Merry Christmas From Santa Roadie!

Merry Christmas From Roadie's House To Yours!  Woof!

As Christmas draws near, Roadie is discovering the world of Christmas trees, sparkly lights, and that wonderful, crinkly sound of wrapping paper.  Though he is being taught to steer clear of the Christmas tree, he has tossed a toy or two in the air, landing them near the tree.  He wants to go fetch and give the tree a quick sniff or bump, just to be sure he has the chance to explore this new "no-no".  He's been a pretty good sport about most of it, up until the point that the santa hat came out.  He is not fond of the santa hat, doesn't want it being on his head.  He only wants it in his mouth.  To him, it is just another bright red, slightly fuzzy chew toy!  We did manage to get him to sit still long enough to snap this photo - meet Santa Roadie!  Best wishes to all our fur-critter friends for a very Merry Christmas!

Toy Time With Roadie... And The Tooth Fairy!

Hmmm... who wants to play chew-chew today?

Roadie's toys are all fair game for rounds of tug-o-war and chewing, but he does have a couple of favorites...



Mr. Turtle was one of the first and is still hanging on by a thread...

Roadie enjoys a tumble with this lion toy.  A good choice for a "Lion Dog"!

Roadie learned how to bite the lion's paw to get a growling sound effect... Grrrrr!

We were a little alarmed when we first found a tooth after Roadie had been chewing on rawhides and wrestling his toys earlier this month... After a couple of internet searches, we learned that puppies shed their baby teeth when permanent ones are growing in, much like people do!  The process for them takes place much more quickly since their aging and growth is on a different timetable than ours.  It is sometimes hard to see the evidence of this process taking place, as dogs may often swallow the tooth, or lose it while outside.  Roadie just happened to lose a tooth while playing inside!  Any other canine tooth fairies out there?

November Update on Roadie...

Hey, is this an Arkansas toothpick?

Roadie, chewing a stick.

November 2010:  Roadie loves exploring outdoors.  He enjoys chewing sticks (or whatever else!), rustling leaves, sniffing everything, and sunbathing.

Roadie sunbathing with one of his pals, Patty.

Roadie at 4 months old, November 2010.

Roadie's Got Angel Wings...

Me a good puppy - even without a ridge!

November 2010:  Does Roadie look a little concerned?  We were all a bit concerned after finding out about the breeder practice of culling out ridgeless Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies.  This practice may have had something to do with how Roadie ended up in such dire straits on the roadway when we rescued him.  Perhaps he was rejected by a breeder for not having a ridge on his back?  Perhaps the breeder did not want to kill him, so they left him to fend for himself?  For someone wanting a family pet, the absence of the ridge shouldn't matter, not to the point of ending the life of an otherwise healthy puppy!  The ridgeless pups still have other great characteristics of this breed and can grow into amazingly loving and loyal pets.  Having a ridgeless pup spayed or neutered would certainly be more humane option!  For more info. on Rhodesian Ridgebacks in general, see the links at the end of this post...



Roadie showing off his angel wings.

Light-colored "angel wings" on Roadie's shoulders...

Ridgeless Rhodesians may have some interesting traits as well.  Many have lighter-colored patches of fur over their shoulder blade area.  These patches have been referred to as "angel wings" by some ridgeless owners.  In a ridged dog, this area is usually where the "crowns" and ridge begins down the back. Perhaps the lighter patches of the ridgeless dogs are called "angel wings" because the absence of the ridge gives them a better chance of a healthy life, without the problems caused from developing dermoid sinus...

The dark streak down Roadie's back tapers to his tail.

A line of darker-colored fur may also appear down the back of a ridgeless.  Roadie's darker streak tapers down to his tail, and his black-tipped tail has the appearance of having been dipped in ink.

To find out more about Rhodesian Ridgebacks check out these pages:

Wikipedia - Rhodesian Ridgeback page
Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue
AKC - Rhodesian Ridgeback
The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States
Animal Planet Video Page - Dogs 101:  Rhodesian Ridgeback
(There may be a few second delay for advertising while the video loads)
PuppyDogWeb - Rhodesian Ridgeback Photos
Rhodesian Ridgeback Photo Community

October Update on Roadie...

Tennis anyone? Of course we play by Roadie Rules!

This game is called Teething Tennis...

Mid-October 2010:  Check up time at the vet.  Roadie weighed in at 24.7 pounds this visit, at approximately 3 months old.  With today's rabies vaccination, he is caught up on his shots until next year.  Yay!  Roadie has been a very well-behaved patient these past couple of months.  The vet thinks that Roadie still has quite a bit of growing ahead of him, as Rhodesian Ridgebacks can reach weights of up to 75 to 100 pounds!



Here they come with the camera again...



PPPfffftttt!!!

