An overview of the of
Rhodesian Ridgeback
its
Character, Temperament & Personality.
By S.H. Stewart
Character/Temperament in the Original and Contemporary
Bush Environments
To obtain some understanding of these
magnificent animals it is firstly necessary to appreciate their
multi-faceted nature, their flexibility and adaptability, their
excessively affectionate and sensitive nature, their highly
developed intelligence, but, most importantly, their strong
adherence to pack law. This last mentioned feature results in
them bonding very strongly with the pack as a whole to insure
mutual survival i.e. they are prepared to offer up their lives in
defense of the pack. When placed in the company off us humans
(when living with us) they will bond with us and, having done so,
behave in accordance with their nature which entails defending
the family/pack unit to the fullest extent of their abilities.
It is this bonding procedure which is fairly tricky because in
their society pack-law is enforced in a manner which we could
not possibly contemplate. They must, non-the-less, accept us as
leaders in spite of our generally whimpish (in their terms)
attitudes. Fortunately they are excessively affectionate and they
find our equally affectionate response to them to be a powerful
mitigating factor. They still expect strong (in fact harsh)
leadership from us from time to time.
Having bonded with you (and one cannot over-emphasise the
tremendous importance of this bonding experience in how they will
evaluate the position) you have gained the friendship and
affection of a truly loyal companion for the duration of his/her
life. It is a relationship which is fully experienced by the
human and it is probably this quality alone which places the
Rhodesian Ridgeback in a position of awe and respect with all of
us who have successfully bonded with these fine, brown coloured,
everlasting friends.
However, there are good reasons for the behavioral patterns
of these dogs. They were carefully and specifically bred in
Rhodesia from several well-known (mainly hound) breeds of dogs to
perform a specific function which was to bay lion. Now baying
entails distracting the "objective" in such a way that
it remains in that one location for as long as it takes to
complete the exercise which, usually, entailed someone shooting
the "objective" from extremely close-up, using the very
ineffective rifles of those times. Hence the need for "baying" that
"objective".
The lion is probably the world's most efficient predator
(killer). He does not waste his skills; he kills to eat or to
protect himself; there is nothing frivolous about his killing
capabilities. And the Ridgeback knows this. Our little dogs have
tremendous respect, bordering on fear, for the big cats. And
quite rightly so . To a lion a Rhodesian Ridgeback, physically, represents
no threat whatsoever: further, there is very little effort
required of the lion to dispose of this dog. And the Ridgeback is
fully aware of this reality. But the lion also knows that the
Ridgeback can overcome his fear and proceed to goad and terrorize
him (because that is what his activities amount to). In spite of
his physical inferiority the Ridgeback represents a very real
psychological threat to the lion. And so "the game is on"
and one of nature's potentially most unequal contests takes place
successfully as a result of the intelligence/cunning and
speed/power of the dog.
Fortunately the rifles of today preclude, by and large, the
need for the baying capability of these extremely brave brown
dogs. No longer is there any necessity for the hunter to close
within 30 metres of the lion purely due to the inadequacy of his
weaponry. However the dog is possessed of many other qualities
which insure him a place in all bush activities on a daily basis.
It is out there, running freely in the veldt, that you can witness
his specialist skills in dealing with every problem the bush can
throw at him. That is where he was designed to operate and that
is where he reigns supreme.
Just a little tip here. A Ridgeback has much in common with
the lion. They stalk in a similar fashion; if his colour is
wheaten their coats look the same; they are fearless and highly
intelligent etc, etc; so if you are in any doubt about any aspect
of the dog just think of the big cat and see if it provides a
solution.
