Rhodesian Ridgeback temperament

Young dogs are very playful and active and these two main characteristics mask the true characteristics of a mature dogs. Ridgebacks mature at a age of two years, which is quite late and at the age of two and a half years, they can be trained well since their learning abilities derive from late maturing.

Because of this it is most important, that Ridgeback owners treat puppies and later young dogs with gentleness and at the same time with solid dominance over the dog.

Ridgebacks remember even the earliest impressions from the interaction with humans. They respond well to flattering, gentleness and also to a firm hand to lead them. Because of their strong will and stubborness no results can be expected if treated with violence or abuse, however if they are treated with finesse, reward and firm and uncompromising leadership, much can be taught to these beautiful animals. If treated as mentioned before all it takes for the Ridgeback to comply with your order is to change the tone of voice.

Ridgebacks do not report with barking or growling unless it is really important, they will only make notice of their presence when there is actual danger to their pack, meaning their family, their masters. An unwanted guest a Ridgeback will great with a threat, his masters friends with carelessness.

Love and admiration is truly reserved for only the loved ones, the family the Ridgeback lives with. However a Ridgeback does not forget a friend and this fact remains true even after years of not seeing each-other.

With a Ridgeback you need not to worry if the dog will react to a threat, considering that he or she is napping all day long on the porch or what is far more common, on your couch. A reaction will  come no matter what, the most common indicator of the Ridgeback being aware of the situation is the raising of the head and thus showing his master that he or she is not asleep, merely not just yet responding. But if the need arises, Ridgeback will stand up on the ground, lower his head, stretch his neck and a look as firm as a massive statue. Very few people will be willing to risk to take this confrontation a step further. Only a direct command of their master or the opponents retreat will end this confrontation in peace.

As a family dog and a friend a Ridgeback shows exceptional devotion and love towards his master and family. It often seems that it is not you who owns a Ridgeback but rather the other way around. Because of Ridgebacks drive to unconditionally protect whatever they believe is theirs to protect, a family with a Ridgeback member will have very little to worry about in terms of personal safety.

Ridgeback is both a ‘couch potato’ and a fast lane runner.

Ridgebacks are a breed of dogs that need to interact and cooperate with humans, they need human contact, but they do not tolerate bad handling or abuse. This is a breed which is not meant to live in a kennel but inside a house or an apartment with the family, giving them physical contact and mental interaction, but above all human closeness. A ridgeback who does not have the daily interaction with people will not be a dog it as meant to be. If brought up well, life without a ridgeback will become unimaginable.

When working with a Ridgeback one needs to constantly bare in mind that abuse and violence will not bare any fruits. A lot of reward, cuddling, given quickly and in large doses will work miracles on a Ridgeback. Because of its natural tendency to protect one should not train a Ridgeback as a watch dog, however his natural abilities should be harnessed and with obedience and control training.

A ridgeback will tolerate children in various ways and degrees, from being totaly not interested up to affectionate loving and taking care of children, which can sometimes be considered alarming in a good way. At the same time, like every other breed, a Ridgeback must not be treated as a toy which is dragged around and being jumped upon, especially in puppy age.

Ridgebacks are by nature lazy breed and are in condition to indefinatly sleep on their cozy place, not wasting a single atom of energy more than necessary. Sometimes they forget the ease and agility by which they can and are able to move, in such cases it seems that they do not go around objects but rather trough them.

/FUN TEMPERAMENT FACT/ If an object is being thrown to a Ridgeback in order for them to fetch it back, their attitude will soon be, that their master no longer has any need for the object since he or she is throwing it away.

On exhibitions a Ridgeback will often seem uninterested, even bored when in vicinity of other breeds. However a Ridgeback will shine in grace and whole of its beauty, on the parking ground, galloping around in circles, after the exhibition has ended off course. One can not bring a Ridgeback to an open field and expect the dog to run around while the master lays back in the stool or sunbed and enjoys the view. Ridgeback will in such a case not move at all, he or she will wait until you move (or if you have a lounge bed it will find a way to lay in it together with you), all the previous descriptions of the breed will somehow fade away in oblivion, but once you start moving, running and playing with your Ridgeback, the dog will come to life, the dog will come into its element, full of energy, full of life. No matter how much such behavior amuses or irritates his owner, one must keep in mind that this is all a part of their nature, which often conceals the true intelligence of these dogs.

One should never forget that these are stubborn dogs, with strong will. They are also physically strong and that they do posses a talent to do things their way, as often as they can. On daily walks a Ridgeback will merely glance other dogs while passing them by or he or she will in a true Rhodesian Ridgeback style and manner dominantly look all around them, concealing the thin line of challenge. Contrary to common belief, a Ridgeback will not be looking for a fight, in fact a Ridgeback will try to avoid physical contact whenever possible, sometimes pushing it so far as it might be seen as skillful coward. On the other hand a Ridgeback does not tolerate insults, it will wait for as long as it takes to settle the score.

And in the end, the conclusion being, Rhodesian Ridgeback is not a breed suited for anyone. One needs to have ample of time for long daily walks and early and positive socialization with other dogs is very important for a stable and good nature of the dog. Whoever is looking for a beautiful strong dog with an independent spirit, Rhodesian Ridgeback is the choice.

