Editing Rhodesian Ridgeback

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use South African English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox dog breed
|altname = {{hlist|African Lionhound|African Lion Dog}}
|nickname =  Ridgeback
|country = [[Southern Africa]]
|maleweight = {{cvt|36.5|kg}} 
|femaleweight = {{cvt|32|kg}} 
|maleheight = {{cvt|63|–|69|cm}}
|femaleheight = {{cvt|61|–|66|cm}}
|coat = Short and dense, sleek and glossy in appearance
|color = Light wheaten to red wheaten. A little white on the chest and toes is permissible. A dark muzzle and ears permissible. Excessive black hair throughout the coat is undesirable. Two nose colors are permissible, black and liver.
|life_span = 12 years
|image = Rhodesian ridgeback.jpg
|image_caption = A male Rhodesian Ridgeback
<!-----Kennel club standards----->
| kc_name        = [[Kennel Union of Southern Africa|KUSA]]
| kc_std         = https://www.kusa.co.za/images/Gallery/Rhodesian%20Ridgeback%20eff%2001.01.2020%20%28002%29.pdf
| kc2_name       = 
| kc2_std        = 
| fcistd         = http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/146g06-en.pdf
}}

The '''Rhodesian Ridgeback''' is a large [[dog breed]] originally bred in [[Southern Africa]].<ref name="fci.be">{{cite web|url=http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/146g06-en.pdf|date=10 December 1996|title=Rhodesian Ridgeback|publisher=[[Fédération Cynologique Internationale]]|access-date=10 October 2016}}</ref> The original breed standard was drafted by F.R. Barnes, in [[Bulawayo]], [[Southern Rhodesia]] (now [[Zimbabwe]]), in 1922, and approved by the [[Kennel Union of Southern Africa|South African Kennel Union]] in 1927. Its forebears can be traced to the ridged hunting and guardian dogs of the [[Khoekhoe|Khoikhoi]]. These were interbred with European dogs by the early colonists of the [[Cape Colony]] for assisting in the [[Lion hunting|hunting of lions]]. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are known for their protective, yet loyal temperaments.

== History ==
[[File:Carl Friedrich Schulz - Rhodesian Ridgeback.jpg|thumb|right|''Ein Jagdhund'' - a Rhodesian Ridgeback by Karl Friedrich Schulz c.1834]]
The [[Khoekhoe|Khoikhoi]] people who lived in the [[Cape Peninsula]] when the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] began trading with the area during the mid 17th century, had a hunting dog which was described by Europeans as absolutely fearless and ferocious when acting as a [[guard dog]]. This dog measured approximately {{convert|18|in|cm}} at the [[withers]], with a lean but muscular frame. The ears have been described both as erect but later described as hanging due to interbreeding with European dogs, but the most distinctive feature was the length of hair often growing in the reverse direction along its back. Within 53 years of the first Dutch settlements in Southern Africa, the Europeans were using these local dogs themselves.<ref name="fox6">[[#fox2003|Fox (2003)]]: p. 6</ref>

By the early 1800s, European colonists had also imported a variety of mainly European dog breeds to this area of Africa, including such dedicated hunting dogs as [[Greyhound]]s, [[Mastiff]]s, [[Great Dane]]s and [[Bloodhound]]s. The [[Dogo cubano|Dogo Cubano]] (Cuban Bloodhound), an extinct breed used for dogfighting and guarding, was highly emphasized in the composition of the early Rhodesian Ridgeback.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Parker |first1=Heidi G. |last2=Kim |first2=Lisa V. |last3=Sutter |first3=Nathan B. |last4=Carlson |first4=Scott |last5=Lorentzen |first5=Travis D. |last6=Malek |first6=Tiffany B. |last7=Johnson |first7=Gary S. |last8=DeFrance |first8=Hawkins B. |last9=Ostrander |first9=Elaine A. |last10=Kruglyak |first10=Leonid |date=2004 |title=Genetic Structure of the Purebred Domestic Dog |journal=Science |volume=304 |issue=5674 |pages=1160–1164 |doi=10.1126/science.1097406 |jstor=3836878 |pmid=15155949 |bibcode=2004Sci...304.1160P |s2cid=43772173 |issn=0036-8075}}</ref> Genetic analysis indicates that the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Great Dane fall within the same genetic [[clade]] (group),<ref>Parker, Heidi G., et al. "Genomic Analyses Reveal the Influence of Geographic Origin, Migration, and Hybridization on Modern Dog Breed Development." Cell Reports 19.4 (2017): 697-708.</ref> which implies the Dane's major contribution. These breeds were bred with the indigenous African dogs, including the dog of the Khoikhoi people, which resulted in the Boer hunting dogs, generically called names such as ''boerhond'' (Boer hound) in Dutch; then its descendant language of Afrikaans, which are the chief forerunners to the modern Rhodesian Ridgeback. The sequencing of ancient dog [[genomes]] indicates that the southern African Rhodesian Ridgeback retains 4% pre-colonial ancestry.<ref name="Bergström2020"/>