Character/Temperament in the Domestic Environment
However,
his capabilities are not limited to the bush experience alone. He
is adaptable, very adaptable, and is equally effective in the
urban environment. To understand this fully one must look at his
ancestry. When the Rhodesian Ridgeback was being genetically
assembled, use was made off a great selection of hunting dogs in
order to obtain a very specific objective. German Short-haired
Pointers, Bulldogs, Greyhounds, Great Danes, Deer-Hounds,
Fox-Hounds, Bloodhounds, Sitkas, etc, etc, were used to produce a
dog that would fit the bill and meet these unusual demands. In
South Africa the position had two significant additional twists
to it. Firstly the "hunting dog" of that time (the late
1800's), and here we think of the Vuilbaard, Steekbaard etc, were
associated with the migration from the Cape to the interior.
These dogs were required to protect the goods, the chattels, the
farm animals (primarily cattle and sheep), and most importantly
the families, as the pioneers moved through uncharted areas
across Africa. Secondly, we must remember that until the 1940s
and 1950s the dog used predominantly by the hunters, and again
this is only a South African condition, was the Boerboel. Before,
and more importantly after, the Second World War those hunter's
changed over to the faster, more intelligent, breed originally
called the "lion dog", though by that stage the name of
Rhodesian Ridgeback was well entrenched regardless of genetic
history. The consequence is that the Rhodesian Ridgebacks bred in
South Africa must inevitably carry a significant component of the
genes of dogs actively used at the time. This is so whether these
dogs were the property of hunters of those times or descendants
of the dogs brought into the heart of the country by migration
from the deep South.
So we end up with a dog which draws its roots from a broad
selection of very well-known international (hound) breeds and
also from a relatively small number of purpose-designed dogs
which accompanied/worked for the Voortrekkers (pioneers) and the
hunters.
From this variety of forebears it is easy to concentrate on
breeding for specific features regardless of whether they
comprise character, conformation, or cosmetics. If the breeder
fails to comply with the original formula it is obviously a very
simple matter to emphasize this or that feature and to come up
with his particular and personal "Ridgeback". That is
why it is so important for us to keep producing broadly based
Ridgebacks which do not take any particular or specific
direction. That is also why the word "moderate" appears
so frequently in the Breed Standard
Intelligence as a Characteristic
One aspect though,
where we have not disrupted the basic RR, is his intelligence.
Perhaps we're losing the powerful resolve so necessary in a dog
which must face the world's most efficient and powerful predator.
Whether we are or not is hardly critical as we definitely are not
destroying the innate intelligence of the breed. This manifests
itself clearly in the oft held misconception that the RR is
stubborn; and so may it, hopefully, continue to be maligned for
many years to come. The reasons are obvious.
The Ridgeback is a highly intelligent animal. It is also
emotionally very sensitive, and it is not prepared to suffer the
injustice of being treated like a circus performer. Life to him
is a survival exercise and wasting his efforts on fruitless
entertainment performances is not his forte. If there is
something valid to prove your RR will do his best, dying for that
proof if required.
We give two examples to describe the modus operandi of our
favorite breed. The first one is well known and it concerns the
retrieval capabilities of these dogs. I observed my dog catching
a Francolin (Partridge) in flight which had not even been shot
at. Having personally been presented with the bird in a perfect
airworthy condition (it flew away like a bat out of hell) I can
vouch for the soft -mouthed performance of our brown haired
retriever. That is how he handles a live object, his action
suited to the demand.
When it comes to an inanimate object his behavior is
universally known. (It is almost included in the Breed Standard.)
Let us say you throw a ball past him and without any effective
communication he knows to run after it, catch it and bring it
back to you. (Perhaps he is a little bit reluctant about
surrendering it.) So you do it again and, lo and behold, you get
it back even more swiftly. You are now really on top of the
performance so you throw it for a third time. Ridgeback
psychology is not your strong point, and even you can read his
expression which says "go fetch it yourself". He loves
you dearly but didn't he already fetch it twice, and what was the
beneficial object of the whole exercise, nothing, absolutely
nothing. You must not stretch his credulity beyond the limit.
Because that is how he values the action. Is it credible? What
does it prove? Does it help you and him to survive?
