Also included (in red type) are some personal observations of the standard as it applies to living, breathing Ridgebacks, comparisons between the Original Standard and today's, and some focus points regarding the breed. In the spirit of "full disclosure," I note I have been involved in Rhodesian Ridgebacks a relatively short time, since about 1995 -- as indicated on the Home Page, Helen's involvement is much longer. I have, however, been involved in purebred dogs, and other animals, for over 30 years, including Siberian Huskies, Dobermans, Collies, Dalmations, quarterhorses and cattle, as well as the rescue of wild mustangs. I like to think my experience in these other breeds and species give me an added insight into structure, movement and soundness that comes only from comparative study.

    I also admit to being a functionalist - thus I interpret the standard with the view of "could this dog do what it was originally bred to do and meet and exceed the challenges which it would be asked to undertake in its life."

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a dog of formidable power, dedication and courage. He claims an ancient heritage, yet is of relatively recent linage in terms of standardization of the breed.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback survived in various forms through the years because of his superb hunting ability. In addition to trailing and tracking large animals, he was also used to hold his quarry at bay. He was the protector of game wardens, farm families and hunters throughout South Central Africa, where the breed developed into it's present form.

This is the Rhodesian Ridgeback, a dog of incorruptible, independent character, who takes his responsibilities of companionship, protection and family dedication to heart. He never forgets love and understanding, nor does he lightly forgive harsh treatment. He is a dog of noble bearing, whose physical attributes should reflect his role as guardian, companion and hunter.

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.

IN GENERAL APPEARANCE the Ridgeback should represent a strong, muscular and active dog, symmetrical in outline and capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed.

Comment: To me, the most important part of this section is the word "balance" used in the AKC Standard and the Elaboration. The greatest "parts" in the world aren't worth a darn if they don't work in harmony as a whole unit. For example, a dog with too little angulation in the front and rear, but balanced, is, in my opinion, superior to the dog with too little angulation in the front and overangulation in the rear.

Second, keep in mind why the ridge is the hallmark of the breed. When the European settlers of South Africa and Rhodesia were acquiring a dog, the ridge proved a dog's descent from the desireable dog of the Hottentots, the KhoiKhoi dog, and its genetic resistance to local disease and its gamehunting abilities. Also note the detailed description of the ridge in the Original Standard, which has all but been eliminated from the current Standard.

A mature Ridgeback should be symmetrical in outline, slightly longer than tall but well balanced. Dogs, 25-27 inches in height; Bitches, 24-26 inches in height. Desirable weight: Dogs, 85 pounds; Bitches, 70 pounds.

Elaboration: Desirable weight should be a guideline. Appropriate weight should correspond with the height and bone structure of the dog/bitch. A heavier-boned animal may weigh more, a finer-boned animal less than the 85/70 pound ideal as described in the Standard. A mature Ridgeback should be slightly longer than tall. The back should be strong and firm. The length should be carried in the rib area, allowing for ample room for heart and lungs. The well-coupled loin is neither too long nor too short, but well balanced with the rest of the dog. A long loined dog may be fast, but he lacks the ability to stop, turn and maneuver which is required by the Standard. Overall balance and symmetry is most important.

SIZE. Up to 28 inches.

WEIGHT. Up to 80 lbs.

Comment: Ridgebacks are becoming too big. I am not referring to height, but bulk. The U.S. Standard has already "upsized" dogs from the "up to 80 lbs" in the Original 1922 Standard for the breed. That's 80lbs max (also keep in mind until 1931 dogs & bitches could be up to 28"). In the show ring today, a 90lb male looks small. Some seem to be breeding for round, mastiff-boned dogs with mastiff heads and square fronts, resembling Labrador retrievers -- ill-suited for their purpose, but easy to sell with the "bigger is better" popular culture. Some judges for whom RRs are an "add on" breed are also susceptible to this culture. 110+lb dogs are being selected by judges, in part, because of their impressive size and a belief Ridgebacks are "lion killers." This added size/weight detracts from the breed's endurance, one of the Ridgeback's most outstanding qualities.

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.

Eyes: The eyes should be spaced moderately well apart, rounded, bright and sparkling with intelligent expression, not small, recessed nor sunken. The color should harmonize with the pigmentation of the dog. Black-nosed (pigmented) dogs should have a brown to dark brown eye. Liver or brown-nosed dogs should have an amber-colored eye, with preference given to the darker shades of brown or amber. Yellow eyes on a black-nosed dog are undesirable.

Ears: When the ears are brought forward to attention, they are raised even with the top of the head. The ears should hang close to the head and cheek, flaring outward to frame the head.

Muzzle: The muzzle is long, deep and powerful and finishes up fairly full in width, strong in underjaw. Depth of muzzle should be in the muzzle itself, not in the leather of the lips alone.

Bite: Scissors bite is preferred, but a level bite will occasionally be found and is acceptable. Emphasis must be placed on the development and proper position of the canines.

Elaboration: The head must be in proportion with the rest of the body. The backskull is flat, never domed, free from wrinkles when in repose. When the ears are brought forward in an alert position, the skin is furrowed with expressive wrinkles on the backskull between the ears and above and between the eyes. The planes of the backskull and muzzle are parallel and equal in length. Cheeks are clean and flat, not rounded or bulging. The head should never give a wedge shaped impression.

THE HEAD should be of fair length, the skull flat and rather broad between the ears and should be free from wrinkle. The stop should be defined and not in one straight line from the nose to the occiput as required in a Bull Terrier.

THE MUZZLE should be long, deep and powerful, jaws level and strong with well developed teeth, especially the canines or holders. The lips clean, close fitting the jaws.

