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Rucksacks & Ridgebacks

Service Dogs for America's Heroes

Community · Camaraderie · Companionship

Strong. Loyal. Ready to serve. We pair veterans with exceptional Rhodesian Ridgebacks — and we train the dog you already have, any suitable breed, if a Ridgeback pup isn’t the path for you.

Don’t have a Ridgeback? Don’t want one? You’re still welcome. Bring your Lab, GSD, mixed breed, or rescue — we build skills, manners, and service-minded teamwork with the dog in front of us.

Apply Today Train Any Breed Our Mission

Our Mission

We exist to strengthen the bond between people and working dogs — with deep roots in Rhodesian Ridgebacks — and professional training for other breeds too when a Ridgeback isn’t the right fit. Above all: no one in our circle walks alone. Mission lived through the 3 C’s:

Community

A real home for handlers, trainers, families, and friends of the mission. We welcome veterans and civilians who show up with respect — online and on the ground.

Camaraderie

Unit-style loyalty without the bureaucracy. We check on each other, share skills, lift hard days, and celebrate wins — the same spirit that keeps teams alive in the field.

Companionship

The sacred handler–dog partnership and the human friendships around it. Service tasks, quiet settles, daily rucks — companionship is how healing stays practical.

How Battle Buddies carries the mission

Battle Buddies is our mobile watch-stand for the 3 C’s — a free way for local veterans (and the civilians who stand with them) to check in, signal a need, or raise a mental-health peer alert so the unit can respond with Camaraderie, not silence.

Trainers, dog lovers, volunteers, and families plug into the same circle through our Community. We look out for our own — veteran and civilian alike — because isolation is the enemy, and belonging is part of the work.

Ridgebacks give us Companionship with teeth and heart — and so can the dog already on your couch. People give us Community and Camaraderie. Together, that’s Rucksacks & Ridgebacks.

Open Battle Buddies Video Rooms Join the 3 C’s Community Veteran Check-In

The Need is Urgent

Apollo — Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rucksacks & Ridgebacks

Service dogs provide life-changing support for veterans living with PTSD, mobility challenges, anxiety, and the invisible wounds of service. They offer companionship, task assistance, and a reason to keep moving forward.

But these incredible animals are costly to breed, raise, and fully train — often $25,000–$50,000 per dog. Many veterans wait years or never receive one. The same isolation that hits veterans can touch the civilians who love them — spouses, trainers, friends, and neighbors in our community.

17.5

Veterans die by suicide every day in the U.S.

6,400

Veteran suicides annually (approx.)

$75

Local private session starts here — standard training, not $30K placement

Every dog we prepare — Ridgeback or otherwise — can be the difference between isolation and hope. Every check-in on Battle Buddies, every volunteer ride or buddy check, every post in Community — that’s Camaraderie in action. Our methods work with high-drive Ridgebacks and with Labs, shepherds, mixes, and other suitable partners when you already have a dog (or prefer another breed).

  • PTSD symptom mitigation
  • Mobility & stability assistance
  • Deep pressure therapy
  • Alerting & grounding tasks
  • Daily rucking & activity support
  • Peer lookout — veteran & civilian, through the 3 C’s

Our Approach

Capable Ridgebacks for the long haul and training for the dog you already love — plus a human network that practices Community, Camaraderie, and Companionship every day.

Not a Ridgeback household? You’re still in.

Many people come to us for Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Many others already have a Labrador, German Shepherd, mixed breed, or rescue and need real training help — manners, public access foundations, task work, handler coaching. We train other dogs. If you do not have or do not want a Ridgeback pup, apply anyway and tell us about the dog you have (or the breed you prefer). Packets, foundation work, and custom programs are built around suitability and temperament — not one breed logo.

Training Packets (any breed) Apply with your dog Full packages

Ridgebacks & Beyond

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are our specialty — power, intelligence, loyalty. We also train other suitable breeds and the dog you already have at home.

Patriot Training

Positive reinforcement, public access foundations, task reliability, and handler bonding — methods that transfer across breeds, not just Ridgebacks.

The 3 C’s & Battle Buddies

Community and Camaraderie for veterans and civilians. Battle Buddies keeps check-ins and peer alerts close when someone needs the unit.

Star Ridgeback at stud

Apollo

Our flagship Rhodesian Ridgeback — power, heart, and temperament. Stud service to approved, health-focused bitches only.

Meet Apollo / Stud inquiry

Packages & Pricing

Standard training is priced for local markets — far below national “full service dog team” sticker prices. Ridgebacks or the dog you already have (any suitable breed).

Rates track common local private-lesson and manners-package pricing (not $20K–$50K placement programs). Veterans: ask about payment plans and limited scholarships.