Hmmm.... Not sure that went over very well!

Okay, here's a "handsome dog" pose for you...

Tickle, Tickle, Tickle!

September 2010:  Ending up the month of September on a silly note... Roadie loves petting and affection, but he has a couple of very ticklish spots along his ribs.  It is so funny to see the grin he gets on his face when you tickle one of those spots!  It's like he is holding back a laugh... Tickle, tickle, tickle... My what a silly, toothy grin you have!

From a cute little pupper to... this?

Snicker, snicker!  Stop tickling or I'll bite you with my teefies!

Playing Catch-Up... More Puppy Shots!

Playing catch-up on Roadie's progress...

Early September 2010: It was time for vet visit number two for Roadie.  Another round of puppy shots and wormer.  Roadie continued to do well. He was at about eight weeks old, and was up to 8 pounds at this visit!

Roadie in early September, up to 8 pounds!

Mid-September 2010:  Roadie was doing great and growing fast, like any pup.  He enjoyed going for walks and exploring new things. His feisty personality was beginning to show...

Going for a walk on a walking trail at a nearby college...

Ain't I cute?  Roadie, mid-September 2010.

Last Week of September 2010:  Time for another vet visit and round three of puppy shots.  Roadie is doing amazing!  He gained 10 pounds since his last vet visit and is up to 18 pounds this visit.

Roadie loves being close to us. Here he is watching tv with my hubby.

Roadie playing on the laundry...

Hmmm, what is this mysterious human toy?  It seems to have special powers!

Nope, wasn't me... I was right here the whole time!

I had ordered a book online about Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and was reading about how dogs of this breed that do have the ridge on their back sometimes develop a condition known as dermoid sinus.  I also read some about it online.  It sounded like an awful thing for a dog to go through and usually required a surgery to correct.  So, I asked our vet about it.  He said that Ridgebacks without the ridge usually don't have the dermoid sinus problem.  So that was good news!  Then the vet pointed out that Roadie wasn't totally ridgeless.  He does have a small ridge down the center of his face!  Our vet didn't think it would be anything to worry about. We will keep an eye on things, just in case...

Roadie, September 2010.  Give us a hug...

I also discovered some not so good news in some of the reading I did.  In past years, it has been common practice for Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders to "cull" (or a more accurate term might be "kill") perfectly healthy puppies who happen to be born ridgeless.  It seems that there has been some controversy and debate over this practice.  Some say that it is wrong to kill a healthy pup, just for not having the ridge.  It would be more humane to simply spay or neuter it at the proper age, and not allow it to be used for breeding.  They would still be perfectly fine for anyone wanting a pet and not a dog for breeding or show.  It seems odd to cull out the "healthier" pups that won't have the dermoid sinus problems!  I have to agree, the breeders need to look at a more humane approach, rather than culling!  Roadie has been a very loveable, affectionate, active, entertaining, and family oriented pet so far!  I plan to learn more about this breed, ridgeless or not...

First Trip To The Vet...

August 2010:  Roadie's first check-up at the vet's office went well.  He had gained a half pound over the weekend and was up to 4 pounds!  His vision was a little off in one eye. The vet said the poor little fella may have had a heat stroke, and with time, his vision may improve. We were told that Roadie appeared to be about six weeks old.  One of the veterinarian assistants said that Roadie looked like a Rhodesian Ridgeback, except he had no ridge on his back.

Roadie at 6 weeks old, weighing in at 4 pounds.

Roadie was getting his strength back and becoming more playful each day.  He was romping around, chewing toys, and enjoying all the attention!  By the end of that first week, we had decided to take him out on a leash and harness for a short walk.  He was a little shy at first, but seemed to enjoy exploring!  I read a little online about Rhodesian Ridgebacks.  From the info and puppy pictures I had seen to that point, he appeared to matched the descriptions, minus the ridged back. The ridge on the back is a patch of hair that grows in the opposite direction from the rest of the dog's hair.  Roadie has darker coloring on the hair down his back, but the hair is smooth.

Roadie playing with rope toy.



Roadie on his first "walk" after being rescued.

Never Wanna Be On The Road Again - Saving Roadie...

August 2010:  Rescued this little pup from the middle of the road on a hot day in mid August. My husband scooped him up out of the way, as he was staggering into the path of oncoming traffic.  No one seemed to know where he came from. None of our neighbors claimed him. We decided he must have been abandoned by someone who could no longer care for him.  Poor little thing passed out a couple of times.  He was weak, dehydrated, and weighed only 3.5 lbs!

After a day or two pampering and feeding, his strength began to return.  He was a little dirty and smelly, so we bathed him and wrapped him up in a towel until he was warm and dry again.  He took a long nap afterward to recuperate from his ordeal.  We decided to name him "Roadie" since he was found in the middle of the road!