Donna Rhodesian Ridgeback Trainer

Donna Rhodesian Ridgeback Trainer Rhodesian Ridgeback Specialist
Helping you understand your Ridgeback 🐾
Choice • Connection • Confidence
🌍 Training & behaviour support worldwide
↓ Free guide

I am a member of The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, which mean all the training that i do is both Kind, Fair and Effective. I am confidant that with my guidance your dog will learn to be the very best it can be, becoming a well mannered, well adjusted dog,

I do not get you to sign a disclaimer to say that anything that happens is your responsibility or that you can not discuss the training

that i have advised or that has taken place. Why? because i am happy and confident with my skills as a dog trainer, and would never do anything to harm your dog or you. Puppy Training and Socialisation Classes for puppies from 10 weeks old. Adult Obedience Classes

Agility Classes from Beginners to Advanced. Flyball

25/08/2026

Reward-based doesn't automatically mean individualised.

Of course I use rewards and train without force or intimidation — but that's only part of what I do.

When a Ridgeback is struggling, I'm interested in why.

What are they feeling? What is influencing the behaviour? What are they trying to achieve? And what can we change so that making a better choice becomes easier?

Ridgebacks are independent, sensitive thinkers.

I don't want to spend their lives micromanaging them.

I want to build a dog who can think, an owner who can understand, and a relationship where both ends of the lead have confidence in each other. ❤️

Choice. Connection. Confidence.

That's what my Ridgeback training is about.

Donna x

20/08/2026

Basingstoke Ridgeback owners — I'm coming your way! 🐾

I'm going to be in Basingstoke next week, 24th to 27th August 26 and, while I'm there, I'm opening up a small amount of time for in-person Ridgeback training and behaviour sessions.

So if you've been following me from down south thinking "I wish Donna was closer!" — this might be your chance. 😊

Whether you're struggling with reactivity, recall, adolescence, pulling, confidence, behaviour around other dogs — or you simply feel like you and your Ridgeback aren't quite understanding one another — we can look at what's actually happening for your individual dog.

No generic training formula and no trying to turn your Ridgeback into an obedience robot.

We'll look at the dog in front of us and work from there.

I only have limited time available while I'm in the area, so if you'd like to see me while I'm there, send me a message with the word BASINGSTOKE and I'll send you the details. ❤️

Donna x

12/08/2026

Ridgeback recall isn’t built when there’s nothing else going on… it’s built for moments like this. 🐾
Dogs around, plenty to investigate, freedom to make her own choice — and she chooses to come back when called. ❤️
That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s something we build gradually through consistency, trust and LOTS of practice around real-life distractions.
What’s the hardest thing for your dog to recall away from?

10/08/2026

A Ridgeback running towards other dogs can make your heart jump into your mouth 😅
But this is why I don’t think recall is just about teaching a dog to “obey” a word.
He saw the dogs.
He had the freedom to make a choice.
I called once.
He chose to come back. ❤️
That’s the relationship I want to build with my dogs — not constant control, but a dog who can think, make good choices and stay connected to me even when the environment gets exciting.
Choice. Connection. Confidence.
DogTraining

Does anyone else feel like their lovely Ridgeback puppy disappeared overnight and was replaced by a teenager? 😂One minut...
08/08/2026

Does anyone else feel like their lovely Ridgeback puppy disappeared overnight and was replaced by a teenager? 😂

One minute they're following you everywhere...

Then suddenly they've discovered dogs, people, smells, squirrels and apparently their own opinions.

Recall disappears.
Walks get harder.
They stop listening.
Excitement goes through the roof.

And it's very easy to start wondering...

"What am I doing wrong?"

I've worked with Ridgebacks for many years, and this teenage stage is one of the times I see owners struggle most.

But they're not suddenly being naughty or stubborn.

There's actually a LOT going on underneath the behaviour.

So I've put together a free guide:

🐾 5 Things That Can Transform Your Teenage Ridgeback

It covers some of the things I wish more Ridgeback owners were told before adolescence hits — including why doing MORE training isn't always the answer.

It's completely free ❤️

Comment RIDGEBACK below and I'll send you a copy.

