The Only Breed That Can Live to Bark About It

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is the only breed of dog in the world that can keep a lion at bay for a hunter to dispatch – and live to bark about it.

Ridebacks are a tough, versatile breed. When South African settlers needed a dog that could flush birds, pull down a wounded stag, guard the farm and withstand the rigors of the African bush, they developed the Ridgeback. In addition to keeping lions at bay, there have also been reports of Rhodesians having been trained to point upland game and retrieve game and fowl, but we’ll defer to the breed experts to weigh in on that.

We’ve read that Europeans exploring the Cape of Good Hope interior encountered Hottentot tribes which kept domesticated dogs distinguished by hair on their spines growing forward. It’s never been definitely determined whether the peculiarity of the Ridgeback’s ridge originated in South Africa, or on the island of Phu Quoc, and perhaps one of our Ridgeback owners can weigh in on this, as well.

We don’t have permission to share an interesting chart we found on a website illustrating acceptable and unacceptable ridge patterns, but you can visit this link to see it at the bottom of the page:http://www.rrcus.org/club/breedinfo/elaboration.htm

Image: Rhodesian Ridgebacks by Przemila Koscielna
Find her work here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CanisArtStudio

3 thoughts on “The Only Breed That Can Live to Bark About It”

  1. Thai Ridgeback Dog kom sannsynligvis til Afrika med fiskere fra asia og blandet seg med slavehandlernes/plantasje eiernes europeiske hunder Great dane/mastiff m.m Ridgen er et dominant gen.og hengende ører er et defekt gen skapt/avlet frem av mennesker,Typisk for blandingshund er også en hvit flekk på brystet selv om de kryssede rasene ikke har hvit i standarden,(rottweiler x sort labrador ofte hvit flekk på bryst),Rhodesian Ridgeback har Ingen holdbar link til noen utdødd `hotentott` hund med ridge.Vedlegg bilde av ca360år gammelt oljemaleri av Thai Ridgeback Dog(rød).blå/grå er en mutasjon fra et kull fra1950årene og alle blå/ grå stammer fra dette kull

    • Google translate: Thai Ridgeback Dog probably came to Africa with fishermen from asia and mingled with the slave traders/ plantation owners’ European dogs Great dane/mastiff m.m Ridgen is a dominant gene.and hanging ears are a defective gene created/bred by humans,Typical for mixed dogs is also a white spot on the chest although the crossed breeds do not have white in the standard,(rottweiler x black labrador often white spot on chest),Rhodesian Ridgeback has no durable link to any extinct ‘hotentott’ dog with ridge. Attachment image of about 360 years old oil painting of Thai Ridgeback Dog(red).blue/gray is a mutation from a litter from the 1950s and all blue/gray stems from this litter

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