How did the ridge on a Rhodesian Ridgeback originate and for what purpose was it bred into the breed?
Topics: Dog Breeds | 5 Comments »By admin | March 5, 2010
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Posted by grumpy girl on 03.05.10 7:35 am
some native dogs in africa { hope i am spelling it right..Hottentot??} had a ridge trait, and it was found that the dogs with the ridges hunted better than those without. after discovering this, a couple of hunters started mixing breeds with these dogs, and after several generations of breeding these dogs, the ridgeback was formed.
Posted by I ⥠my doberman on 03.05.10 8:07 am
It was bred to help in the hunting of lions..i think it originated in Zimbabwe ….awesome dogs
Posted by dave on 03.05.10 8:44 am
Same reason different breeds look different. There were similarities of two dogs in the past and those breeders bred this trait into them over and over so in the end, you end up with desirable characteristics of certain said breeds. By the way, I seriously doubt the ridge has any effect on their ability to follow the scent of a lion.
Posted by gringo4541 on 03.05.10 9:10 am
The ridge has been passed on through umpteen generations, stretching back centuries to the ridged native dog of the Khoikhoi people of South Africa.
Both parents must have the ridge for the puppies to have the ridge. It is impossible for one or both parents to be without the ridge and still produce pups with a ridge.
The ridge was not the thing being bred into the dogs but simply a by-product of breedings that were done crossing Great Danes and possibly other breeds from Europe with the ridged African dogs to get the dogs that would become the Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
Posted by Judy on 03.05.10 9:53 am
The Khoikhoi tribe, sometimes called Hotentots in the old days, had a domesticated dog that had a ridge down its back. When the European settlers came, they brought dogs with them, such as Mastiffs, Great Danes, various retrievers, etc. When the settlers’ dogs cross bred with the native dogs, often the offspring had the ridge. The Settlers noticed that the dogs with ridges were better hunters and survivors and they then started breeding for the ridge. Early RRs came in all sizes and colors for that reason. The breed was standardized nearly 100 years ago, leading to today’s RRs.