The following example is perhaps easier to understand. There
is this very well trained RR who bays lion brilliantly. He goads
them into advancing towards and concentrating solely on himself
to the total exclusion of the human, 30 meters away, with a very
effective high-powered rifle in his hands. This presents that
by-standing hunter with the perfect opportunity to remove the
faintest tip from the lion's nose or the blackest hairs in his
tail. As is so often the case the hunter prefers to gaze upon the
lion and enjoy the presence of the "gentleman of the Bush",
and lets him "play" with his Ridgeback in the full
knowledge that the lion wont seriously go for him. (Who else gets
the chance to enjoy such a spectacular view of a fully-grown male
lion?) Here the Ridgeback will work on the lion again and again,
because there is a reason. He was bred to bay lion: it is his
life's calling. There really is no "play" here,
everything is deadly serious and all the participants know that.
But if it goes according to plan they will all survive and that
is why the Ridgeback will participate fully, again and again, and
yet again. The ball exercise proved nothing in comparison with
the real thing. That game was a bore, and because the Ridgeback
will not persist in performing tricks he can be typecast by some
as being "stubborn"
So what has this got to do with the average
home-owner and the Ridgeback he maintains in a residential type
of environment? Quite a lot in fact; let us look at the behavior
of that dog mentioned earlier which bayed lion. He is also
responsible for security at a gate which opens on to the lane at
the back of his home in Pretoria. He is sent out to report on its
status; he must bark once if no one is there and twice if there
is a visitor. All very well, but should you require that he
re-check the gate within three minutes he won't even move because
he knows that no one could have walked there within that period
of time who was not within eyesight when last he checked. So you
say he is not so smart because someone could have run, (not
walked) or arrived there on a bicycle. And this has in fact
previously happened; he heard them, went to the gate without
instruction, and barked twice: he automatically does so for
anyone who arrives at the gate should he not be instructed in
time to check them out.
Exercise Requirements
He needs regular exercise,
say twice a week, off lead and in open country. Take note; he can
cover half a kilometer in a frighteningly short matter of
seconds. So you usually keep him on lead because, even if he has
no evil intent whatsoever, the manner of his advance doesn't look
at all friendly to the average dog he might approach. No, your
problems are much more likely to involve other dogs having a go
at your Ridgeback. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but the only strange dogs my
Ridgeback shows any interest in whatsoever are other Ridgebacks.
On the other hand, just about every second strange dog wants to
have a go at my little fellow; all too often they are off lead,
or they break away. But I'm proud of his ability to shoulder them
off repeatedly until his patience (or mine?) runs out, the lead is
released, and equilibrium is restored.
A Powerful Dog Capable of Protection Duties
One
must understand that the RR is powerful, even stronger than he
looks. His muscles are clearly defined, but his ability to
generate power far exceeds his appearance. Further he is
possessed of very strong jaws which he can use, if ever the need
arises, in a most effective manner. Consequently we strongly
advise people against taking their Ridgeback to Attack Training.
He will leap to your defense should the need arise. We can put
you in touch with Ridgeback owners who have graphic experience of
the Rhodesian Ridgeback in his protection role.
His Attitude Towards Children
The approach of the
Rhodesian Ridgeback towards children is legendary. They, the
children, are the weakest members of the pack and must be
defended with increased vigour. The RR's are very conscious of
those "soft" targets and make a greater effort to
protect them. But the Ridgeback is aloof with strangers, and his
attitude is not age-related. So your dog will be as reserved when
dealing with a strange child as with a strange adult. If he must
take action he will be most gentle with the child (they have an
emotional appreciation of the young and adjust their responses
accordingly). If needs be he will retreat from the path of the
child, usually after a gruff exclamation.
The Hunter
As with most Hounds, the RR can prove to
be a most formidable hunter. He is equipped with enough "fire
power" to cope with most bush-related situations. However
one should never forget that he was bred to BAY Lion, not kill
them, which is in any event a ludicrous concept at the best of
times. He has been provided with great intelligence and physical
power. Add to this his extreme sensitivity to the mental posture
of others and he has the opportunity to assess the future
intentions of his adversary well before the opposition has had a
chance to move. When over-faced he must use his considerable
physical attributes to make good his escape, but this of course
hinges on his pack loyalties and responsibilities at the time.
