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Nugget's Rhodesian Ridgebacks
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About the Breed
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Breed Standard
General Appearance
The Ridgeback represents a strong, muscular and active dog, symmetrical and balanced
in outline. A mature Ridgeback is a handsome, upstanding and athletic dog, capable of great endurance with a fair (good) amount
of speed. Of even, dignified temperament, the Ridgeback is devoted and affectionate to his master, reserved with strangers.
The peculiarity of this breed is the ridge on the back. The ridge must be regarded as the characteristic feature of
the breed.
Size, Proportion, Substance
A mature Ridgeback should be symmetrical in outline, slightly longer than tall but well balanced. Dogs--25 to 27
inches in height; Bitches--24 to 26 inches in height. Desirable weight: Dogs--85 pounds; Bitches--70 pounds.
Head
Should
be of fair length, the skull flat and rather broad between the ears and should be free from wrinkles when in repose. The stop
should be reasonably well defined. Eyes--should be moderately well apart and should be round, bright and sparkling
with intelligent expression, their color harmonizing with the color of the dog. Ears--should be set rather high, of
medium size, rather wide at the base and tapering to a rounded point. They should be carried close to the head. Muzzle--should
be long, deep and powerful. The lips clean, closely fitting the jaws. Nose--should be black, brown or liver, in keeping
with the color of the dog. No other colored nose is permissible. A black nose should be accompanied by dark eyes, a brown
or liver nose with amber eyes. Bite--jaws level and strong with well-developed teeth, especially the canines or holders.
Scissors bite preferred.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck should be fairly strong and free from throatiness.
The chest should not be too wide, but very deep and capacious, ribs moderately well sprung, never rounded like barrel hoops
(which would indicate want of speed). The back is powerful and firm with strong loins which are muscular and slightly arched.
The tail should be strong at the insertion and generally tapering towards the end, free from coarseness. It should not be
inserted too high or too low and should be carried with a slight curve upwards, never curled or gay.
Forequarters
The shoulders should be sloping, clean and muscular, denoting speed. Elbows close to the body. The forelegs should be
perfectly straight, strong and heavy in bone. The feet should be compact with well-arched toes, round, tough, elastic pads,
protected by hair between the toes and pads. Dewclaws may be removed.
Hindquarters
In the hindlegs the
muscles should be clean, well defined and hocks well down. Feet as in front.
Coat
Should be short and dense,
sleek and glossy in appearance but neither woolly nor silky.
Color
Light wheaten to red wheaten. A little
white on the chest and toes permissible but excessive white there, on the belly or above the toes is undesirable.
Ridge
The hallmark of this breed is the ridge on the back which is formed by the hair growing in the opposite direction
to the rest of the coat. The ridge must be regarded as the characteristic feature of the breed. The ridge should be clearly
defined, tapering and symmetrical. It should start immediately behind the shoulders and continue to a point between the prominence
of the hips and should contain two identical crowns (whorls) directly opposite each other. The lower edge of the crowns (whorls)
should not extend further down the ridge than one third of the ridge.
Disqualification: Ridgelessness. Serious Fault:
One crown (whorl) or more than two crowns (whorls).
Gait
At the trot, the back is held level and the stride
is efficient, long, free and unrestricted. Reach and drive expressing a perfect balance between power and elegance. At the
chase, the Ridgeback demonstrates great coursing ability and endurance.
Temperament
Dignified and even
tempered. Reserved with strangers.
Scale of Points
| General appearance, size, symmetry and balance |
20 |
| Ridge |
20 |
| Head |
15 |
| Legs and Feet |
15 |
| Neck and Shoulders |
10 |
| Body, Back, Chest and Loin |
10 |
| Coat and Color |
5 |
| Tail |
5 |
| Total |
100 |
Disqualification
Ridgelessness
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Rhodesian Ridgeback Did You Know?
- The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large, muscular dog originally bred in South Africa to hunt lions. It is also known as the
African Lion Hound.
- The peculiarity of the Ridgeback breed is the ridge of hair which grows forward on his back.
- In 1922, a group of Rhodesian breeders set up a standard for Ridgebacks which has remained virtually unchanged ever since.
- The Rhodesian Ridgeback was admitted to registry by the AKC in 1955.
- The breed was created by the Hottentots, a native race of South Africa, and the early Dutch, German, and Huguenot settlers
who emigrated there.
They combined Danes, Mastiffs, Greyhounds, Bloodhounds, Terriers, and other breeds with the half-wild
Hottentot hunting breed to create the Ridgeback.
- Not surprisingly, the lack of a defining ridge on the back is unacceptable in the Ridgeback breed.
Rhodesian Ridgeback History
The Rhodesian Ridgeback, sometimes referred to as the African Lion Hound, is a native of South Africa bred by the Boer
farmers to fill their specific need for a serviceable hunting dog in the wilds.
Immigrants to South Africa in the 16th
and 17th centuries brought with them Danes, Mastiffs, Greyhounds, Bloodhounds, Terriers and other breeds. In 1707, European
immigration was closed for one hundred years, and the native dogs played an important part in the development and ultimate
character of the Ridgeback.
The Hottentots, a native race living in range of these early settlers, had a hunting dog
that was half-wild with a ridge on his back formed by the hair growing forward. There was interbreeding between these dogs
and those of the settlers, this crossbreeding, in due course, established the foundation stock of our present day Ridgeback.
Of necessity, the Boer farmer developed by selective breeding, a distinct breed of the African Veldt-the Ridgeback.
In
1877 Rev. Helm introduced two Ridgebacks into Rhodesia where big game hunters found them outstanding in the sport of hunting
lions on horseback. They raised and bred these dogs with an appreciation for their exceptional hunting qualities, the ridge
on their back becoming a unique trademark. In 1922, a group of Rhodesian breeders set up a standard for Ridgebacks, which
has remained virtually unchanged ever since.
Some outstanding specimens were imported to the United States in 1950
and the breed was admitted to registration by the AKC in 1955.
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For more Info just ask! :)
Nugget's Rhodesian Ridgebacks
kristen21389@msn.com
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