Out of Africa
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a breed that has fascinated all dog enthusiasts since it emerged from the relative obscurity of the southern sub-continent. Its origins trace back to a hunting dog, which was capable of taking on big game such as lions, cheetas, and baboons. These dogs were also valued for their fiercely loyal temperament, which made them the perfect companions for a tribe that was constantly on the move, facing danger on a daily basis. Temperament The Breed Standard states that the Rhodesian Ridgeback should be: "Dignified, intelligent, aloof with strangers, but showing no aggression or shyness", and this sums up the Ridgeback temperament. Once you have owned a Ridgeback, there will be no other breed for you: they are second to none, as far as character is concerned. A Ridgeabck is tremendously adaptable, and it can be a loyal one-man dog or a perfect family pet. Their intelligence and understanding is awesome - it is almost human at times - but they have an independent spirit, and this should always be respected. The Ridgeback loves to please: it will be your friend and equal, but never your slave - its to clever for that. this is a dog that can think for itself - and it may be quite stubborn in exerting its will. Ridgebacks will always be patient with children, and will tolerate their advances. However, ridgebacks if they are not used to them they will prefer to withdraw, rather than being fussed and over handled. If ridgebacks are used to children, they will be far more positive in their reactions. History African Lion Dog The breed's long history dates back to early in the 18th 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 frustratingly 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. It is likely that the Great Dane, 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 The American Kennel Club in 1955 as a member of the Hound Group. As hunters, Ridgebacks were sent out in a pair, often in larger groups, to wear a lion down by taunting and goading it into confusion. This dog was acutely aware of the danger played out during this drama. Nevertheless, the tenaciousness of this devoted animal could be depended on to corner or "bay" the lion while the human hunters stepped in for the final kill. (The poor accuracy of the rifles of this time in history required close proximity to the beast to effect the objective) 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 do so on some occasions. 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. As with all dogs, they should never be left alone with young children. 
Temperament Ridgebacks are loyal, intelligent, gentle, and the males are very independent, the females always stay close to their owner and they protect him . 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. 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 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. 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 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 thought to be derived from the ridged hunting dog of the (literally, "men of men"; native South African people, referred to by the Europeans as Hottentots). In some cases, Ridgebacks will grow a small, second crown on their head about an inch long, which is totally independent of the ridge along their back. 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. Dogs 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, Bitches 24-26 inches (61-66 cm) and approximately 70 lb (32 kg). Ridgebacks 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 dog's color (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 so therefore 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. While the deeper red wheaten was often favored by judges in the past, it seems now all shades of wheaten are being included in the winners circle including the liver nose. Color variants such as brindles, black-and-tans and blue dilutes appear occasionally but not commonly and are definitely not considered acceptable for anything but being pets. In the show ring, white on the feet and chest is common but it is preferred to not reach the shoulder or above the dew claws on the feet. The FCI standard considers white on the belly or above the toes 'undesireable'. The only disqualification in the AKC standard for this breed is ridgelessness.UK Breed Standard General Appearance Characteristics Peculiarity is the ridge on the back formed by hair growing in opposite direction to the remainder of the coat. Ridge must be regarded as the escutcheon of the breed. Ridge clearly defined, tapering and symmetrical, starting immediately behind shoulders and continuing to haunch and containing two identical crowns only, opposite each other, lower edges of crown not extending further down ridge than one third of its length. Up to 5cm (2 ins) is a good average width of ridge.
Handsome, strong, muscular and active dog. Symmetrical in outline, capable of great endurance with fair amount of speed. Mature dog is handsome and upstanding.