Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Group 6: Run Scent hounds and related breeds
- Section 3 Related breeds
- Without working trial
Southern Africa
South Africa and Zimbabwe
Males 63-69 cm Bitches 61-66 cm
Males 36.5 kg Bitches 32 kg
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a recognized by the FCI breed of dog from South Africa and Zimbabwe ( FCI group 6, section 3, Standard No. 146). The breed is used in many parts of the world to hunt game, but also kept as a guard dog and family dog.
Origin and History
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is the only recognized breed of dog indigenous to southern Africa. It is based on ancient races of the former Cape Colony. These dogs, especially those of the Khoi Khoi, showed the reverse dorsal stripe, the Ridge. They felt at long distances on the Wild, warned of dangers and protect the settlements. They were later crossed by the colonialists with other races and used to guard their farms and to hunt lions and other big game. Their task was to track wild game and as long to tie in place until the hunters were on site. The original standard of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, 1922 established by the British Francis Richard Barnes in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, based on that of the Dalmatian and was approved in 1926 by the Kennel Union of Southern Africa.
Description
A Rhodesian Rigdeback is 63 to 69 cm ( at the withers ) and weighs about 36.5 kg. Bitches be at about 32 kg to 66 cm tall. The dogs are muscular, with a deep chest, moderately sprung ribs and slightly arched loins. The neck is rather long, the coat is short, dense, smooth and light wheaten to red wheaten, sometimes with black muzzle and dark ears: Some dogs have a white hair on the chest or toes. According to FCI standard should have a Rhodesian Ridgeback dark eyes black nose or amber eyes too bright " liver -colored " nose. The ears are the head tightly, forming high and medium in size.
The Ridge refers to a hair comb, in which the fur grows opposite to the normal direction of hair growth. It forms the most striking feature of the breed. In addition to the Rhodesian Ridgeback, there are only two other breeds, which also has this feature, the Thai Ridgeback and the Phu Quoc Ridgeback. Medically, it is the Ridge actually a mild form of spina bifida ( open spine ), which is a predisposition to a dermal sinus. This results in complications can arise because skin infections along the sinus can spread to the spinal cord.
The breeding Order of the British breed clubs held until 2008, that was born without Ridge puppies should be killed. After this regulation was made public as part of the documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed, the club has now removed it from its breeding regulations.
Nature
The FCI standard describes Rhodesian Ridgebacks as " dignified, intelligent, reserved with strangers, but showing no aggression or shyness ."
Rhodesian Rigdebacks are used as hunting dogs for the tracks and welding work, as Mantrailer or rescue dogs. They are suitable for dog sports such as agility, obedience or Lure Coursing. In Germany the breed is not recognized as a hunting dog breed.
Race list
The Rhodesian Ridgeback was at the 1992 race list in Bavaria. It was classified in 1992 with the introduction of the regulation on dogs with increased aggressiveness and dangerousness in Bavaria as a race in which the property is presumed to be a fighting dog, as long as it is not proven for the individual dog, that it has not increased aggressiveness and dangerousness. He was removed from this list because 2002 - thus founded the Ministry of Interior - after a series of inspections of the originally suspected dangerousness could no longer be assumed.