Adventures of Djembe

We Ridgebacks are the most humble breed there is.

Sure you see me here in the bloghesphere ,and think “Djembe is famous, but what does he do to give back?”

I’m glad you asked.

I am a contributing writer for my friend Max’s newsletter Keep On Wagging.

Where I share with humans and dogs alike training tips I learn from my dad. The best dog trainer in the worldstarting in Charlotte,

Anyways. Here is from last month’s issue of Keep on Wagging.

We dogs have meeting rituals. I think it might be a good idea to explain to humans so they understand it better.

Since we only like to use our front paws for walking, running, digging and to reach on top of the kitchen counter ;o) we use our tails to communicate from afar.

When I first see a dog in the distance I stop for a second to see if she’s friendly or not. If I see she is wagging her tail freely, I know she’s friendly, if it’s straight up but wagging I know she wants to know my intentions, and if that tail is stiff I don’t even talk to that bossy dog.

It’s the leader’s responsibility to meet the other pack and make sure we’re all safe. So, we sit and wait for dad to say it’s OK for us to meet.

Smelling is big! The nose, the butt, the genitals. To humans, this is handshaking, ID check, what you had for lunch, and how do you feel all rolled into one. It’s Huge!  And often interrupted by humans because of their misunderstanding of the ritual. It’s important to allow your dogs to completely sniff each other.

You humans just be sure and pay close attention to tails and heads while dogs are meeting to make sure everydoggy is nice.

Posted on December 9th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Training