THE EYES should be moderately well apart and should be round, bright and sparkling, with intelligent expression, their colour harmonising with the colour of the dog.

THE EARS should be set on rather high, of medium size, rather wide at the base and gradually tapering to a rounded point. They should be carried close to the head.

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.

Elaboration: Neck, Chest and Body: The neck should be fairly long and elegantly arched. Throatiness or a ewe neck should be penalized accordingly to the severity. A chest that is too wide or too narrow is inefficient and hinders speed and diminishes endurance. The brisket on a mature dog should reach well to the elbow.

Topline and Tail: The topline flows smoothly from the top of the head down the neck and over the shoulders. The point above the shoulders is the highest point of the backline, never lower than the loin or hindquarters, standing or moving. The back is firm, standing or moving- neither swayed nor roached. The loins are strong. The arch of the loin should not be exaggerated. The croup is neither flat nor steep but blends smoothly and finishes out with the tail set neither too high not too low. Standing, the tail may fall between the hocks or may be tucked towards the abdomen. A kink or dud joint is considered undesirable, as is a tight curl.

THE NECK AND SHOULDERS. The neck should be fairly long, strong and entirely free from throatiness. The shoulders should be sloping, clean and muscular, denoting speed.

THE BODY, BACK, CHEST AND LOINS. 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 powerful; and loins strong, muscular and slightly arched.

THE TAIL should not be too strong; strong at the insertion but gradually tapering towards the end, free from coarseness. It should not be inserted too low down, but carried with a slight curve upwards and never curled. A short tail is a blemish, but not a disqualification.

Comment: Recently, this breed has seen a succession of oversized dogs with straight fronts and overangulated rears enjoy success in the show ring. While these dogs are top-notch "show dogs" with expert handlers, their downsloping, sporting dog toplines are incorrect.

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.

Elaboration: Shoulders: The shoulder blades should be long, well laid back and sloping: upper arm is of equal length and placed so that the elbow falls directly under the withers.

Forelegs: The bone of the front legs should have plenty of substance, more so when viewed from the side than from the front. The pasterns should be strong and slightly sloping.

Feet: The feet should be well knuckled up with thick pads. Flat, thin-padded and splayed feet are incorrect.

The shoulders should be sloping, clean and muscular, denoting speed.

LEGS AND FEET. The fore legs should be perfectly straight, strong and heavy in bone, elbows close to the body. Fore feet round, compact, with well arched toes, round tough elastic pads, protected by hair between the toes and pads.

In the hindlegs, the muscles should be clean, well defined and hocks well down. Feet as in front.

In the hind legs the muscles should be clean, though well defined and the hocks well let down.

Disqualification: ridgelessness. Serious Fault: one crown (whorl) or more than two crowns (whorls).

DESCRIPTION OF THE RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK (LION DOG).  The peculiarity 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. This ridge, which must be regarded as the escutcheon of the breed, is broad behind the shoulders and tapers off towards the root of the tail. It should be clearly defined and start immediately behind the shoulders and continue up to or over the loin. In shape it resembles a fiddle with the string towards the tail. A dog without a clearly defined ridge is not recognised as belonging to this breed.

Comment: Again note the detail in the Original Standard which is now lacking in the Current Standard. Obviously, someone was producing dogs with narrow ridges and, in yet another example of fitting the standard to the dog, was successful in deleting the language. While this is an interesting point, I'm not terribly concerned because a clearly defined ridge, of any type, proves the dog's lineage.

Should be short and dense, sleek and glossy in appearance but neither wooly nor silky.

Elaboration: Puppies usually have heavier coats than adults. More densely coated dogs may exhibit pellet- like molting patterns throughout the coat which should not be penalized.

THE COAT should be short, hard, dense and fine, sleek and glossy in appearance, but neither woolly nor silky.

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.

Elaboration: A Ridgeback hair is banded, lighter at the base, darker at the tip. The color may range from light wheaten (buff) through various shades of gold to red wheaten; all shades are acceptable. Lighter wheaten highlights are usually noted over the shoulder blades.

Clear-faced dogs or dogs with black on the muzzle, ear and around the eyes are equally acceptable. However, these black points should not continue as a solid mask over the eyes. Ridgebacks with black pigmentation may have black hair interspersed throughout the coat; dark brown hair may be seen on a liver/brown-nosed dog. If the amount of black or dark brown is excessive, it is undesirable.

Our standard does not condemn white. Some white is permissible and excessive white is not desirable. Small socks and white on the chest on an otherwise typey, sound dog should not eliminate him from consideration. The scale of points allows 5 points out of 100 to Coat and Color. Emphasis should be placed on the general conformation. To quote from Maj.T.C.Hawley's definitive work The Rhodesian Ridgeback, "We must, at all costs, avoid a fetish that white is taboo."

COLOURS. Brindles, fawns, sables, whole colours or mixed with white.

CHANGES: 1936-color description was changed to "Wheaten preferred, fawn permissible. (During the 1940's the current color description was selected.)

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.

Elaboration: The trot should be effortless and flowing, covering the maximum amount of ground with the least amount of effort. As speed increases, the legs angle inward toward a center line beneath the body. The head is carried slightly above the level of the back, the backline remains level and firm, never high in the rear or loin. The tail blends smoothly, carried slightly above the level of the back, never gay nor curled. At all speeds the gait is effortless, rhythmic and smooth, denoting efficiency, presence and style.

Dignified and even-tempered. Reserved with strangers.

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

Approved by The American Kennel Club and effective September 30, 1992