We thought it important for those who might visit with us to know more about the origins of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, recommended breed information sources, a description of the general appearance of the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed, and a little about the care, exercise and training necessary for a healthy, happy Ridgeback.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback’s Origins

Jan van Riebeeck established a refreshment station in the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) in 1652. European Settlers arrived and were granted permission to settle on their own farms. They soon realized the value of a good dog in the “wilderness” of Africa. The European breeds soon succumbed to the diseases and dangers of Africa. In their contact with the Hottentots, the Settlers became aware of the quality of the Hottentot dogs. These were medium sized animals, weighing about 40 pounds, reddish in color with a pointed muzzle. They were wary of strangers, extremely vicious and their most distinguishable feature, apart from their extraordinary skill and savagery in hunt, was a ridge, which ran along their backs. Settlers crossed the European breeds with the indigenous African dogs and a useful, hardy frontier dog began to evolve.

Early Rhodesia was lion country and a form of lion hound was urgently needed. The heterogeneous ancestry of the early Ridgeback type made him an ideal candidate. He possesses a good nose (bloodhound/pointer), speed (greyhound), stamina (fox/stag hound), courage and tenacity (bulldog/bull terrier), dash and spirit (Irish terrier). His skill at tackling predators, hardiness against disease and his hallmark, the ridge, he owed to the Hottentot Hunting Dog.

A Rev. Charles Helm ran the Mission of Hope Fountain in Matabeleland in the southern region of today’s Zimbabwe. In 1879 he brought two ridged dogs from the Swellendam district in South Africa, to his new house. The mission was located at a crossroad, and stop place for many travelers crossing the region, among whom were the famed “white hunters” including Cornelius van Rooyen, who were hunting the big African preys, elephants and lions.

Helm’s dogs impressed Cornelius van Rooyen; he asked Helm if he would agree to cross breed his dogs. This breeding resulted in more ridge dogs closer to the hunting needs of van Rooyen. He continued to breed and improve his dogs, which started to be known as “van Rooyen dogs”. Many of the offspring resembled the modern Ridgebacks, with smooth coats and most with ridges. As van Rooyen’s fame as a hunter grew, so his hounds became equally famous and very much in demand. 

Apart from their special ability to bay lions, these dogs were also adept at following and pulling down wounded antelope and other small to medium game. With amazing stamina, they could keep up a steady lope beside the hunter’s horse for many miles across the roughest terrain and were resistant to the maladies of the tsetse fly country. Here, at last was a really versatile “hound of Africa”.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback a.k.a. “Lion Dog” became a recognized breed by the Kennel Union of South Africa in 1924. In November 1955, the American Kennel Club admitted the Rhodesian Ridgeback to its studbook as the 112th breed to be accorded AKC registration status. Each year the AKC publishes its annual list of the most popular breeds amongst American families. The latest AKC update shows of the 154 dog breeds registered with AKC the Ridgeback was ranked No. 54 with 2,424 dogs registered in 2005. The 2005 AKC litter registration statistics show the Ridgeback to be ranked No. 67 with 595 registered litters. The breed is no longer considered rare in the United States.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback as a breed adapts remarkably well to almost any lifestyle, whether city life in a small backyard, farm or ranch life with acres to run and explore. As natural guard dogs, a stranger is announced, and as a family dog, they will attach themselves to one member of the family to call their own, but will watch over their entire bonded family. Considered by most to be a dual sight and scent hound, they are categorized in the United States as a sight hound. Ridgebacks enjoy being part of the family, they love attention and are very affectionate around the family unit. They usually have a favorite lounging spot in the house and for the most part while indoors they have a low activity level. But they do require a lot of exercise outdoors to keep them happy. Our dogs are most certainly our best friends.

