Rhodesian Ridgeback

The rhodesian ridgeback is the only dog breed native to South Africa. In Africa, it is also called a lion dog. The rhodesian ridgeback was used by hunters to keep lions at bay while hunters tried to shoot them. Contrary to some folklore, the rhodesian ridgebacks did not kill the lions themselves. rhodesian ridgebacks made good hunting dogs in Africa because they are a very clever breed and know how to avoid the many hazards of the African wilderness, like snakes and crocodiles. The rhodesian ridgeback makes a great family pet because they’re not only intelligent, but are easily trained and very affectionate. The rhodesian ridgeback makes a good guard dog and gets along well with children. However, the rhodesian ridgeback doesn’t respond well to harsh training methods. In fact, you could really destroy a rhodesian ridgeback if you’re too harsh with it. They need training when they’re young but a stern tone of voice is enough for these dogs to know who’s in charge.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Appearance

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are usually a reddish brown colour. They have very short hair except for a long narrow ridge of hair down the center of their back that grows in the opposite direction to the rest of the hair. The rhodesian ridgeback is a large dog and though its history is somewhat unclear, it is thought that Great Danes once contributed to the breed.

My Rhodesian Ridgeback

I grew up in Rhodesia but it wasn’t until I moved to Canada that I decided to get a rhodesian ridgeback dog. I’d seen rhodesian ridgebacks in Rhodesia, as many farmers and hunters used the rhodesian ridgeback as work dogs. There were also a lot of people who rhodesian ridgebacks for pets. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are not as common in other parts of the world but they do handle many different climates quite well. My rhodesian ridgeback was a generally healthy dog and lived to 11 years old, which is about average for a rhodesian ridgeback. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are susceptible to a number of health problems, some of which appear in their old age, others which they’re born with. Some rhodesian ridgeback owners kill their rhodesian ridgeback puppies if they have one of these inherited diseases or if the hair on their back doesn’t look quite the way they like it. I couldn’t imagine killing my rhodesian ridgeback over something so trivial. If the owners are concerned about their rhodesian ridgeback puppies passing an improper ridge hair pattern onto their offspring, the could simply neuter the animal. During my most recent visit to Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe, I adopted a rhodesian ridgeback puppy that didn’t have the desired ridge on its back, according to the owner. Had I not adopted the rhodesian ridgeback puppy, the owner would have killed it. I took my new rhodesian ridgeback puppy home with me to Canada. At the time, I lived in a very big house in the country and my rhodesian ridgeback had a great time running around there. My rhodesian ridgeback definitely preferred the summer to the winter but still managed to deal with the snow and the cold. My rhodesian ridgeback would walk my children to school each morning and walk back to the school each afternoon to pick them up, which made me feel like they were safe. My youngest child was once attacked on his way home from school by a crazed raccoon, but my rhodesian ridgeback saved him. Raccoons aren’t usually seen during the day so we assumed that that one was sick – possibly rabid. In the struggle, the raccoon had bitten my rhodesian ridgeback, but luckily hadn’t harmed my son. We immediately took our rhodesian ridgeback to the vet to have him checked for rabies. If it weren’t for my rhodesian ridgeback, my son could have been seriously hurt. If you’ve ever seen a raccoon in the daytime, you know how big and scary they are with their sharp claws and foamy mouths. Luckily, my rhodesian ridgeback knew how to deal with scary animals. The raccoon was very scared of my rhodesian ridgeback and retreated pretty quickly.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks as Pets

Generally, rhodesian ridgebacks make great pets, but they’re definitely not for everyone. These dogs have strange quirks and need an experienced dog owner that knows what they’re doing. The rhodesian ridgeback is a very intelligent dog and its important that you know exactly what it is that they need to be happy an healthy. A few common health problems that rhodesian ridgebacks experience is cataracts and hip problems. Some rhodesian ridgebacks are born deaf. There are also a couple of very serious diseases that your rhodesian ridgeback can be tested for after birth. Though these tests can be very expensive, some owners go through with them to make sure they’ve got a healthy dog. If the tests are positive for certain diseases the owner might kill their rhodesian ridgeback puppy or have them operated on to correct the problem. If you’re an experienced dog owner and you live in North America, you can look for rhodesian ridgeback breeders who might sell you a rhodesian ridgeback puppy. Alternatively, you could travel to Zimbabwe to pick up a rhodesian ridgeback puppy of your own. This would be a substantially more expensive and inconvenient way to go about getting yourself a rhodesian ridgeback puppy. In the end, you might be better off just getting a puppy from the animal shelter. If you would like to find out more about the rhodesian ridgeback, there are plenty of resources available to you. I find that the most useful resource of information when it comes to rhodesian ridgebacks is other rhodesian ridgeback owners. With such an unusual and sometimes rare breed, the Internet can also be helpful in bringing together rhodesian ridgeback owners. You can join clubs on line as well.