Bruno
Bruno
Bruno
When the Portuguese discovered the Cape in 1487, and the area was later
colonised by Dutch Settlers, these dogs were bred to early pioneers’ dogs
and used for hunting and guarding.
History
From around 1830, when the British colonised the Cape, the Dutch Settlers,
fed up with this new governance, began the great migration – “die Groot Trek”
into the hinterland, discovering new areas eastwards and northwards as far
as the later-named, Rhodesia. These “Voortrekkers” (travelling pioneers) took
their dogs with them, which became
popular for their hunting capacity.
.
History
In 1879 Rev. Charles Daniel Helm brought two dogs from
Kimberley (a small diamond-mining town in central South
Africa) to his mission near Bulawayo in Rhodesia, now
known as Zimbabwe. These two bitches are regarded as the
origin of what is known today as the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Dalmatian standard.
During World War II, the Rhodesian Ridgeback declined in popularity and
almost ceased to exist.
Utilisation today
The Hound that is both Sighthound and Scenthound, has found favour in
most countries around the world as companion/house dogs, family pets, and
watchdogs.
Utilisation today
Today there are only a few lion left in the wild, and hunting is no longer
practised the way it was. In a few game parks, Rhodesian Ridgebacks serve
a useful tracking purpose in conservation programmes.
Now, let’s take a look at the important
hallmarks to look for when judging the
Rhodesian Ridgeback
What to look for when judging
first impression
First, gain a general impression of the whole dog, look for balance
• eye catching, elegant, yet showing substance
• neither too racy nor too heavy in bone
• must look athletic, able to run all day and find speed when necessary
slightly longer than tall (10:9)
brisket at half the height at withers
by the way…
toes in line with buttocks line
sloping shoulders well laid back
“symmetrical in outline”
Height:
by the way… dogs : 63cm (25”) to 69cm (27”)
bitches : 61cm (24”) to 66cm (26”)
Weight:
dogs : 36.5kg (80lbs)
bitches : 32 kg (70lbs)
What to look for when judging
parallel planes
cheeks
• black or brown - neither colour should take preference over the other
• black-nosed dogs may have a darker muzzle and darker ear tips
• ample, well-expanded nostrils – definitely not pinched
• sufficient chin
What to look for when judging
stop
length of muzzle
length of skull
squareness
• width of skull between the ears is equal the length of the skull from stop to occiput
and length of muzzle from stop to tip of nose – thus, roughly a square
What to look for when judging
eyes
What to look for when judging
ears
• medium-sized drop ear, set fairly well back and rather high
• carried flat, close to the head in repose, but very mobile
by the way…
rose or fly-away ear unacceptable
fold of ear not to be above the top of the skull
What to look for when judging
bite
• strong scissor bite - the upper teeth closely overlap the lower teeth and
are set square to the jaw
What to look for when judging
dentition
neck
• fairly long, elegant neck – short neck usually indicates straight shoulder
• good (but not too much) thickness, clean – free from throatiness
• must allow agility of the shoulder and carriage of head for the dog to use his senses
What to look for when judging
withers
upper arm
width of chest
forechest
foreleg
• straight viewed from the front, dropping straight down from shoulders
• from side, forelegs wider near elbow than at pastern
• oval bone – never round or coarse
by the way…
shoulder assembly
• shoulders are well laid back, sloping, with clean, powerful, long muscles
• shoulder blades fairly close together at withers, elbows tucked firmly
• test the stability of the elbows by gently rocking the body sideways and
back at the withers – weak elbows will pop out of alignment
What to look for when judging
depth at brisket
spring of rib
• ribcage should extend well back, giving length to the body (the length of the dog is
in the length of ribcage, not in the coupling)
• capacious – not barrelled
What to look for when judging
coupling
stifle
when over angulation occurs, the upper arm is usually shorter and
straighter to compensate for the hind leg that drives to far forward
by the way…
tail insertion
tail
mahogany
Colour
these other diversions are also incorrect:
blue: sometimes
progeny of two
dark dogs – coat
has a blue-grey
blue
tinge; born with blue
eyes that go
grey/amber
widow’s peak
Images courtesy of www.kalaharirr.com
Colour
more unacceptable colours
black and tan brindle mosaic
black wheaten
sable
Images courtesy of www.kalaharirr.com
Now we examine the escutcheon of the
Rhodesian Ridgeback
The ridge
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Incorrect ridges:
1. single crown 2. & 3. multiple crowns 4. nick in the ridge 5. ridge too short
6. ridge irregularly shaped 7. no crowns 8. third crown 9. off-set crowns
The ridge
very broad ridge off-set crowns three crowns
Let’s take a look at movement
Let’s talk about movement
© Ed. 3 - 2021
Prepared by Joy McFarlane for the Kennel Union of Southern Africa,
with grateful thanks to the collaborators, Janet Wang, and Elrena Stadler