The Rev. [[Charles Helm]] (1844–1915), son of the Rev. Daniel Helm of the [[London Missionary Society]], was born in the Cape Colony, joined the London Missionary Society himself, and moved from the Zuurbraak (now [[Suurbraak]]) mission station just east of [[Swellendam]] (modern [[Western Cape Province]], South Africa) to the Hope Fountain Mission in [[Matabeleland]], Southern Rhodesia, travelling from October 1874 to December 1875, then bringing two ridged dog [[Dog|bitches]] from somewhere between [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]] (modern [[Northern Cape Province]], South Africa) and Swellendam with him to Hope Fountain in 1879 en route to becoming, as it would turn out, a political advisor to King [[Lobengula]], house-host to hunter-explorer [[Frederick Selous|Frederick Courteney Selous]], postmaster of Bulawayo and well-appreciated tooth-extractor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/2011/03/relevance-of-anti-sanctions-campaign-in.html|title=Pan-African News Wire: The Relevance of the Anti-sanctions Campaign in Zimbabwe|first=Pan-african News|last=Wire|date=14 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=1257|title=S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science}}</ref> At Hope Fountain, now part of the city of Bulawayo, fellow South African transplant [[Cornelius van Rooyen]] (b. 1860, [[Uitenhage]], modern [[Eastern Cape Province]], South Africa), a big&ndash;game hunter, was married to Maria Vermaak of Bloemhof by Charles Helm in 1879 the same year Helm brought his two rough-coated grey-black bitches to the Mission. Van Rooyen saw Helm's pair of bitches and decided to breed his own dogs with them to incorporate their guarding abilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rhodesianassociation.com/the-men-who-created-the-rhodesian-ridgeback-dog-we-know-today%E2%80%8F-continued-from-decjan-bundu-times/|title=The men who created the Rhodesian Ridgeback dog we know today? (continued from Dec/Jan Bundu Times) – Rhodesian Association of WA (RAWA)}}</ref>

After initially greyer, rough-coated [[litter (animal)|litter]]s originating from Helm's dogs, van Rooyen's subsequently crossed offspring turned to redder coats, incorporating the Khoikhoi landrace dog's ridges already carried in Boer dogs within his genomes.<ref name="fox7"/> They became the foundation stock of a kennel which developed dogs over the next 35 years with the ability to bay a lion, to not attack it outright but to harass it by darting in and out with quick snaps and confusing the animal until the hunter shot it.<ref name="fox10">[[#fox2003|Fox (2003)]]: p. 10</ref> These dogs were used to hunt lions, boars and other big game as well as to clear farmlands of wild pigs and [[baboon]]s, and they can kill a baboon independently of a human hunter's collaboration.<ref name="fox11">[[#fox2003|Fox (2003)]]: p. 13</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Rhodesian Ridgeback: The Origin, History and Standard of the Breed|author=T. C. Hawley|page=24}}</ref>