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Recommended Breed Information Sources

P. Nicolsan. J. Parker. The Complete Rhodesian Ridgeback

Ringpress 1991  ISBN 0 948955 813

Stig G. Carlson; Pet Owner’s Guide to the Rhodesian Ridgeback

Ringpress 1998  ISBN 1 86054 058 9

The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States

http://www.rrcus.org

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Taking Care of your Rhodesian Ridgback

 --  by Mari Rice of MaraTana Rhodesian Ridgebacks

Bathing

Because of their short, sleek coats, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are very easy to care for. Our dogs are indoor/outdoor dogs and we bathe them every 10 days or so. We use an oatmeal based shampoo which you can buy at any pet store. Items you will need before you begin to bathe your dog are:

• Two (2),five gallon water pails
• One (1) plastic jug to pour water on dog’s coat
• Dog oatmeal based shampoo (there are a number available including for sensitive skin types).
• Several old towels

As our dogs are large, we bathe our dogs outside. I start by filling the two gallon water pails 3/4’s full with hot water and then carry the pails outside. Use a garden hose to fill the two pails “full” with water. The water temperature should be warm, not hot.

Make sure you have your “old” clothes on, then bring your dog on a leash to the bathing area. To free my hands, I drop the leash on the ground, hold it with one foot so both my hands are free. Then I start pouring warm water on the dog’s coat, then pour some shampoo on the dogs back, and then start lathering the shampoo all over the dog’s coat. We especially like the idea of bathing our dogs regularly as it is an opportunity to examine the dog’s entire body. Should a lump or scratch appear which may cause an infection, we can be aware of the problem and care for it immediately. Rinsing the soap off thoroughly is very important! Towel dry and very importantly use a soft brush to groom the dog’s coat. Their coats are not dense and you could cause harm to the skin if a coarse brush is used.

Nails

Trimming dog nails can be quite a challenge. We trim our puppy’s nails at an early age but have noticed that the older the dogs become the less excited they get about toenail trimming. Toenail trimming works much better if there are two people available to handle the dog. We usually provide “treats” as a decoy, one person trims the nails and the other person provides the treats.

There are several types of nail cutters available on the market. We use the crimp-style. When trimming nails be careful not to go “in” too deep into the nail and sensitive nerve. Just trim the edge of the nail. How often you trim your dog’s nails will depend on whether your dog spends most of his/her time on hard surfaces or soft ground. Nail trimming may need to be done as often as weekly or your dog may needed it as infrequently as monthly. A good gauge of proper length is the dog’s nail ends should not touch the ground when they are standing.

Teeth

With our younger puppies, we use a doggy tooth brush and toothpaste to clean their teeth. These products are available at pet stores or your veterinarian. If you start cleaning the puppy’s teeth early, they will get use to the routine. Clean puppy teeth every other day or so. For our grown dogs we visit our meat market regularly for doggy “knuckle” type bones that have lots of marrow to gnaw on. The bones are a wonderful way to clean dog teeth. We always pick up the small leftover bones and throw them away after the dogs are done with the bones. Our veterinary clinic regularly offers “dog teeth cleaning”.

Ears

Because of their hanging ears, Ridgebacks can develop yeast/fungal infections. Their ears need to be cleaned and checked regularly. I use 1 part water to 1 part apple cider vinegar mixture. Using a hemostat clamp on the swab, I dip it in the vinegar mixture. The hemostat clamp allows you to get down into the ear and clean the crevices. Don’t go too far down into the ear.

Fleas/Heartworms

There are many flea/tick control products on the market these days. which can be purchased from your veterinarian or veterinarian dog catalogues. I like the once a month topical treatments, such as Frontline. In order to control flea problems we suggest:

• Wash dog blankets once a week in HOT water.
• Vacuum the house regularly; throw the used vacuum bag away when vacuuming is complete.
• Treat yard every 3-6 months - spray or dusting.
• Have a fenced yard to keep “outside” dogs or cats OUT of your yard.

Contact your veterinarian to determine if heartworm treatment is necessary for your dog in the area where you live. Our dog’s coats ALWAYS shine and we attribute that to the regular grooming the dogs receive and to the dog nutrition which we use which is marketed as providing a “healthy radiance”. We routinely do internal parasite evaluations on our dogs which I also attribute to them looking so healthy. 

Exercise/Play Time

We have a 1/4-acre enclosure dedicated just for our dogs to “hang out”. The area is large and has a 6 foot fence around it and is directly behind our house so we can see what the “gang” is doing at all times. The dogs love to run and play with each other especially early in the morning and in the evenings around sundown. Our vegetable garden is also in the same area as where the dogs hang out. The garden is off-limits to the dogs. Victoria is the only one who actually gets into trouble every now and again as she ends up in the “garden”. She knows exactly what she is doing and it is her way of teasing us. During the Texas spring and long, hot summer months, Shadow and his daughter Shahmonay will lie in the two water tanks to cool down which are also in the 1/4 acre enclosure.  To Shadow’s pleasure a bunny would often appear in “their” enclosure and then all the fun begins as the dogs chase after the clever bunny. No bunny has yet been caught -- to Shadow’s dismay -- as there are just too many dens for the bunnies to hide under. We also take our dogs for regular walks to visit the neighborhood, so they all get lots of exercise.