His success at baying, and escaping, depends upon his strength,
his maneuverability, his feinting tactics, but more importantly
upon his ability to make the correct survival decisions. He
should be possessed of a strong fore-chest because that is his
primary strike weapon. We have all observed their very robust
tactics while at play and how the one can crash into the other
with significant sound effects. There are stories that he can hit
a kudu (say 300kg) with sufficient force to cause it to stumble
and provide him with an opportunity to obtain a good throat-hold.
Perhaps, but these are stories from long ago and have little
relevance in today's world with its high-velocity long-range
accuracy rifles.
There is still much discussion about whether the RR is a
sight- or a scent-hound. Suffice it to say that he is excellent
in both regards, and for someone who takes a Ridgeback with him in
the bush the comment is justified, "who cares?" He will
give you ample warning of any "nasties" in close
proximity, and is unequalled when tracking down wounded animals.
He is so efficient in the latter duty that several hunters
believe he can "feel" where the injured animal is; he
often tracks far from the original spoor.
But when all is said and done there is nothing more reassuring
than the company of a Rhodesian Ridgeback when walking through
the African bush, regardless of the purpose or pursuit.
Nutrition:
This breed is basically healthy, strong,
illness-free and operates extremely well on a low-cost diet. The
original examples, whether in Matabeleland or what is now the
Kruger National Park, were not raised on steak. They doubtless
received their share of scraps from the kill. Like most dogs they
really enjoy a large bone to chew over, but they work through
them very quickly. The dog's diet must bear a strong relationship
to his lifestyle. There are plenty of feeding systems available
today, most of which are more than adequate. However, a fat
Ridgeback is a seriously sick Ridgeback and he should be
maintained, if at all possible, in slightly "lean"
trim. In the case of dogs taken into the bush regularly, and
which are brought into "bush-trim" as it is called,
there is a distinct loss of weight accompanied by a significant
increase in performance; and all without any noticeable change in
dietary requirements. That supposedly healthy, sleek dog off 43
kg comes down to 38 kg after a few months of hard work in the
bush. Though this is probably how he should look it certainly
doesn't make him any more attractive. His coat is sparse, the
skin is paper-thin, and his muscles and bones seem to stick out
everywhere.
Very few of our dogs will be brought into this condition. (It
is just as wearing on the human as the dog). But for the average
owner he must insure that the dog is given no more food than is
absolutely necessary to maintain him in good condition,
increasing the exercise level/reducing the intake when he gains a
bit too much.
Avoid giving him bones which can splinter: concentrate rather
on those bones which keep him busy for lots of hours on lots of
days. Most brands of food are cereal based and if you feel that
he needs a bit of "extra" you can sprinkle on some
"sawdust" obtained from your butcher. Consisting of
equal amounts of bone, fat, and meat, a level soupspoon full is
more than adequate for your adult dog, and if mixed in well will
encourage your four-legged friend to attack his meal with more
gusto. Remember however that this material is very perishable and
you must exercise great care while storing it.
Consult your vet about feeding requirements should you be in
any doubt. He can assess the condition of your dog and his
lifestyle and recommend the most suitable diet for you to follow.
Breed Standard
One of the most interesting aspects
of the Breed Standard is its remarkably lengthy, unaltered,
durability. In 1922 FR Barnes (of Eskdale fame) circularised
several owners of Ridgebacks/Lion Dogs requesting their
attendance at the second day of the Bulawayo Kennel Club Show
with the intention of formulating a standard for the breed. More
than 20 dogs were present and even their sizes were varied.
