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The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a breed of dog from Southern Africa. The breed originated in Rhodesia where the first breed standard was written in 1922 and the Parent club formed by Francis R. Barnes in Bulawayo. Also known as the "African Lion Hound" or "African Lion Dog" because of their unique ability to harass a lion and keep it at bay while awaiting their master to make the kill.
Appearance: The Ridgeback's general appearance is of a
handsome, strong, muscular and active dog, symmetrical in
outline, capable of great endurance with a fair (good) amount
of speed. The mature dog is handsome and upstanding. The
Ridgeback's distinguishing feature is the ridge of hair along
its back running in the opposite direction to the rest of its
coat.
The ridge must be regarded as the escutcheon of the breed.
It consists of a fan-like area formed by two whorls of hair
(called "crowns") and tapers from immediately behind
the shoulders, down to the level of the hips. The ridge is
derived from the ridged hunting dog of the Khoikhoi
(literally, "men of men"; native South African
people, referred to by the Europeans as Hottentots).
Some Ridgebacks are born without ridges, and until
recently, most ridgeless puppies were culled, or euthanized,
at birth. Today, many breeders opt instead to spay and neuter
these offspring to ensure they will not be bred.
Male Ridgebacks should be 25-27 inches (63-69 cm) at the
withers and weigh approximately 85 lb (36.5 kg FCI Standard),
however some have been known to reach up to 160 lb, females
24-26 inches (61-66 cm) and approximately 70 lb (32 kg). They
are typically muscular and have a light wheaten to red wheaten
coat which should be short and dense, sleek and glossy in
appearance but neither woolly nor silky. The presence of black
guard hairs or ticking is not addressed in the AKC standard,
although the elaboration of the AKC standard notes the
amount of black or dark brown in the coat should not be
excessive. The FCI Standard states - excessive black hairs
throughout the coat are highly undesirable. White is
acceptable on the chest and toes.
Ridgebacks have a strong, smooth tail, which is usually
carried in a gentle curve upwards. The eyes should be round
and should reflect the coat color—dark in a black muzzle,
amber with a brown nose. The brown or liver nose is a
recessive gene and is therefore not as common as a black nose.
The original standard allowed for a variety of coat colors,
including brindle and sable. Today, all shades of wheaten are
permitted. While the deeper red are often favored by pet
owners, the lighter wheaten is just as correct. Color variants
such as brindles, black-and-tans and blue dilutes appear
occasionally but not commonly and are not considered
acceptable for the show ring. White on the feet and chest are
common. The only disqualification in the AKC standard for this
breed is ridgelessness.
Temperament: Ridgebacks are loyal, intelligent,
gentle, and very independent. They are however, aloof to
strangers. This breed requires training and dedication and is
only for the experienced dog owner. They are strong-willed,
exceptionally clever, and many seem to have a penchant for
mischief.
Owners report them teaching themselves (and each other) how
to escape crates and kennels, open even 'child-locked'
cabinets and doors, and especially behind-your-back stealing
of food. They do not make a good first dog, though the same
traits that make them difficult often appeal to the more
experienced owners. Although they can withstand wide
temperature variations due to their African heritage, they are
sensitive and prefer to be with their human families inside.
They were traditionally hunters, guardians, and companions.
Despite his athletic, sometimes imposing exterior, the
Ridgeback has a sensitive side. Excessively harsh training
methods that might be tolerated by a sporting or working dog
will likely backfire on a Ridgeback. Intelligent to a fault,
the Ridgeback accepts correction as long as it is fair and
justified, and as long as it comes from someone he knows and
trusts. Francis R. Barnes, who wrote the first standard in
1922, acknowledged that "rough treatment ... should never
be administered to these dogs, especially when they are young.
They go to pieces with handling of that kind."
History: The breed's long history dates back to
early in the 17th century when the first European settlers
found with the Khoisan tribes a domesticated dog with the hair
on his spine being turned forward. Later, to fill specific
needs of the big game hunters of the late 19th century for a
serviceable hunting dog, tough, resistant to disease,
intelligent enough to avoid crocodiles and snakes, with tick
repellent smooth coat, tight paw pads to protect against
thorns and rough terrain, brave enough to face a lion or any
other big game, but fast enough to stay out of harm's way of
horns, claws and teeth. The main person behind this
development was Cornelius Van Rooyen of Plumtree, Rhodesia.
The history of the breed is infuriatingly murky. What is
commonly accepted is that Van Rooyen used two ridged,
rough-coated bitches from the Swellendam district brought to
him by the Rev. Charles Helm in 1879. Van Rooyen crossed these
bitches with members of his pack, noting that their ridged
progeny excelled at lion hunting.
In his book "The Definitive Rhodesian Ridgeback,"
the late Canadian breeder-judge David Helgesen theorized,
based on historical records of the day, that seven distinct
dogs were involved in the formation of the breed: the Khoi
dog, whose blood was present in Helm's two deerhound-like
bitches; the greyhound, for speed; the bulldog for biting and
holding ability; the collie, for slashing ability; the
pointer; and Airedale and Irish terriers, for coat color and
scrappiness.
It is likely that the Great Dane, mastiff, bloodhound and
deerhound also contributed to the gene pool along the way.
The Breed Standard is based on that of the Dalmatian and
was first registered by the South African Kennel Club SAKU
(now KUSA) in 1924. At that time KUSA was the only Kennel Club
in the territory. The breed was first admitted into the
American Kennel Club in 1955 as a member of the Hound Group.
As hunters, Ridgebacks in packs of 2 to 5 kept a lion at
bay while the hunters came to kill it. The dogs worked in
revolving groups to keep the lion occupied until the hunter
arrived; the dogs themselves did not usually kill lions, but
there are stories of pairs of them being able to kill
smaller/young lions, and the breed was often used to kill
smaller, unwanted animals around Southern African farms.
Female Ridgebacks were often used more than males as the
females tended to be more agile. When not used for hunting the
dogs were beloved family pets, guardians of the property and
able herders.
Health: Health conditions known to affect this breed
are cataracts, cancer, elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia.
Hypothyroidism is a growing concern, at least in the United
States, where it is routinely screened for; the Ridgeback
ranks number 8 in terms of most affected breeds recorded by
the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. Average lifespan is
from 9-11 years, but they have been known to live to nearly 16
years though this is very rare.
Dermoid sinus is a congenital condition that is known to
affect this breed. It is discovered at birth, and these
puppies may be culled.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States maintains
a web site devoted to the breed's health issues and ongoing
research at www.rhodesianridgebackhealth.org. This group
recommends that breeders perform at least four health
screenings -- hips, elbows, thyroid and eyes -- with cardiac
and hearing tests optional.
Miscellaneous: There is some debate whether the
Rhodesian Ridgeback is a sighthound or scent hound. Positions
in this discussion usually mirror geography (and the body
style of dog preferred), with Americans on the sighthound side
of the debate and Europeans and Africans on the scenthound
side. Perhaps both are correct: This incredibly versatile
breed does not fit easily in either category. In general
Ridgebacks pursue prey by sight, and if the prey is not in
sight, Ridgebacks track by scent.
Anthony Kiedis of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers had a
Rhodesian Ridgeback named Buster. He currently has another
ridgeback, Kate, from a Philadelphia breeder.
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