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First, I know you don't have control over the dogs being inside vs outside, but if Muggins is a Ridgeback, he is bred to be inside and watching over his family. So you have an uphill battle to begin with just to get him okay with being outside without his person and you will probably never get him to be HAPPY being outside without you. It isn't a good situation for his mental state.
Second, Muggins is a hound, he WILL eat until he is sick. You want to be able to keep him at a fit weight as being overweight is very bad for a dog's health, esp. the joints on a larger dog. He cannot be free fed.
At 6 months, he is too young for jogging on leash but LONG walks and yard playtime (fetch etc) are needed. You have a high energy breed that needs structure, training and exercise. A few times around the block won't cut it unless it is either very hot out (and then you should do indoor training sessions in the A/C or by a fan) or your block is a mile long. He needs at least 2, BRISK 30 minute walks daily (early morning and later evening if heat is a problem) and several 5-10 minute training sessions. Bump that to two, 45 minute walks when he's about 9 months old. When he is about 18 months old, you can start jogging with him and he will likely need about 1 hour of running or 2 hours of brisk/hard walking daily (i.e. if you walk for 30 minutes before school or work in the AM, then expect to either RUN 1 hour in the evening or do about 1.5-2 hours of hiking or fast walking; 1 or 2 days a week, maybe only 30 mins of running or 1 hr walking).
While Ridgebacks are generally very even tempered dogs who are calm inside the house, they are also powerful hunting dogs with a protective instinct. POSITIVE training is the way to go. Read up on resource guarding (over food for example), read Ian Dunbar's books on training, read the stickies here on training things like NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) etc. Do NOT use "alpha" methods or "dominance" based training, especially with an emotionally in-touch dog like most Ridgebacks are.
Feed them separately. Either crated, in kennel runs or each safely tethered at a distance apart (where they cannot reach the other dogs or the other dogs' food bowls)
Second, Muggins is a hound, he WILL eat until he is sick. You want to be able to keep him at a fit weight as being overweight is very bad for a dog's health, esp. the joints on a larger dog. He cannot be free fed.
At 6 months, he is too young for jogging on leash but LONG walks and yard playtime (fetch etc) are needed. You have a high energy breed that needs structure, training and exercise. A few times around the block won't cut it unless it is either very hot out (and then you should do indoor training sessions in the A/C or by a fan) or your block is a mile long. He needs at least 2, BRISK 30 minute walks daily (early morning and later evening if heat is a problem) and several 5-10 minute training sessions. Bump that to two, 45 minute walks when he's about 9 months old. When he is about 18 months old, you can start jogging with him and he will likely need about 1 hour of running or 2 hours of brisk/hard walking daily (i.e. if you walk for 30 minutes before school or work in the AM, then expect to either RUN 1 hour in the evening or do about 1.5-2 hours of hiking or fast walking; 1 or 2 days a week, maybe only 30 mins of running or 1 hr walking).
While Ridgebacks are generally very even tempered dogs who are calm inside the house, they are also powerful hunting dogs with a protective instinct. POSITIVE training is the way to go. Read up on resource guarding (over food for example), read Ian Dunbar's books on training, read the stickies here on training things like NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) etc. Do NOT use "alpha" methods or "dominance" based training, especially with an emotionally in-touch dog like most Ridgebacks are.
Feed them separately. Either crated, in kennel runs or each safely tethered at a distance apart (where they cannot reach the other dogs or the other dogs' food bowls)