The original breed standard was drafted in 1922 by F. R. Barnes on founding the first Rhodesian Ridgeback Club at a Bulawayo Kennel Club show, then in Southern Rhodesia (now in Zimbabwe), and based on that of the [[Dalmatian (dog)|Dalmatian]]. In 1927, Barnes' standard was approved by the [[Kennel Union of Southern Africa|South African Kennel Union]].<ref>[http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/146g06-en.pdf FCI Breed Standard]</ref> Outside the subcontinent and internationally, the first Rhodesian Ridgebacks in Britain were shown by Mrs. Edward Foljambe in 1928.<ref>''Times'' (London), 11 October 1928, p. 11; 14 August 1933, p. 16</ref> In 1950, Mr. and Mrs. William H. O'Brien of Arizona brought six carefully selected Rhodesian Ridgebacks to the US from South Africa.<ref name="Lamarde History">{{cite web |last1=Cook |first1=John |last2=Cook |first2=Sally |title=History of the Breed |url=http://www.lamardeperro.com/page72.html |website=lamardeperro.com |publisher=Lamarde Perro Kennels |access-date=9 August 2018 |location=[[Shadow Hills, Los Angeles]]}}</ref> He and his wife and Margaret Lowthian of California began the process of getting the breed accepted by the American Kennel Club. Similarly, in 1952, The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain was founded at Crufts to promote the breed around the United Kingdom to show judges, so a standard for the breed might be recognised.<ref name="rhodesianridgebacks.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.org/|title=Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain}}</ref> In 1954 the first Challenge Certificates were awarded to dogs shown as Rhodesian Ridgebacks at [[United Kingdom]] competitions, toward their subsequent recognition by [[The Kennel Club]] of [[Great Britain]],<ref name="rhodesianridgebacks.org"/> and in 1955 the [[American Kennel Club]] recognised the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/rhodesian-ridgeback/|title=Rhodesian Ridgeback Dog Breed Information|first=American Kennel|last=Club}}</ref> as a member of the hound group.

===Culling of puppies===
Traditionally, many Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies were [[culling|culled]] at birth for numerous reasons, including ridgelessness. Some breed parent clubs and canine registries in Europe have even made the culling of ridgeless whelps a requirement. Contemporary breeders are increasingly opting for surgical sterilisation of these offspring to ensure they will not be bred but can live into maturity as non-showing, non-breeding pets. It was pointed out on the BBC One investigative documentary ''[[Pedigree Dogs Exposed]]'' that the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain's "code of ethics", which is ratified annually by the [[kennel club]], states that "Ridgeless puppies shall be culled",<ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.org/ethics.html |title= Code of Ethics Page|date=2007-05-22 |access-date=2011-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070522040713/http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.org/ethics.html |archive-date=May 22, 2007 }}</ref> and that "mismarked" puppies will only ever be sold on condition that they are never shown, and are neutered.<ref name="web.archive.org"/> The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club defended itself pointing to the statement that follows, "if a breeder finds this morally impossible [to cull the puppy] the puppy shall be homed..." as indication that culling is not mandatory, but preferred.<ref>[http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.org/index.html RESPONSE TO BBC PROGRAMME "PEDIGREE DOGS EXPOSED"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224153057/http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.org/index.html |date=2008-12-24 }} The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain</ref> It was only after the publicity surrounding the promotion of culling that they reversed their code of ethics to say "no healthy puppy will be culled".<ref>[http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.org/ethics.html General Code of Ethics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020181718/http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.org/ethics.html |date=2011-10-20 }} The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain</ref>

==Description==

===Appearance===
[[File:Vistoilridge.jpg|thumb|right|Rhodesian Ridgeback showing distinctive ridge]]

The appearance standard of the Rhodesian Ridgeback originated in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and goes back to the year 1922, and by 2019 this standard had remained virtually unchanged.<ref name=pedigree1922>{{cite web | url = https://www.hillspet.co.uk/dog-care/dog-breeds/rhodesian-ridgeback| title = Rhodesian Ridgeback Dog Breed Information and Personality Traits - History
| last = Hillspet Staff | date = 2 December 2019 | website = hillspet.co.uk | publisher = hillspet| access-date = 2 December 2019}}</ref> The Rhodesian Ridgeback's distinguishing feature is the ridge of hair running along its back in the opposite direction from 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. The ridge is usually about {{convert|2|in}} in width at its widest point. It is believed to originate from the dog used by the original African dog population which had a similar ridge.

