Rhodesian Ridgeback — breed standard (AKC & FCI: size, coat, temperament, type)

Rhodesian Ridgeback — breed standard (AKC & FCI: size, coat, temperament, type)

Claims

• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Origin and group: a hound from southern Africa, also called the Lion Dog; AKC Hound group, and under FCI it is a Group 6 breed — the scenthounds and related breeds — and sits in Section 3 among related breeds, exhibited without a working trial.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Size: AKC dogs 25 to 27 in and bitches 24 to 26 in, with desirable weights of 85 lb (dogs) and 70 lb (bitches); FCI males 63 to 69 cm and females 61 to 66 cm, weighing about 36.5 kg and 32 kg. The dog is slightly longer than tall and well balanced.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Coat and colour: a short, dense, sleek and glossy coat that is never woolly or silky; colour ranges from light wheaten to red wheaten, with a little white on the chest and toes allowed but excessive white undesirable.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* The ridge: the breed's hallmark is a strip of hair growing backward along the back, clearly defined, tapering and symmetrical, running from just behind the shoulders to between the hips and containing two identical opposite crowns (whorls) whose lower edge reaches no more than a third of the ridge; ridgelessness is a disqualification, and one or more than two crowns is a serious fault.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Build and head: a strong, muscular, athletic hound with a fair-length flat broad skull, round bright eyes, medium ears tapering to a rounded point, a long deep powerful muzzle, and a black or brown (liver) nose matched to eye colour.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Temperament: dignified and even-tempered, devoted and affectionate to its owner but reserved with strangers; FCI describes it as intelligent and aloof with strangers, showing no aggression or shyness.
• *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Disqualifications: ridgelessness; solid black; and a black-and-tan or brown-and-tan pattern on a dog with a brown or liver nose. FCI also disqualifies aggressive or overly shy dogs and any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormality; males should have two normal descended testicles.