Rhodesian Ridgebacks

The Rhodesian ridgeback was referred to as the
Lion Dog. It is a mix of many breeds. In Africa there
was a local dog called the Hottentot dog, which
played a role in starting the breed. It was a relatively
small dog, pariah type, very fierce with a pointed
muzzle, standing ears, and a bushy long tail. What
made it different was its mark along the spine. The
hair was growing in reverse direction as the rest of
the coat called the ridge. There is only one other
breed to carry this ridge in the world, it is the
Thailand Ridgeback. To this day no one knows if one
came from the other place or if independently there
were two to carry the ridge in different parts of the
world. When the Europeans first settled in Africa
they did bring dogs. However they needed a strong
hardy dog that could withstand the harsh conditions
of Africa, help hunt down game and protect the
homestead from predators. They bred their dogs
with the Hottentot dog hoping to produce a better
hunter / protector for Africa’s conditions,at that time
beauty was not a factor. No one is sure what breeds
they exactly were, many assume mastiff types. As
more settlers arrived so did different breeds such
as blood hounds, Staghounds, grey hounds, and fox
hounds, bulldogs, terriers, and pointers.

A man named reverend Charles Helm took two ridge
dogs to Rhodesia. A very well known game hunter
named Cornelius Van Rooyen, admired their hunting
skills and then bred them with his own dogs hoping
to improve his pack. They were very similar to the
breed today. Through him the dogs were established
and became famous for their hunting abilities, which
is were the name, The Lion Hunter came from. They
were the only breeds capable of baying a lion until
the hunter arrived.
The RR is classified a sight hound in AKC; but they’re
also a scent hound . In 1922 the standard for the RR
was created. Francis Barnes and many others
founded The RR (Lion dog) club of Africa. The clubs
wanted to encourage showing this breed and retain
the breed’s characteristics, they admired this
handsome dog with its natural hunting abilities. In
1924 the breed was accepted by the South African
Kennel Union and attain an official status.
In the 1040’s the breed was first imported to the US.
By 1955 the RR was recognized by AKC as a
purebred. To this day they still are not very well
known, but are increasing in popularity.

Gondwana Ridgebacks

Brief History of The Rhodesian
Ridgeback breed.

General appearance

The RR should be a muscular, strong, active dog,
symmetrical and balanced outline. It is very
handsome and should have great endurance with a
great amount of speed. The Ridgebacks peculiarity is
the ridge on it’s back, and must be considered as a
characteristic of the breed. The ridge should be
clearly defined with two identical crowns opposite
each other tapering and symmetrical. It will start
immediately behind the shoulders and continue to
the hips.
The RR is considered aloof or reserved with
strangers. However very protective, loyal,
affectionate and loving to it’s family. They are
independent, which can be seen as stubborn, very
intelligent and learn quickly. They are good guardians
of the home. They only bark when necessary. So if
they do, it’s best to see what they have seen. They
are always observing looking for movement whether
inside or outside. They need a lot of exercise and
they love to run. The RR is very affectionate and
needs to be part of the family. They need to be near
you. They will sometimes even shadow you if you let
them. So you need to dedicate time and love to a
ridgeback. If you work long hrs and don’t like to
exercise, then this breed is probably not for you.