Male Rhodesian Ridgebacks usually stand {{convert|26|-|29|in|cm|abbr=on}} at the [[withers]] and weigh about {{convert|45|kg|abbr=on}} (FCI standard); females are typically {{convert|24|-|26|in|cm}} tall and about {{convert|38|kg|abbr=on}} in weight. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are typically very muscular and have a light wheaten to red wheaten [[coat (dog)|coat]], which should be short, dense, sleek and glossy in appearance, and neither woolly nor silky.<ref name="AKC" />

White is acceptable on the chest and toes, but excessive white is considered a fault. The presence of black guard hairs or ticking is not addressed in the [[American Kennel Club|AKC standard]], although the elaboration of the AKC standard notes the amount of black or dark brown in the coat should not be excessive.<ref name="AKC">{{cite web|url=http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/rhodesian-ridgeback/#standard |title=American Kennel Club - Rhodesian Ridgeback |publisher=Akc.org |access-date=2011-10-24}}</ref> The FCI standard states that excessive black hairs throughout the coat are highly undesirable. Rhodesian Ridgebacks sometimes have a [[melanistic mask|dark mask]], but it is not considered a fault to have no mask at all. The dog's nose should be black or liver in keeping with the colour of the dog. No other coloured nose is permissible. The brown nose is a [[recessive gene]]. It is not as common as a black nose; some breeders believe the inclusion of brown noses in a breeding program is necessary for maintaining the vibrancy of the coat. The eyes should be round and should reflect the dog's colour: dark eyes with a black nose, amber eyes with a brown (liver) nose.

Other dog breeds also have a reverse line of fur along the spine, including the [[Phu Quoc ridgeback dog]] and [[Thai Ridgeback]]. The Thai Ridgeback is a crossbreed of the Phu Quoc; historians have speculated the relationship between the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Phu Quoc with suggestions that historically one breed may have been imported to the other's location.<ref name="fox6"/><ref name="fox7">[[#fox2003|Fox (2003)]]: p. 7</ref>

<gallery widths="180px" heights="200px" perrow="5">
File:Akani Stehbild.JPG|Rhodesian Ridgeback
File:Rhodesian Ridgeback 4500.JPG|Rhodesian Ridgeback
File:Rhodesian Ridgeback ridges.jpg|Examples of ridges
File:Rhodesian Ridgeback double swirl.jpg|Ridge with an extra whorl
</gallery>

=== Temperament ===
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are known to be loyal and intelligent. They are typically somewhat aloof to strangers; this is not to be confused with aggression, a Rhodesian Ridgeback with a good temperament will not attack a stranger for no reason. They require consistent training and correct socialization; therefore they are often not the best choice for inexperienced dog owners and families with younger children.

Despite Rhodesian Ridgebacks being extremely athletic and sometimes imposing, they do have a sensitive side. 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. They go to pieces with handling of that kind."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Denise Flaim |date=November 2002 |title=The Other End of the Leash Understanding Our Complex Hounds |publisher=American Kennel Club |location=New York, NY |journal=AKC Gazette |volume=119 |issue=11 |issn=0033-4561 |url=http://www.revodana.com/ridgebackarticles/temperamentarticles.html |access-date=2009-07-31 }}</ref> The Rhodesian Ridgeback accepts correction as long as it is fair and justified, and as long as it comes from someone the dog knows and trusts.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Denise Flaim |date=November 2002 |title=The Other End of the Leash Understanding Our Complex Hounds |publisher=American Kennel Club |location=New York, NY |journal=AKC Gazette |volume=119 |issue=11 |issn=0033-4561 |url=http://www.revodana.com/ridgebackarticles/temperamentarticles.html |access-date=2013-10-28 }}</ref>

