About african imported rhodesian ridgeback puppies-check out our website!!

The puppies have arrived! Beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies from imported South African parents. Big, solid and muscular with black masks and dark red wheaten in color. AKC registered, very well socialized around children, water, and other animals. Check out our website for tons of pictures and information! www.southforkridgebacks.com

About The Rhodesian Ridgeback

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a breed of dog from Southern Africa. The breed originated in Rhodesia where the first breed standard was written in 1922 and the Parent club formed by Francis R. Barnes in Bulawayo. Also known as the "African Lion Hound" or "African Lion Dog" (Simba Inja in Shona)because of their unique ability to harass a lion and keep it at bay while awaiting their master to make the kill.

The Ridgeback's general appearance is of a handsome, strong, muscular and active dog, symmetrical in outline, capable of great endurance with a fair (good) amount of speed. The mature dog is handsome and upstanding. The Ridgeback's distinguishing feature is the ridge of hair along its back running in the opposite direction to the rest of its coat. The ridge must be regarded as the escutcheon of the breed. It consists of a fan-like area formed by two whorls of hair (called "crowns") and tapers from immediately behind the shoulders, down to the level of the hips. The ridge is thought to be derived from the ridged hunting dog of the Khoikhoi (literally, "men of men"; native South African people, referred to by the Europeans as Hottentots).

Some Ridgebacks are born without ridges, and until recently, most ridgeless puppies were culled, or euthanized, at birth. Today, many breeders opt instead to spay and neuter these offspring to ensure they will not be bred.

Male Ridgebacks should be 25-27 inches (63-69 cm) at the withers and weigh approximately 85 lb (36.5 kg FCI Standard), however some have been known to reach up to 160 lb, females 24-26 inches (61-66 cm) and approximately 70 lb (32 kg). They are typically muscular and have a light wheaten to red wheaten coat which should be short and dense, sleek and glossy in appearance but neither woolly nor silky. The presence of black guard hairs or ticking is not addressed in the AKC standard, although the elaboration of the AKC standard notes the amount of black or dark brown in the coat should not be excessive. The FCI Standard states - excessive black hairs throughout the coat are highly undesirable. White is acceptable on the chest and toes.

Ridgebacks have a strong, smooth tail, which is usually carried in a gentle curve upwards. The eyes should be round and should reflect the coat color, dark eyes with a black muzzle, amber eyes with a liver nose and either with a light wheaten. The liver nose is becoming more common for its importance in keeping the golden lionlike colour in the coat [recessive gene]] and is therefore not as common as a black nose. The livernose has been in the past poorly represented in the ring and was extensivly bred out at one time, untill its importance was recognised in the breed.

The original standard allowed for a variety of coat colors, including brindle and sable. Today, all shades of wheaten are permitted. While the deeper red were often favored by judges in the past, it seems now a gross section of colours and it is only time before there is another livernose champion announced, the lighter wheaten is now sought after too. Color variants such as brindles, black-and-tans and blue dilutes appear occasionally but not commonly and are not considered acceptable for the show ring. White on the feet and chest are common but it is prefered to not reach the shoulder or above the dew claws on the feet. The only disqualification in the AKC standard for this breed is ridgelessness.