I know there are a few experts on here! opinions please on ridgebacks as family dogs? I would have thought maybe not but dont know enough to advise. cheers

An early socialised and well trained Ridgeback is a joy for any family to own.  They are loyal and loving.  However, a wayward Ridgeback can be a nightmare.   They are big strong dogs and can be quite a handful.  Not a dog for a novice :)

slightly off topic but when i was in new york last year we saw tons of them! quite surprised me as i never saw them as a dog for an apartment (please correct me if i'm wrong, just never saw a high energy hound as suiting that environment), though we were staying right on central park, many dogs out for walkies

A well socialized RR, that's owned by someone that realizes what kind of dog a RR is and what it takes to form a well behaved grown up dog, is the best companion you can ever have. In my humble opinion :p
A young RR takes a lot of your time, more so than many other breeds. But what you put in in effort and commitment, you will eventually get back in the wonderful grown up dog you'll get. It's like everything else in the world, if you want something out of the ordinary, it will take a greater effort to achieve it.

A young RR is a rather big and muscular dog, that of course has the need to be let loose for a good run at least once every day. But it will also appreciate joining its' owner in any activity that he/she likes. Indoors it's a dog that will very easily relax, and quite happily spend a lazy day in the sofa. No need for big space indoors, that is.
As long as a RR is together with its' owner, it's a happy and content dog. Their strongmindedness means that in order to get a dog that will cooperate with you, you'll have to build a relationship with your dog that's grown out of mutual respect and confidence. A RR with a good leader/owner is a calm and poised RR, with very high self esteem, that likes to cooperate to make your life together run as smooth and plesantly as possible.  Most of the time :-)

Anyone considering getting their first RR, should make sure to find a breeder that will be able to support them through the first two years of their dog's life. You'll need a dedicated breeder who takes lots of interest in the pups, not only before they've moved to their new homes, but also for a long time afterwards.
To the OP,I wish you the best of luck, should you decide to get a RR pup.
Karen

There is a Rhodesian Ridgeback who is a permanent member of staff at the hospice we go to :) He is a wonderful dog and greatly appreciated by so many of the patients :)

The headmaster of our boarding school had one , a bitch and she was wonderful , she was allowed to wander among the children . She did bark an awful lot if any cars came down the drive but i suppose she was protecting her children the whole lot of them. She was a really well behaved dog and i never once saw her on the lead , even when we went on beach trips or forest trips which was every weekend .But she did have acres of land to wander on and hundreds of attention at hand every day. I have never seen many out and about but if her temperment and behavior are classic R R behavior they must be wonderful dogs to own.

thanks everyone for your thoughts, must admit they do sound rather nice! can anyone let me know any downsides? are they generally good with other dogs? if they have a good handler are they fun to train?

Plenty of down sides, as well as positive sides, in a RR :p
It all depends on what you look for in a dog. What to me is something very positive, might be a down side to someone else.

A RR is an intelligent dog, it will learn almost anything very quickly. But, will also tire of any activity very fast. Not a good side if you like to train and compete in obedience work. If you have a go at doing obedience on a seriuos level with your RR, a good sense of humour is a must :D
A grown RR is rather independent, and not overly interested in people it doesn't know. Don't expect your RR to love everyone just because they happen to be your friends. A RR likes to choose who's his friend, and who's not. Not all RRs are the affectionate type. Some are, some not. Don't be surprised if a RR gets up and walks off when you feel like a cuddle.
A RR will form a very strong bond with its owner. This means to the RR any time spent separate from its leader is wasted time. You can't compensate lack of time together, with hard work/training, to make up for spending time away from your dog, like you sometimes can with a working breed.
A young RR will test almost every rule you can think of. If it's not OK to get up on to the sofa from the right hand side, lets try the left. Or maybe the middle? Or maybe it was just forbidden ten minutes ago, not now ;-) 
A grown male RR will not get on very well with other males. They'll learn to tolerate dogs they meet, and behave themselfves, but not much more. It's possible to keep two entire males together, I have several friends that do, but it takes a knowlegable owner to make it work.
A RR MUST get plenty of socialisation when young. Both with people, dogs, other animals and different environments. Otherwise you risk getting a nervous and insecure dog, that isn't half the dog it could have developed into, had it gotten the right socalisation when young.

I could go on and on, but wont :p Try to find a breeder that will let you visit, and who will answer your questions about the breed.
Good luck,
Karen

I think that Karen (RRFriend) has explained the character of the RR very well :)  I love their independence but it could drive someone to distraction if they are used to a working type breed :)  

Added to what she has written, I would say that they are a hound and some have a VERY strong hunting instinct.  Many years ago, I used to take mine racing around a greyhound track and all but one of them would chase the lure - not all racing bred greyhounds will do that!

I have owned RRs for many years and bred them for over 20 years.  I currently have 5, which all live in the house, including 2 males - who are curled up on the sofa together.  If you would like to pm me, I'd be more than happy to talk Ridgeback (after dark please, we have a farm :) ) and then, if you'd like, put you in touch with someone responsible to contact.  Or you could contact any of the clubs, all details on the RR page of this site.

Best wishes
Carina (known as CJ, with the Tukela RRs)

PS to Admin, I have no breeding plans at all - no entire bitches at home!