The breed's long history dates back to early in the 18th century when the first European settlers found with the Khoisan tribes a domesticated dog with the hair on his spine being turned forward. The main person behind the development of the breed was Cornelius Van Rooyen of Plumtree, Rhodesia.
The history of the breed is disputed. What is commonly accepted is that Van Rooyen used two ridged, rough-coated bitches from the Swellendam district brought to him by the Rev. Charles Helm in 1879. Van Rooyen crossed these bitches with members of his pack, noting that their ridged progeny excelled at lion hunting.
The breeds believed to have been used by van Rooyen to develop his famed lion-hunting dogs include the Collie, Greyhound, Irish terrier, Airedale, bulldog and pointer. It is likely that the Great Dane and Deerhound also contributed to the gene pool along the way.
The Breed Standard is loosely based on that of a slightly enlarged Dalmatian and was first registered by the South African Kennel Club, SAKU (now KUSA) in 1924. At that time KUSA was the only Kennel Club in the territory. The breed was first admitted into the American Kennel Club in 1955 as a member of the Hound Group. As hunters, Ridgebacks were sent out in packs of two or more to track down, then corner and wear down a lion by taunting and goading it into confusion, this is known keeping the lion "at bay". The dogs, working in revolving groups, kept the lion at bay until the hunter arrived to dispatch the occupied lion with a well placed rifle shot from relatively close range.
The Ridgeback's distinguishing feature is the ridge of hair along its back running in the opposite direction to the rest of its coat. 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. Some Ridgebacks are born without ridges, and until recently, most ridgeless puppies were culled, 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), females 24-26 inches (61-66 cm) and approximately 70 lb (32 kg). Ridgebacks are typically muscular and have a light wheaten to red wheaten coat, which should be short, dense, sleek and glossy in appearance and 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 that 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 backwards. The eyes should be round and should reflect the dog's colorÑskin pigment, not coat color: dark eyes with a black nose (regardless of coat color), amber eyes with a liver nose. The liver nose is a recessive gene so therefore is not as common as a black nose; some breeders believe the inclusion of livernoses in a breeding program is necessary for maintaining the vibrancy of the coat.
The original standard allowed for a variety of coat colors, including brindle, fawn, dilute and sable. The modern FCI standard calls for light wheaten to red wheaten. The deeper red wheaten is often favored by judges, many of whom do not appreciate the fact that light wheatens, and, for that matter, livernoses, are equally acceptable under all Ridgeback standards. The issue of white in this breed is controversial; in general, American breeders are more tolerant of excess white, provided it is on an otherwise typey, sound and excellent exhibit. The only disqualification in the AKC standard for this breed is ridgelessness.
Ridgebacks are loyal and intelligent. They are, however, aloof to strangers. This is not to be confused with aggression: A Ridgeback of proper temperament will be more inclined to ignore a stranger than to challenge him.
This breed requires positive, reward-based training, good socialization and consistency, and is often not the best choice for inexperienced dog owners. Ridgebacks are strong-willed, intelligent, and many seem to have a penchant for mischief, though lovingly. They do not make a good first dog, though the same traits that make them difficult often appeal to the more experienced owners.
Although they can withstand wide temperature variations due to their African heritage, they are pack animals and should be with their human families inside. They were traditionally hunters, guardians and companions. Despite their athletic, sometimes imposing exterior, the Ridgeback has a sensitive side. Excessively harsh training methods that might be tolerated by a sporting or working dog will likely backfire on a Ridgeback. The Ridgeback accepts correction as long as it is fair and justified, and as long as it comes from someone he knows and trusts. Francis R. Barnes, who wrote the first standard in 1922, acknowledged that "rough treatment should never be administered to these dogs, especially when they are young, you'll brake their spirit if treated harsh and unfair.