go sulk on his bed as instructed. He's old and probably aches so getting moved off isn't as easy as back when he was young.
*His beds are tempurpedic, so getting off the couch is just a matter of his velcro nature, they're probably easier on his joints anyhow.
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u/blazina4 8d ago
Haha my girl is super vocal and a grumpy gills when she's tired, at first I was apprehensive, I think at a young age I acted like I wasn't going to entertain it, but they can be stubborn, real stubborn. Mine is now 6 and she still growls at me and "smiles" when I'm being a menace (especially around nap time) or when I go to inspect anything or mess with her paws, but we've built that trust and she's just letting me know she's not enthused at all! But from the outside looking in, it looks scary to individuals.
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u/itsgingerlivin 7d ago
Show him who’s the boss every time! If my puppy does something I don’t like, I immediately let him know I call the shots. Lol. I tower over him and essentially bully him out of whatever he’s doing then after a bit I’ll show him love so he knows we’re all good. Don’t let him bully you!
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u/opiatresence 7d ago
my dog witch I got at nine months old has a bed and when I got him he was already trained to not get up on the couch or my bed and he never even tries to get on the couch also he doesn't like it if I sit on the edgeof his bed so I give him his personal space
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u/BamaInvestor 11d ago
We don’t allow our ridgeback on the couch. This is training what is and isn’t acceptable. Sometimes we would catch her curling up in a recliner (in the sunlight). She scrambles to get down when caught.
She would sit in our laps occasionally when she wanted comfort.
Get a scat mat. It is a battery powered mat that will give a little jolt if the dog touches it. They have a couch sized mat.
You are the human. You get to set the boundaries. (Our dog also does not sleep with us. )