Rhodesian Ridgeback Breed Standard
General appearance
The Rhodesian Ridgeback should be a powerful, handsome, strong, muscular active dog, symmetrical in outline and capable of great stamina and endurance with a fair amount of speed. A mature dog is handsome and upstanding.
The ridge should be clearly defined, starting behind the shoulders with two identical crowns directly opposite each other, lower end of crowns not extending further down ridge than one third of its length and tapering down to the hips.
There are various colours from light wheaten to mature red wheaten and all colours should be uniform. Darker muzzle, ears, and little white on chest and toes is permissible but excessive white hairs is undesirable. The nose must be in keeping with the colour of dog. Black nose with dark eyes, brown (liver) nose with amber eyes.
Eyes should be clear, bright and sparkly. The coat should be short and dense, sleek and glossy but not silky or woolly.
Male dogs should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
The desirable weights should be Dogs 36.5kgs (80lbs) Bitches 32kgs (70lbs) however there is much difference between each dog and as long as your dog is healthy and not over/underweight. The desirable height of dogs should be 63cms(25") - 69cms(27") and bitches 61cms(24") - 66cms(26").
The tail should be carried with a slight upward curve never curled or kinked, strong at the root and graduating to a point, it should not be set too high/low and be free from coarseness.
Temperament
The Ridgeback temperament should be dignified and intelligent, aloof with strangers but not showing any shyness or aggression. They are well known for there loyalty to there owners. Ridgebacks are natural guarders of there pack and home and will alert you of someone’s presence, however there guarding instinct should not be trained, it is there instinct. Ridgebacks are not normally aggressive towards other dogs and people if the right socialisation is introduced whilst puppies. They are strong, powerful dogs when mature therefore the correct training is a must. The Ridgeback belongs to the hound group so chasing can be hard to overcome but yet again providing your dog is being trained to heel and recall you shouldn’t have a problem.
Ridgebacks love comfort and would much rather be on your bed or the sofa than on there bed, it may be cute and cuddly at 3 months but a fully mature dog at 3 years does require a lot of space. Establishing certain no-go areas when a puppy, will prove valuable later on.
Ridgebacks are a intelligent breed who as well as physical exercise need mental stimulation. A ridgeback does not do well left alone for long periods, this can be the cause of destructive behaviour. Ridgebacks are pretty quiet dogs at home and are happy to plod along at a relaxed space providing they are having enough outdoor free exercise. They are a medium-high energy dog and need to be walked everyday, preferably with some off lead free running, however it is important to have a trained dog off lead.
Warning!!! Most people who own a Ridgeback after keeping one always want another, be warned 1 is never enough
General overview
If you have decided the Ridgeback is for you, you will not be disappointed. I have truly found that a Ridgeback is a treasure to own. Whether a pet, a guarder, a companion or a show dog, the Ridgeback will be your loyal best friend.
If your dog is smaller/bigger than normal, or has excessive white hair, or no ridge (ridge less) or 1/3 crowns, it is still Rhodesian Ridgeback and will display all of the temperament qualities. By no means does any of the above points in general appearance affect you dogs health, well being or happiness. It is only a concern if you are to show/breed from your dog. Any Ridgeback who is not going to be shown or used for breeding should always be spayed/neutered to prevent many medical problems, such as : testicular cancer or tumours, ovarian cancer, tumours or cysts, phantom pregnancies, dominance in males, Pyometra and of course unwanted litters.