In all cases, we do advise and recommend consulting with your veterinarian regarding the proper care and treatment of your Rhodesian Ridgeback.

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The Official AKC Rhodesian Ridgeback Breed Standard

General Appearance: The Ridgeback represents a strong, muscular and active dog, symmetrical and balanced in outline. A mature Ridgeback is a handsome, upstanding and athletic dog, capable of great endurance with a fair (good) amount of speed. Of even, dignified temperament, the Ridgeback is devoted and affectionate to his master, reserved with strangers. The peculiarity of this breed is the ridge on the back. The ridge must be regarded as the characteristic feature of the breed.

Size, Proportion, Substance: A mature Ridgeback should be symmetrical in outline, slightly longer than tall but well balanced. Dogs - 25 to 27 inches in height; Bitches - 24 to 26 inches in height. Desirable weight: Dogs - 85 pounds; Bitches - 70 pounds.

Head: Should be of fair length, the skull flat and rather broad between the ears and should be free from wrinkles when in repose. The stop should be reasonably well defined. Eyes-should be moderately well apart and should be round, bright and sparkling with intelligent expression, their color harmonizing with the color of the dog. Ears-should be set rather high, of medium size, rather wide at the base and tapering to a rounded point. They should be carried close to the head. Muzzle-should be long, deep and powerful. The lips clean, closely fitting the jaws. Nose-should be black, brown or liver, in keeping with the color of the dog. No other colored nose is permissible. A black nose should be accompanied by dark eyes, a brown or liver nose with amber eyes. Bite-jaws level and strong with well-developed teeth, especially the canines or holders. Scissors bite preferred.

Neck, Topline, Body: The neck should be fairly strong and free from throatiness. The chest should not be too wide, but very deep and capacious, ribs moderately well sprung, never rounded like barrel hoops (which would indicate want of speed). The back is powerful and firm with strong loins which are muscular and slightly arched. The tail should be strong at the insertion and generally tapering towards the end, free from coarseness. It should not be inserted too high or too low and should be carried with a slight curve upwards, never curled or gay.

Forequarters: The shoulders should be sloping, clean and muscular, denoting speed. Elbows close to the body. The forelegs should be perfectly straight, strong, and heavy in bone. The feet should be compact with well-arched toes, round, tough, elastic pads, protected by hair between the toes and pads. Dewclaws may be removed.

Hindquarters: In the hind legs, the muscles should be clean, well defined and hocks well down. Feet as in front.

Coat: Should be short and dense, sleek and glossy in appearance but neither wooly nor silky.

Color: Light wheaten to red wheaten. A little white on the chest and toes permissible but excessive white there, on the belly or above the toes is undesirable.

Ridge: The hallmark of this breed is the ridge on the back which is formed by the hair growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. The ridge must be regarded as the characteristic feature of the breed. The ridge should be clearly defined, tapering and symmetrical. It should start immediately behind the shoulders and continue to a point between the prominence of the hips and should contain two identical crowns (whorls) directly opposite each other. The lower edge of the crowns (whorls) should not extend further down the ridge than one third of the ridge. Disqualification: Ridgelessness. Serious Fault: One crown (whorl) or more than two crowns (whorls).

Gait: At the trot, the back is held level and the stride is efficient, long, free and unrestricted. Reach and drive expressing a perfect balance between power and elegance. At the chase, the Ridgeback demonstrates great coursing ability and endurance.

Temperament: Dignified and even tempered. Reserved with strangers.

Scale of Points:

General appearance, size, symmetry and balance 20 Ridge 20 Head 15 Legs and feet 15 Neck and shoulders 10 Body, back, chest, and loin 10 Coat and color 5 Tail 5   Total 100

Disqualification: Ridgelessness

Approved by The American Kennel Club on August 11, 1992 and effective September 30, 1992

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Last Update: May 11, 2008

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