The Rhodesian Ridgeback

While staying at the campsite in Klawer, in the Western Cape, I spotted a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. It was the owners dog and as I was trying to take a picture of him, but he turned away. Somewhat aloof with strangers and is typical of that dog breed which is also known to be loyal and intelligent.

Our first dog in South Africa was a Rhodesian Ridgeback and have fond memories of Buks, short as his stay was. The mail carrier delivered him, as he spotted my teenage sisters and wanted to impress them. For a brief moment, he dated one of my sisters  and Buks’ mysterious disappearance coincided with the end of their friendship.

When the Dutch arrived in the Cape of Good Hope they traded with, then called Hottentots and noticed their hunting dogs. The dogs were described as ugly, but they were known for their ferocity when acted as guard dogs. These hunting dogs were used to track Lions and Cheetahs and were known for its loyalty, mild temperament and yet brave. 

Their distinct feature is the ridge on their back with hair growing in the opposite direction.

The Ridgebacks origins are believed to trace back to Ethiopia or the southern Sedan. In one of the Egyptian tomb dating back to 4000BC, there is a drawing depicting a hound with drooping ears and it appears to have a ridge on its back. The indication is that it could most likely be the ancestor of the domesticated Hottentots dog.

An engraving by Dr. David Livingston shows Hottentot hunters with their ridged hunting dogs in 1857.

The Dutch brought their own dog breeds such as the Mastiff, Great Dane, Bloodhound, Pointer among others. The settlers needed a different type of dog for their new terrain and bred their European dogs with the Hottentot hunting dog.

Hunting dogs by F.C Selous 1893 with two showing a ridge on their back. These dogs were taken up to Rhodesian where they became the “Lion Dogs.” 

The result of the breeding were brown dogs that were loyal, good companions and had the stamina to hold down a lion.  The breed today is known as the Rhodesian Ridgeback and establish in 1922  and standardised by Mr. Francis Richard Barnes.