No matter how many times I see a gathering of Ridgebacks it's always a spectacular sight. Mostly because these are large dogs, often in excess of 70 pounds each and they have often been raised alone with the responsibility of socializing left to the owner. Not everyone who owns a large breed is conscientious about making sure their dog knows canine and human social cues but fortunately people like that do not seem to exist among those who attend our Ridgeback walks!
Here is the whole group of 17 Ridgebacks and their people.
Sometimes it seemed as though there were more people than dogs but with my four the numbers were in the dog's favour.
What kind of crazy person takes four dogs to a Ridgeback walk? This kind:
What makes the experience so enjoyable, besides the dogs and the scenery, is the owners. This was such a good group of people from various backgrounds, ages and life experience who simply share a common obsession ... the dogs.
What I particularly like about gatherings like this, as opposed to dog shows, is that there is no agenda, no competition, and no feeling that down the road anything you say can and will be used against you.
At the end of the walk, while all the dogs slipped into unconsciousness in the warmth of their respective vehicles, we owners all gathered at a nearby fish and chips shop to chat about what else ... the dogs. There is always an endless supply of chat about our favorite subject!
Of course, regardless of the setting the dogs are just there to have fun and for 3 hours on a Saturday in November ... that is all they did!
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