Why do rhodesian ridgebacks have a ridge on their backs

A little white on the chest and toes is permissible, but excessive white there, on the belly, or above the toes is undesirable. The Rhodesian ridgeback has won many admirers for his innate qualities. The breed possesses many of the characteristics generally associated with Hounds, but is somewhat tougher than the typical hound breed. The ridgeback has a quiet, gentle temperament and rarely barks.

Although he may give the impression of a big, lazy hound, the Rhodesian ridgeback can be a threatening presence. This dog was bred to hunt and be a family protector. The ridgeback is easily trained and has above-average tractability. Because of their innate abilities as guardians, ridgebacks should not be trained as protection dogs. Their natural protective instinct should be subjected to elementary obedience training for control.

Rhodesian ridgebacks are extremely tolerant dogs and excellent companions. Ridgebacks are gregarious animals, enjoying the company of other dogs; but families should be cautious about having several male dogs in one household, because this can lead to dominance struggles. These dogs can be good with cats if brought up with them. They are good with children, but both child and dog must learn to behave around one another.

Because of their size, younger and more excitable ridgebacks may knock over small children by accident. Ridgebacks are protective of children and other household members. These are excellent natural watchdogs and family protectors, but they do need to know that the caregiver is in charge.

Ridgebacks are not barkers, but they will be an alert watchdog to anything unusual. Athletic dogs, they can be climbers and you may find their natural curiosity taking over when there is something interesting on the other side of the fence! Not natural diggers, they may, however, create some cool summer "caverns" in your backyard if left unsupervised.

Rhodesian ridgebacks are extremely clean dogs with little odor and minimal shedding. They can be termed an "easy keeper" when it comes to food, but you may have to monitor caloric intake to keep them from overeating and becoming obese. The breed's history dates back to the 16th century when the first Europeans explored the interior on the Cape of Good Hope. Here they discovered the Hottentot tribes living with a semi-domesticated dog that had hair along his spine — growing backwards.

This is what we now refer to as the "ridge. Beaucerons are unique dogs in more ways than one. Is a Beauceron the right dog for you, however? Everything about the Utonagan, a gentle dog that looks like a wolf.

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The bearded Irish terriers are one of the most easily recognizable breeds in the world. Are Irish terriers good family pets, however? Patterdale terriers are an adorable and very family-friendly breed. Are they the right breed for your family, however? Please note, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are born with their ridges so do not believe a breeder who say that they will grow later.

Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment Of Dermoid Sinus Symptoms can very much vary depending on where the dermoid sinus is, how deep it is under the fur, and whether or not it is inflamed or infected. However, the following are all signs of this condition that you should be looking for: An opening in the back usually near, or under a whorl.

These can develop on puppies as young as three weeks old. When the spinal cord is involved and becomes infected, affected dogs may have permanent consequences and several die or need to be euthanized due to severe illness and pain. Dermoid sinus in Rhodesian ridgebacks can be diagnosed through x-rays by injecting dye into the indentation. The only type of treatment for this condition is surgical removal. Being hereditary, puppies with condition should have the abnormal tissue removed and they should be altered spayed or neutered so to prevent them from passing down this defect.

The best way to eliminate the risks for dermoid sinus, once and for all, would be working on producing ridge-less specimens. This clashes though with breed standards which emphasize the importance of the ridge and many owners of these dogs are particularly fond of this characteristic. Problems though may arise when crossing ridge-less specimens because when a gene pool is narrowed, there are heightened risk for exacerbating other problematic genetically inherited traits.

The only solution may outcrossing with other breeds, but of course his may impact the looks of this breed. For those who think the ridge looks like a surgical incision gone bad, owners can give this explanation:" Oh, you're talking about that ridge? The only way to tell whether a Rhodesian has one or two ridge genes is through genetic marker testing, which is now provided by the GenoCan project.

Home Behavior. A Congenital Defect As cool as a Ridgeback's ridge may look, turns out that the ridge is actually the result of a congenital defect, in simple words, it's a birth defect. A Matter of Standard The dorsal ridge of inverted hair found on the Rhodesian's back is such an important feature in this breed that a ridge-less specimen is considered a serious fault and means for disqualification in the show ring. By Jennifer By Dr.

Jennifer Masucci veterinarian. Related Articles. By Adrienne Farricelli. By Carol. So the farmers focused on breeding the ridged dogs to each other to preserve and maximize these important qualities. To watch the Rhodesian in action at a lure coursing trial, check out this video. Seeing such a muscular, high-endurance breed in motion is impressive. Lure coursing brings out the hunting instincts of the Rhodesian, without any prey animals paying the price for it.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are strong, dignified, and even-tempered companions. Learn more about the breed here.