CALICO RIDGE
Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Bred in Africa as a companion, guard dog and hunter, a specialist in hunting the African lion, the Rhodesian Ridgeback -- as our standard describes -- is a handsome, upstanding and athletic dog, capable of great endurace with a fair (good) amount of speed. Mature males are 25 to 27 inches and weigh approximately 85 to 95 lbs. Females are 24 to 26 inches and weigh 65 to 80 lbs. Their short, dense coat is a definite plus to the breed, lending itself to easy keeping, cleaning and a minimum of grooming. THe colors are in shades described as wheaten, from light buff to yellow, browns, reds and mahogany. Some dogs carry a masking about the eyes and muzzle, black on a black-nosed dog and brown on a liver-nosed dog. Eye rims to match nose color.
"The hallmark of this breed is the ridge on the back which is formed by the hair growing in the opposite direction of the rest of the coat. The ridge must be regarded as the characteristic feature of the breed. The ridge should be clearly defined, tapering and symmetrical. It should start immediately behind the shoulders and continue to a point between the prominence of the hips and should contain two identcal crowns (whorls) directly opposite each other. The lower edge of the crowns (whorls) should not extend further down the ridge than one third of the ridge."
The Rhodesian Ridgeback as a breed lends itself remarkably well to almost any lifestyle, whether city life in a small backyard, ranch life with acres to run or anywhere in between. A natural guard dog, a stranger is announced, but should be accepted at the master's command. As a family dog, they will attach themselves to one member of the family to call their own, but claim the whole family as theirs to watch over.
NOTE TO DIANE ~ Double check the following info, alter/delete as you see fit =)
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a fairly new breed as it was only accepted by AKC in 1950.
Add a bunch of other stuff if you want ~ fun, interesting stuff you know. =)