==Genetics of the ridge==
[[File:Male Rhodesian ridgeback IMG 6800.JPG|thumb|Male Rhodesian Ridgeback]]
The [[genotype]] responsible for the ridge was found by a consortium of researchers at the [[Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences]] (Nicolette Salmon Hillbertz, Göran Andersson, et al.), Uppsala University (Leif Andersson, Mats Nilsson, et al.) and the Broad Institute ([[Kerstin Lindblad-Toh]], et al.) in 2007.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Salmon Hillbertz | first1 = NH | last2 = Isaksson | first2 = M | last3 = Karlsson | first3 = EK | last4 = Hellmén | first4 = E | last5 = Pielberg | first5 = GR | last6 = Savolainen | first6 = P | last7 = Wade | first7 = CM | last8 = von Euler | first8 = H | last9 = Gustafson | first9 = U | last10 = Hedhammar | first10 = A | last11 = Nilsson | first11 = M | last12 = Lindblad-Toh | first12 = K | last13 = Andersson | first13 = L | last14 = Andersson | first14 = G | date = Nov 2007 | title = Duplication of FGF3, FGF4, FGF19 and ORAOV1 causes hair ridge and predisposition to dermoid sinus in Ridgeback dogs | journal = Nat Genet | volume = 39 | issue = 11| pages = 1318–20 | pmid = 17906623 | doi=10.1038/ng.2007.4| s2cid = 22988683 }}</ref>

The only disqualification in the AKC standard for this breed is "ridgelessness". This term refers to the purebred offspring of [[heterozygous]] parental animals that do not inherit a copy of the ridge mutation from either parent and thus lack the classic ridged back. The most current research suggests that the ridge mutation is [[autosomal dominant]] with near-complete [[penetrance]]: 95% of heterozygous dogs have a ridged back. Well under 25% of puppies lack a ridge, indicating a significant proportion of the breed are [[homozygous]] for the mutation{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}.

The genetic test which distinguishes dominant homozygotes (R/R - two ridge genes) from heterozygotes (R/r - one ridge gene) is available ([http://www.genocan.eu www.genocan.eu/en]). Using the genetic test, a breeder may accurately predict birth of ridgeless puppies.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Ridgeback063.JPG
File:Rhodesian ridgeback głowa rzut z przodu.jpg
File:Akani Kopf.jpeg
File:Big rhodesian male IMG 6830.JPG
</gallery>

[[File:Ridgeback on trail.jpg|thumb|right|Rhodesian Ridgeback on trail]]
[[File:Ridgeback.jpg|thumb|right|Rhodesian Ridgeback running]]
[[File:Rhodesian ridgeback head study.jpg|thumb|Rhodesian Ridgeback]]

== Health ==
[[File:Re Wheaten Akani Free timeJPG.jpg|thumbnail|Rhodesian Ridgeback]]

Health conditions that are known to affect the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed are [[Hip dysplasia (canine)|hip dysplasia]] and [[dermoid sinus]]. The Rhodesian Ridgeback ranks number six in terms of most affected breeds for thyroid problems recorded by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.<ref>{{cite web
 |title       = OFA Thyroid Statistics
 |url         = http://www.offa.org/thystatbreed.html
 |access-date  = 29 Oct 2014
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080526034052/http://www.offa.org/thystatbreed.html
 |archive-date = 26 May 2008
 }}</ref> A UK study found the average life expectancy to be 12 years.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=McMillan|first1=K. M.|last2=Bielby|first2=J.|last3=Williams|first3=C.L.|title=Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death|journal=Scientific Reports|year=2024|volume=14|page=531|doi=10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w|pmid=38302530 |pmc=10834484}}Supplementary Table 3</ref>