However they were indeed fortunate to have had Mr BW Durham
present. He was very experienced in the breed and it was he who
selected and put forward examples from the assembled group to be
used as the basis for given characteristics. He would use such
and such a dog for colour, then so and so for conformation, or
head, or neck, etc, etc. Within a few days thereafter Barnes had
compiled the standard which relied heavily for phraseology on
that covering the Dalmatian
What was there and then compiled in writing by Barnes still
stands today bar minor cosmetic changes concerning colour, eg
white and brindle (and where it is acceptable, if at all). There
is no doubt that the dogs used as examples of the breed in 1922
were not in the well-fed condition of the dogs of today. These
were working dogs which could not carry the luxury of unwanted
weight. Speed of retreat would provide them with a far greater
chance of survival than any factor other than intelligence (which
had just told them to get out before it was too late.) So a dog
of those days would have weighed approximately 20 per cent less
than the dog in our contemporary situation. In other words a dog
of 36 kg then equates to a 42kg dog of today for that one reason
alone. In this regard the Breed Standard probably requires
adjustment, but then one must not overlook the fact that the
standard provides a desirable weight, not an obligatory/immutable
one.
The Breed Standard used almost universally, and certainly the
only one supported by the country/area of origin, is that
sanctioned by the FCI. It is FCI 10/12/96 #146
Kenneling
Almost without exception the Rhodesian
Ridgeback is an extremely poor subject for kenneling. They
constitute a breed that desires and demands freedom of movement.
That obviously precludes being incarcerated in confined living
quarters. So leaving your RR in kennels becomes a predicament
which is best prepared for well in advance. Try putting him into
kennel for extremely short periods of time so that he/she
understands that he could be coming out fairly quickly, and
thereafter he is less likely to seek his own release. It is
almost impossible to arrange satisfactory containment for a
Ridgeback, regardless of sex or cause. Either they somehow manage
to organize escape or they sink into a psychological depression.
There are some kennels that make your dog far more welcome
than others, and they definitely help a lot. But even on your own
property, accompanied by your own personal attention, you can
experience major problems when restricting your dog in this way.
This matter necessitates much thought and pre-planning on your
behalf.
Training
The most common question asked about
training concerns the age at which you can commence. On the face
of it this does seem a logical inquiry, particularly in view of
the fact that many training schools don't want to see a puppy
until it is at least eight months old.
But a more practical attitude is required of the new dog owner
right from the start. You are not in a position to wait for six
months to pass you by before you start training your
two-month-old puppy that his toilet is an outdoors experience.
With a bit of luck he actually doesn't need any instruction
whatsoever, or he only makes one mistake anyway: this is so often
the case. The important thing is that "potty-training"
is easily understood by him as it obviously has a point, you are
very interested in the outcome and show your emotions on the
issue, and it is not something you repeat and repeat at the time.
Chances are that you are teaching him nothing else
simultaneously, and he is more than capable of learning one
sensible thing at a time.
He can also learn eating etiquette very easily at that age; in
fact the alacrity with which they learn anything associated with
food is quite astonishing. So do train your puppy, right from the
start, after contacting the breeder for guidance, and just
remember not to confuse him with varied commands, multi-tasking,
and boring repetition.
It is not unusual for a dog owner to feel that his pet is
really different from the rest and, naturally, a cut above them
all. We are more than justified in feeling this way about our
breed. The average training course was designed for GSD's, and no
one will dispute that an RR is definitely not a GSD. Whether you
are embarking on obedience, agility, versatility, attack
(hopefully not), or whatever discipline, there is no doubt
whatsoever that our Breed requires a somewhat different basic
approach. The main problem arises in his dislike for repetition (already described under ‘intelligence as a characteristic'
earlier on) and his need for a substantiated reason for the
required behavior.
I decided that I had reason to put a four year old bitch
through attack training for farm use. (Please note, again, we
repeat that attack training is not regarded as a good option for
our RR's; in fact we recommend strongly against it.) It was
extremely difficult to get her to bite when we reached that part
of the course, and for the first time she lagged behind the
others.
It is worth pointing out at this stage that the dogs
participating together were a GSD, a Rottweiler, a Doberman, a
Bull-terrier, a Staffie, and of course the Rhodesian Ridgeback .