Donna x
Ridgeback Trainer & Behaviourist

One of the quickest ways to make a recall cue lose its meaning is by repeating it when your dog is already too emotional...
04/08/2026

One of the quickest ways to make a recall cue lose its meaning is by repeating it when your dog is already too emotionally invested in the environment to respond.
Once a dog is fully fixated, chasing, overwhelmed or over-aroused, they're often no longer in a place where they can thoughtfully process what you're asking.
So what happens?
We repeat the cue again... and again... and again...
Eventually, your dog learns that hearing their recall cue doesn't actually mean they need to come back. It simply becomes part of the background noise.
This isn't because they're being stubborn or ignoring you on purpose.
It's because emotion changes what the brain is able to process.
A reliable recall isn't built by shouting louder or repeating yourself more. It's built by practising in situations where your dog can still think, make choices and succeed.
Set your dog up to win, reward those good decisions, and gradually build the skill before expecting it in the hardest situations.
Have you ever caught yourself repeating your recall cue over and over? You're definitely not alone. ❤️

18/07/2026

Does your teenage Ridgeback suddenly seem like a completely different dog? 🤍
Pulling, selective hearing, reacting to other dogs, or suddenly forgetting everything they once knew?
You're not alone. Adolescence is one of the biggest challenges Ridgeback owners face, but with the right foundations, it really does get easier.
Comment "GUIDE" below and I'll send you my free Teenage Ridgeback Guide straight to your inbox. 📖🤍

19/05/2026

One of the quickest ways recall cues lose meaning is when they’re repeated while the dog is already too emotionally locked into the environment to respond.
Once dogs are fully fixated, chasing, overwhelmed or over-aroused, they’re often no longer in a place where they can thoughtfully process the cue anyway.
So what happens?
The cue gets repeated… and repeated… and slowly becomes background noise.
That doesn’t mean your dog is stubborn or “choosing to ignore you.”
It usually means the foundations, timing and emotional state need looking at first.
A good recall cue should predict something positive and meaningful — not pressure, frustration or constant repetition 🤍

How do you keep a recall cue “clean”?

• Don’t repeat it over and over
• Avoid using it when your dog is too emotionally overwhelmed to respond
• Build huge positive value into the cue itself
• Reinforce generously when they do come back
• And don’t only use it to end fun

A recall cue should feel safe, positive and worth responding to 🤍

I recently saw someone say that “force free training is killing dogs” and that we need to “bring common sense back” into...
19/05/2026

I recently saw someone say that “force free training is killing dogs” and that we need to “bring common sense back” into dog training.
Honestly, I think the reality is much more complicated than that.

Firstly, I don’t really label myself as “force free.” I describe myself as reward based.

But what I personally think is harming dogs most right now isn’t “fluffy training.”

It’s:

dogs being bred with very little thought for suitability as pets

people getting breeds they don’t truly understand
a lack of education before bringing dogs home

a throwaway culture where dogs are expected to fit instantly into human lives

confusion and conflict within the dog training industry itself
and dogs not having their emotional and breed-specific needs properly understood

Owners are overwhelmed.

One trainer says one thing. Another says the complete opposite. Social media pushes quick fixes and extremes.

And then people watch incredibly trained dogs on TV or online and believe that’s what “normal” should look like.
But many of those dogs are highly skilled dogs working with highly skilled trainers. They are rehearsed, managed and trained for very specific environments.

Yet owners come away believing their pet dog should naturally be that connected, calm and responsive all the time, often without understanding the genetics, emotions, stress levels or instincts sitting underneath behaviour.

Meanwhile, real dogs are often stressed, over-aroused, under-slept, over-exercised, misunderstood, or simply not suited to the lives they’ve ended up in.

That doesn’t mean boundaries don’t matter. It doesn’t mean guidance doesn’t matter. And it doesn’t mean dogs should never experience frustration.
But I do think understanding behaviour, emotion, genetics and nervous system regulation matters far more than labelling trainers as “soft” or “balanced.”
Most owners are not bad people. Most are trying their best with very little clarity.
And most dogs need understanding, guidance and fulfilment far more than conflict 🤍

I also think we’ve created incredibly unrealistic expectations of what pet dogs should be.

People compare their overwhelmed adolescent dog to highly trained TV dogs,

social media clips, or polished “before and after” videos online, without seeing the years of training, management, genetics and skill sitting behind those moments.

Real dogs aren’t robots. And real behaviour change is rarely instant.

17/05/2026

You need to be more interesting than the environment for recall.”
Honestly… I don’t agree.
Especially with breeds like Ridgebacks.
Prey, movement and the environment are instinctive. You’re never realistically going to compete with that by just being louder, more exciting, or waving food around.
For me, reliable recall comes from something much deeper: connection, emotional regulation, and a dog that still wants to stay connected to you even when the environment is pulling them elsewhere.
That’s what I focus on building 🤍

Message “Ridgeback”

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Newcastle Upon Tyne

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Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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