Standard training (local rates)

Private Session

$75

~45–60 min · drop-in

  • ✓ One focused lesson with you & your dog
  • ✓ Manners, leash, focus, or problem-spot
  • ✓ Homework plan for the week
  • ✓ Any suitable breed welcome
Book a Session

4-Session Starter

$280

Most popular · save vs drop-in

  • ✓ Four private sessions (about 1 month)
  • ✓ Sit, down, recall, leash manners
  • ✓ Handler coaching between visits
  • ✓ Written progress notes
  • ✓ Ridgeback or your dog
Start Training

Manners Program

$520

8 sessions · ~2 months

  • ✓ Full foundational obedience track
  • ✓ Public calm / soft-start exposure plan
  • ✓ Message support between sessions
  • ✓ End-of-program skill checklist
  • ✓ Best value for standard training
Enroll

Board & train (short stay)

$1,450

About 2 weeks immersion · local-style board rates · skills transferred back to you at pickup

Digital training packet

$250

Self-paced curriculum · any breed · free 2-week puppy sample available below

Full service-dog team / placement

Custom quote

Long-path SD work or Ridgeback placement is quoted case-by-case — not the same as standard manners pricing above

Standard rates are set near local private-training trends (session packs & short board stays), not national full-placement averages. Travel / out-of-area may add a modest fee. Ask about multi-dog discounts and veteran payment plans.

Self-paced packet $250 → Apply / book training

Independent Training Packets

Already have a dog — Ridgeback, Lab, shepherd, mix, rescue — or bringing a new pup home? You do not need a Ridgeback to train with us. Packets use professional methods at your pace, without the full service-team program cost. Full packet: $250. New puppies get a free 2-week starter sample (any breed).

New Pup Sample

Free

2-week starter for puppies under 16 weeks

Get Weeks 1–2 of our early foundation plan — house manners, crate confidence, name response, and calm handling — so you start strong before investing in the full packet.

  • Daily schedules for young pups
  • Potty, crate & bite-inhibition basics
  • First socialization checklist
  • Notes for high-drive pups (Ridgebacks & other energetic breeds)

✓ Sample unlocked — Weeks 1 & 2

Week 1 — Settle & Structure

  • Name recognition games (5× short sessions/day)
  • Crate as safe den: short, positive entries only
  • Potty schedule: after sleep, play, and meals
  • Soft handling: collar, ears, paws, harness desensitization
  • Quiet settle on a mat for 30–60 seconds (build daily)

Week 2 — First Skills & Calm Exposure

  • Sit & focus (“look”) with food lures → marker word
  • Leash intro indoors: no pulling games
  • Controlled socialization: 3–5 new calm environments
  • Bite inhibition: freeze & redirect to toys
  • Short “place” work and ending sessions on success

Ready for the full curriculum (Weeks 3–16+, service foundations, rucking prep)? Unlock the complete packet below for $250.

Get Full Packet — $250

Full Training Packet

$250

Independent handler curriculum · one-time unlock

Complete self-paced packet for veterans training their own Ridgeback. Designed for independent handlers who want pro structure without a full placement program.

  • Full 16+ week progressive plan (PDF + checklists)
  • Obedience → public manners → task foundations
  • PTSD grounding & mobility intro modules
  • Rucking & conditioning with your dog
  • Troubleshooting guide & progress logs
  • Email support window after purchase

Full packet behind $250 paywall

Purchase unlocks the complete training packet. After you request access, we’ll send payment instructions to your email. Once paid, you’ll receive the packet files and an unlock code for this page.

✓ Full packet unlocked

Packet modules included

  • Weeks 3–8: Obedience ladder, leash manners, place/settle under mild distraction
  • Weeks 9–12: Public access foundations, handler focus in busy spaces
  • Weeks 13–16+: Task intros (grounding, deep pressure, retrieve basics)
  • Rucking protocol: load, distance, recovery, gear fit
  • Daily / weekly logs + milestone checklist
  • When to pause and when to seek in-person help

Your digital packet files are also emailed to you after payment clears. Questions? clients@rnrbacks.com · (918) 658-9583

The 3 C's · Our mission in motion

Community · Camaraderie · Companionship

This is how we look out for our own — veteran and civilian alike. Trainers, dog lovers, families, and service members share free posts and videos. Local vets use the check-in board and Battle Buddies to stay visible to the unit. Claim a ★ Veteran badge. Exclusive adds live Camaraderie when you want to go deeper.

Community
A place to belong, post, and welcome each other.
Camaraderie
Unit-style support — trainers, handlers, veterans together.
Companionship
Honor the bond between you and your dog.
Join Free — No charge Veteran Check-In (Free) Battle Buddies App Volunteer Exclusive Live Space

Apply for Services

Ridgeback placement or training for the dog you already have — any suitable breed. No Ridgeback required.

Our team will contact you within 5 business days. Applications go to clients@rnrbacks.com.