Probably this assortment represents trouble to a trainer spelt in
capital block letters. The two terriers were a washout, the first
three mentioned trundled along at very much the identical rate of
progress, but the RR surged way ahead while we were tackling
obedience as an essential prerequisite to the more aggressive
discipline to follow. Most fortunately the trainer moved onto the
next skill as soon as the previous one had been mastered by any
one of them; and that one was always the RR. She left them all
floundering behind her and obviously reveled in these novel
experiences. So she and I omitted two sessions of the course to
let some of the others catch up, did the final "revision"
session, and went pell-mell into the attack phase.
As already stated she just refused to bite. So her ears were
given a couple of good jerks and, after the second "prompting",
she ran around behind me, launched into his proffered arm, and
started removing all the padding. Stopping her was something she
had yet to learn about, so she did another circuit behind me and
launched into him for the second time. Fortunately his reactions
were quick; he thumped his partly protected arm down on her head
while she made for his ankle. She backed off, ran around behind
me again, and launched herself at his throat. Once more his quick
reactions saved the day, while he fended her off with his ripped
up protected arm. I brought her under control, we mutually agreed
that attack methods necessitated no further embellishment, and
her attack-training days were over.
On reflection it all made sense. Why on earth did she have to
bite that follow. Sure, he was pointing at her, staring, making
stupid noises, acting very silly, but where was the threat. And
then he jerked her ears. Certainly the first time was
uncomfortable, but for heaven's sake he did it again. Then he
gets that clumsy arm in the way and she gets a mouthful of evil
tasting canvas, hessian, and grass stuck between her teeth which
she cannot spit out easily, so the obvious thing to do is to go
for a softer, tastier target.
It is amazing how much damage she wreaked in so short a time.
He had lost the outer covering on his arm-shield and was down to
the leather, and he didn't fancy that overly much for protection
in the circumstances. Also there was nothing for the other dogs
to hang onto, so "taking a bite" was out for the day in
any event.
It all went to prove why attack work is not to be recommended.
Ridgebacks have very powerful jaws. They lunge in, take a big bite,
use their potent necks to twist that very strong head, and then
jerk back violently, taking fresh bites whenever the current
mouthful yields.
Three other owners described almost identical experiences
after participation in attack courses with their Ridgies. They
are the only people I have contacted to date who have taken this
step, and they all had very definite reasons for doing so; but it
was fascinating to hear that our dogs all reacted in very much
the same fashion.
So if you wish to take your Rhodesian Ridgeback to training in
any of the disciplines, preferably go to someone who has
experience in the breed (or at least who professes interest in
it) and who doesn't think of them as being "stubborn".
Dermoid Sinus
Fortunately the affliction referred
to by us as Dermoid Sinus is almost a thing of the past with only
one or two per cent of puppies now being afflicted. It is a birth
defect brought about by circumstances in much the same manner as
Spina Bifida in the case of the human. Similarly it can be
avoided, as is the case with the human equivalent, by appropriate
treatment of the bitch with Folic Acid.
In the old days a third of the pups could be afflicted and,
though regarded as an inherited defect, no one seems to know why
our dogs suffer almost exclusive rights to this problem; just
where was it inherited from? After all, it is not so long since
the breed started and we should be able to track down all the
possible genetic sources. (On a field trip to check out the
ridges on Sitkas/iSiqas in the Amphitheatre region of the
Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal, not one owner there expressed any
knowledge of the Dermoid Sinus in any dog within his area.)
Consisting of a tube/funnel attached to the outer skin of the
whelp, it contains hair follicles within it which provide the
perfect location for generating puss should infection penetrate.
Placed somewhere along the center line from almost as far forward
as the stop to the end of the tail itself, it can become a large
suppurating sore which is most offensive to the observer. If of
the "blind' type it seems to cause the dog no discomfort
whatsoever, and a small number of owners successfully treat the
condition by applying Mercurochrome twice a day to the orifice
until the infection ceases and the tube closes up. Only a small
(2mm) fleck of hair lying in a slightly different direction
indicates where it had originally been located, and you really
must be in the know to find it.
