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Rhodesian Ridgeback
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The Rhodesian Ridgeback is dog breed developed in Southern
Africa where it was used (amongst other things) to hunt lions. This
is most likely why this dog is known for its bravery and willingness
to take on anything. Its European forebears can be traced to the
early pioneers of the Cape Colony of southern Africa, who crossed
their dogs with the semi-domesticated, ridged hunting dogs of the
Hottentots (Khoi - khoi).
In the earlier parts of its history, the Rhodesian Ridgeback has
also been known as Van Rooyen's Lion Dogs, the African Lion
Hound or African Lion Dog—Simba Inja in Ndebele, Shumba
Imbwa in Shona—because of their ability to distract a lion while
awaiting their master to make the kill.
The original breed standard was drafted by F.R. Barnes, in
Bulawayo, Rhodesia (today known as Zimbabwe), in 1922. Based
on that of the Dalmatian, the standard was approved by the South
African Kennel Union in 1926.
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Rhodesian Ridgeback
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Country of Origin
Rhodesia
Weight
65-90 lb
Height
24-27 in
Coat
Smooth, single coat
Color
Light and red wheaten, brindle, sable
Life span
9-11 years
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Description
Appearance
The Rhodesian Ridgeback's distinguishing feature is the ridge of
hair along its back, running in the opposite direction to the rest of
its coat. 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.
Male Ridgebacks should stand 25–27 inches (63–69 cm) at the
withers and weigh about 85 lb (39 kg) FCI Standard); females
should be 24–26 inches (61–66 cm) tall and about 70 lb (32 kg) in
weight. Ridgebacks are typically muscular and have a light
wheaten to red wheaten coat, which should be short, dense, sleek
and glossy in appearance, and neither woolly nor silky. White is
acceptable on the chest and toes. 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 that excessive black hairs throughout the coat are highly
undesirable. Ridgebacks sometimes have a dark mask.
Example of three whorls.
Ridgebacks have a strong, smooth tail, which is usually carried in a
gentle curve backwards. The eyes should be round and should
reflect the dog's color—skin pigment, not coat color: dark eyes with
a black nose (regardless of coat color), amber eyes with a liver
nose. The liver nose is a recessive gene. It is not as common as a
black nose; some breeders believe the inclusion of livernoses in a
breeding program is necessary for maintaining the vibrancy of the
coat.
The original standard allowed for a variety of coat colors, including
brindle and sable. The modern FCI standard calls for light wheaten
to red wheaten.
Other breeds with a ridge of fur along the spine include:
- Phu quoc ridgeback dog, Vietnam
- Thai Ridgeback
- Combai of Tamilnadu, India
Temperament
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are loyal and intelligent. They are,
however, aloof to strangers. This is not to be confused with
aggression; a Ridgeback of proper temperament will be more
inclined to ignore, rather than challenge, a stranger. This breed
requires positive, reward-based training, good socialization and
consistency; it is often not the best choice for inexperienced dog
owners. Ridgebacks are strong-willed, intelligent, and many seem
to have a penchant for mischief, though lovingly. They are
protective of their owners and families. If trained well, they can be
excellent guard dogs.
Despite their 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. 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."
Health
Health conditions known to affect this breed are hip dysplasia and
dermoid sinus. The Ridgeback ranks number six in terms of most
affected breeds for thyroid problems recorded by the Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals. Average lifespan is from nine to 11 years,
though they have been known on rare occasion to live to nearly 16
years.
Dermoid Sinus
Dermoid sinus is a congenital neural-tube defect that is known to
affect this breed. The dermoid is often likened to a thin "spaghetti
noodle" beneath the skin. Puppies should always be screened at
birth by the breeder and veterinarian, and the examination
repeated as the puppies grow before they go to their new homes.
This is done by palpation of the subcutaneous dorsal midline from
the base of the skull to the insertion of the tail. Surgical removal is
an option for affected neonates, puppies and adult dogs. All
affected dogs, even those surgically corrected, should be desexed
and never be bred. Since surgical dermoid sinus removal can be
extremely cost prohibitive, and because all unremoved dermoid
sinuses will eventually abscess, and abscessed dermoid sinuses
will cause the dog a painful death, dermoid puppies should be
culled whenever surgical correction is not an option. However, it
has been shown that supplementation of folic acid to the diet of the
brood bitch before mating and during pregnancy reduces the
incidence of dermoid sinus.
Deafness
While deafness is not a common problem in the breed, Rhodesian
Ridgebacks do suffer from a breed specific form of the disease. Dr.
Mark Neff and his team of researchers at the University of
California at Davis have located the mutation that causes this
relatively rare, but breed-specific, form of deafness.
Degenerative Myelopathy
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a disease of the spinal cord
causing progressive paraparesis, most commonly in the German
shepherd dog breed. It affects Rhodesian Ridgebacks at a rate of
only 0.75%.
Hypothyroid
Hypothyroidism is a growing problem in the Rhodesian Ridgeback,
and this condition causes a multitude of symptoms, including
weight gain and hair loss. Treatment for hypothyroidism in dogs
consists of an inexpensive once-daily oral medication. Dr. Lorna
Kennedy at the University of Manchester’s Centre for Integrated
Genomic Medical Research in England has found the haplotype
(group of genes) which, when present, will double the chances of a
Ridgeback becoming hypothyroid due to lymphocytic thyroiditis.
This is important to the breed because lymphocytic thyroiditis is the
overwhelming cause of hypothyroidism in Ridgebacks.
Bloat
Like many other large, deep-chested breeds, Ridgebacks are
prone to bloat. This is a potentially fatal condition that requires
immediate treatment.
History
The breed's history dates back to early in the 18th century, when
the first European settlers found dogs domesticated by Khoi-khoi
tribes with the hair on the spine turned forward. In the late 19th
century, big game hunters needed a hunting dog that was tough,
resistant to disease, and intelligent enough to avoid crocodiles and
snakes, but brave and fast enough to face a lion. Also important
was a tick-repellent smooth coat and tight paw pads to protect
against thorns and rough terrain. Cornelius Van Rooyen of
Plumtree, Rhodesia was the main person behind the development
of the breed.
The history of the breed is disputed. It is commonly accepted 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.
The breed took a further step in its formalization in 1922 just prior
to the formation of the independent crown colony of Southern
Rhodesia, when a group gathered at a farm in Bulawayo to set out
the basic standard for ridged dogs that included the selection of
the red wheaten to become the 'son of Africa'.
The Breed Standard is loosely based on that of a slightly enlarged
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. Ridgebacks were first brought to the
United States by Col. Morris DePass and his wife Maj. Ruth
DePass who raised the breed in Kiln, Mississippi. The breed was
admitted into the American Kennel Club in 1955 as a member of
the Hound Group. The first ridgebacks in Britain were shown by
Mrs Edward Foljambe in 1928.
As hunters, Ridgebacks were sent out in packs of two or more
(usually twenty) to track down, then corner and wear down a lion
by taunting and goading it into confusion, a tactic known as
keeping the lion "at bay". The dogs, working in revolving groups,
kept the lion at bay until the hunter arrived to dispatch the
occupied lion with a well placed rifle shot from relatively close
range. However, because of the very vicious reaction from the lion,
this hunting method was a sort of suicide for the dogs and was
used rarely.
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