As an admirer of this breed once said:

“A beautiful dog can stop people walking by, a Rhodesian Ridgeback can stop the trafic”

Find out if it’s true…

Rhodesian Ridgeback purpose

In its home continent, mighty Africa, Rhodesian Ridgeback has distinguished itself as a hunting dog for use on a wide variety of game ranging from lions, leopards, jackals, and baboons to antelope, which they are capable of tracking and hunting through their speed. Ridgebacks have evolved into silent hunting dogs, with a specific technique that demands courage and endurance. Hunting in a pack of dogs they could detect lions, single out an animal and surround it. Taking turns they would hit the lion each time from a different side, evading the lion’s paws or jaws with great speed and agility. In such a manner they would keep the lion pinned down until their master, the hunter arrived, allowing him to take a shot from safety. Only a courageous, agile and fast dog could survive such a game, and only the best did.
Their main purpose was the guarding of native villages and their masters livestock from predators. Only later on have they evolved into dependable dogs, appropriate to be companions and watchdogs on large properties. They also take on the role of guard dogs in South African diamond mines.
Outside their native land, these dogs were often used for hunting purposes, most often as bloodhounds, and rarely to hunt wild boars. Interestingly, in Australia, these dogs are being used to successfully hunt down live wild goats in order to scientifically study them. And in Tasmania, they are being used to hunt Cangaroos, which have bred out of control.
When Rhodesian Ridgebacks were introduced to Europe, they were immediately used for a wide variety of roles and purposes. Ridgeback is quickly valued as a house dog, companion dog, watchdog for personal protection. In some countries, Ridgebacks are used as police tracking dogs. And in Canada, they are also being used as dogs to aid blind people. They are also very successful in agility and since they are fast runners, they are also used as track dogs.

Rhodesian Ridgeback heritage

The heritage of the Rhodesian Ridgeback reaches back to the ancient and all but extinct Hottentot dogs. The Hottentot, a nomadic African tribe who can be tracked back through history for more than a millennium, originate from the southern borders of what once was the Ethiopian empire (…Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia). They as a shepherd tribe, were constantly on the move, traveling through Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) keeping and herding with them not only sheep and cattle but also their dogs, which had a dual role. They were extensively used for hunting and at the same time they were keepers and protectors of their herds and masters, keeping them safe from predators, mostly lions. The dogs were of a smaller constitution and had a very distinct feature, the fur on their backs was growing in the opposite direction than the rest of the fur. These were not pretty dogs but they were obedient and very useful in day-to-day confrontations with danger. Another kind of dog is being mentioned in conjunction with the dogs mentioned before. The hound-like, lighter dogs, who were very fast and agile, red-gray to yellow in color. The oldest recording of the Hottentots and of their dogs is a cave drawing named “Diana’s Pledge” found on the Vallhala farm in Zimbabwe. It is interesting that the Hottentot dogs were first named and described as such in 1505. And the first drawings of these dogs were recorded in 1857 in the book by David Livingstone.
Herero, the Bantu tribe, which has descendants from the northern part of Africa slowly, towards today’s Namibia was also herding their half-wild dogs with them. These were somewhat different, heavier and more aggressive dogs, deer-red to yellow in color. All three breeds had one thing in common; the line of fur that was growing in the opposite direction, from the ridge along the spinal column.
An interesting mystery remains unsolved until this day, namely the connection between the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Phu Quoc breeds. The Phu Quoc breed is named after the Cambodian island in the bay of Siam. Their Siamese name is “Mah Lang Thuan” which translated means Ridgeback. It is assumed, that the Phu Quoc dogs, which are also characterized by the same kind of ridge on their backs, with aid of the Fenecian traders or in some different way reached southern Africa, which would mean that the Hottentot dogs and with that the Rhodesian Ridgeback are the descendants of the Phu Quoc breed. The other theory states, that the dogs with the distinctive ridge were brought to Asia with the slaves that were sold to Siam. The only undisputed fact remains that these two breeds are close cousins and the ridge proves it.
During the 16. and 17. century, the white settlers, the Dutch Burs, Germans and Huguenots who immigrated to South Africa brought with them their working dogs. Noticing the excellent hunting skills of the native dogs they cross-bred them and gained an excellent hunting dog and an excellent watchdog, whose loyalty could not be bought, not even with food. The breeds of dogs that are mentioned as possible cross-breeding breeds are Bloodhound, Pointer, German Pointing Dog, and Airedale Terrier, and some authors even mention the Collie and the Retriever. The best characteristics of the European breeds, combined with the Hottentot dogs gave an excellent hunting dog, which is highly praised. Ridgeback is considered to be one of the highly valued breeds of dogs.
The missionary C. Helm is mentioned among others as a father of this breed. The famous big game hunter C. van Rooyen is also mentioned as one of the founders of this breed. They paid special attention to retaining all of the good characteristics required to make a good hunting dog. In addition to that they tried to create a dog that would be almost impervious to disease and insect bites.
in 1902 the “Lion Dog Club” was founded in Bulaway and thanks to the lovers of this magnificent breed and especially to the breeder Francis Barnes in 1922 a meeting was held in Rhodesia in order to set the name and the standard for this breed. Thirty dogs were shown and the first standard of the breed was conceptuated, based on the Dalmatian. Since 1922 Ridgeback is being bred in South Africa and Rhodesia under the today-known name and standard. In 1924 first dogs of the breed were officially registered and in 1926 the Kennel Union of South Africa (KUSA) recognized the breed as a hunting dog.
From Africa, this proud lion hunter spread throughout the world gaining admiration among all canine friends.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY :

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is presently the only registered breed indigenous to southern Africa. Its forbears can be traced to the Cape Colony of Southern Africa, where they crossed with the early pioneer’s dogs and the semidomesticated, ridged Hottentot hunting dogs. Hunting mainly in groups of two or three, the original function of the Rhodesian Ridgeback or Lion dog was to track game, especially lion, and, with great agility, keep it at bay until the arrival of the hunter.

The original standard, which was drafted by F.R.Barnes, in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, in 1922, was based on that of the Dalmatian and was approved by the South African Kennel Union in 1926.