On the other hand, if the sinus is attached to the neural
tube, intense pain will inevitably be suffered by the dog if and
when festering within the restrictive confines of that sinus tube
causes pressure to build up.
Regardless of your views on the matter, you should contact
your vet for professional assistance in dealing with the problem,
and withdraw any affected dogs permanently from the gene pool, i.e.,
from breeding. As far as puppies are concerned the breeder must
acquaint himself fully with the problem prior to his first litter
being whelped so that he can identify any instance of this
serious problem. It is no simple matter detecting a sinus and the
new breeder is advised to seek guidance from an experienced old
hand at the game. Failing this consult a vet who has more than
theoretical knowledge of the subject.
We cannot stress strongly enough just how upsetting this
affliction can be, so make sure that you are well informed before
the pups arrive; we can only be thankful that the incidence has
dropped to such acceptably low levels.
Hip Dysplasia
The condition of Hip Dysplasia (HD)
has generated tremendous attention over the last 20 to 30 years
with elbows and shoulders now being drawn into a more
all-inclusive approach. Fortunately Ridgebacks do not suffer
extensively from this disease and there are simple measures that
can be taken to reduce, and almost eliminate, your exposure to
the consequences. Firstly, ensure that whatever puppies/dogs you
buy come from HD free stock. All reputable breeders have their
dogs X-rayed (the generally accepted method for assessing HD
status) and can provide evidence of the resulting evaluations.
But more importantly you must provide the growing puppy with
the correct environment in which to reach maturity without
falling victim to this disease. In recent years the nutritional
experts have discovered just how important correct feeding is to,
in particular, the larger breeds. So they have paid particular
attention to fat, protein, and calcium levels, and the owner of a
growing dog should never increase the calcium intake beyond that
provided by recognized manufacturers without obtaining veterinary
advice. Further he should restrict exercise to a very modest
level until the pup is more than six months old.
These are the two most important requirements to be adhered to
by the owner. There are a few more which can be discussed in
general terms with the breeder. Please remember that the
principal fault to avoid is adding calcium to the diet of your
growing pup. This is the most likely cause for creating HD. The
nutritionists are now even recommending against providing calcium
additives to lactating bitches, something breeders have not been
vocally ‘anti' to date.
As said at the beginning, HD is not a particular problem for
our breed which is placed in the least affected top quarter of
all breeds of dogs checked extensively enough to provide
statistically indicative results. The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation
of America) lists Ridgebacks in 16th position from the top end of
a total sampling of 62 breeds. Also our breed is in the top ten
(top 16%) as far as having excellent hips is concerned.
So we do have a core of very good hips around; but on the
other hand, in the Hound Group (and remember that our breed is
based primarily on several well-known Hounds) we are placed third
bottom of the eight breeds covered. This aspect is a bit
disappointing, and we have no knowledge of HD being a problem in
the Hottentot Hunting Dog (or Sitka if you prefer). Much of the
original breeding stock used in creating the Ridgeback was of
mixed origin, definitely not pure-bred, and in South Africa we
must inevitably experience a heavy contribution from Boerboels as
they preceded the Ridgeback in this country as the hunters' dog
of choice. But in spite of these cloudy/half-breed origins we
would have hoped that our dog would compete more successfully
against his hound peers in the HD stakes. Survival of the fittest
was the cornerstone of the breed right from the start.
General
It is not possible to do justice on this
web-site to the wealth of information surrounding our favored
breed. It would take a book to give partial coverage to most
aspects and it is not remotely practical to devote more than 10
times the above space to the subject in this medium.
So we have not even touched on many very important subjects
such as breeding, diseases, showing, Phu Quoc Ridgebacks and
liver/brown noses, just to mention a few.
We do recommend further, more detailed, reading from the
excellent works by the following authors. We would mention,
however, that any book about Rhodesian Ridgebacks is difficult to locate
and often expensive when found; so we've provided a precis on the
major strengths of these offerings: -
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