===Dermoid sinus===
Dermoid sinus is a congenital neural-tube defect that is known to affect this breed. The dermoid is often likened to a thin "spaghetti strand" beneath the skin. Puppies should always be screened at birth by the breeder and veterinarian, and the examination repeated as the puppies grow before they go to their new homes. This is done by palpation of the subcutaneous dorsal midline from the base of the skull to the insertion of the tail. Surgical removal is an option for affected neonates, puppies and adult dogs. All affected dogs, even those surgically corrected, should be spayed or neutered and never be bred, since surgical dermoid sinus removal can be extremely cost prohibitive, and because many unremoved dermoid sinuses will eventually abscess. Abscessed dermoid sinuses will be at best a recurrent, painful problem, and if the sinus communicates with the tissues around the spinal cord, cause meningitis and often death. However, it has been shown that supplementation of folic acid to the diet of the brood bitch before mating and during pregnancy reduces the incidence of dermoid sinus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rrclubsa.com/a_health.htm |title=Health Issues RRCSA |publisher=Rrclubsa.com |access-date=2011-10-24 |archive-date=5 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705030451/http://www.rrclubsa.com/a_health.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> One study on the Swedish population estimates that 8-10% are affected.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Hillbertz | first1 = N. H. C. S. | title = Inheritance of dermoid sinus in the Rhodesian Ridgeback | doi = 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2005.tb00295.x | journal = Journal of Small Animal Practice | volume = 46 | issue = 2 | pages = 71–74 | year = 2005 | pmid =  15736812}}</ref> Slightly less than 5% of Rhodesian Ridgebacks were reported to be affected with the condition in a US breed club survey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rrcus.org/rhodesianridgebackhealth/resources/overviewgeneticdesease.html|title=Overview and Prevalence of Genetic Defects in the Rhodesian Ridgeback|last=Roethel|first=Cynthia|publisher=RRCUS Health and Genetics Committee|access-date=25 February 2012|archive-date=27 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127205957/http://rrcus.org/rhodesianridgebackhealth/resources/overviewgeneticdesease.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Degenerative myelopathy===
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is one of the breeds more commonly affected by [[degenerative myelopathy]]. The condition is caused by an [[autosomal recessive]] mutation in the [[SOD1]] gene.<ref>{{cite book |author1-first=James A.C. |author1-last=Oliver |author2-first=Cathryn S. |author2-last=Mellersh | editor1-first=Barbara | editor1-last=Cooper | editor2-first=Elizabeth |editor2-last=Mullineaux |editor3-first=Lynn | editor3-last=Turner |title=BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing |date=2020 |publisher=British Small Animal Veterinary Association |isbn=978-1-910-44339-2 |edition=Sixth|chapter=Genetics| page=131}}</ref>

===Hypothyroidism===
[[Hypothyroidism in dogs|Hypothyroidism]] is a growing problem in the Rhodesian Ridgeback, and this condition causes a multitude of symptoms, including weight gain and hair loss. Treatment for hypothyroidism in dogs consists of an inexpensive once-daily oral medication. Dr. Lorna Kennedy at the University of Manchester's Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research in England has found the haplotype (group of genes), which, when present, double the chances of a Rhodesian Ridgeback becoming hypothyroid due to lymphocytic thyroiditis. This is important to the breed because lymphocytic thyroiditis is the overwhelming cause of hypothyroidism in Rhodesian Ridgebacks.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}

===Gastric dilatation volvulus===
Like many other deep-chested breeds, the Rhodesian Ridgeback is prone to [[gastric dilatation volvulus]], commonly known as bloat. This is a potentially fatal condition that requires immediate treatment.<ref name="fox86">[[#fox2003|Fox (2003)]]: p. 86</ref>

===Resources===
'''RRCUS H&G''' - the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States maintains a web site devoted to the breed's health issues that also gathers ongoing research for their Health & Genetics Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rhodesianridgebackhealth.org/ |title=Rhodesian Ridgeback Health |publisher=Rhodesian Ridgeback Health |access-date=2011-10-24 |archive-date=6 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106024237/http://www.rhodesianridgebackhealth.org/ }}</ref> This group recommends that breeders perform at least four health screenings: hips, elbows, thyroid and eyes, with cardiac and hearing tests optional.

'''CRRHS''' - it is also recommended that all ridgeback owners enter their dogs' information in the Comprehensive Rhodesian Ridgeback Health Survey.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lkhopkins.com/Ridgeback/ |title=Rhodesian Ridgeback Comprehensive Health Survey Home Page |publisher=Lkhopkins.com |access-date=2011-10-24 |archive-date=1 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001145242/http://www.lkhopkins.com/Ridgeback/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Portal:Dogs|Dogs portal]]
* [[List of dog breeds]]
* [[Hound]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Bergström2020">{{cite journal|doi=10.1126/science.aba9572|title=Origins and genetic legacy of prehistoric dogs|year=2020|last1=Bergström|first1=Anders|last2=Frantz|first2=Laurent|last3=Schmidt|first3=Ryan|last4=Ersmark|first4=Erik|last5=Lebrasseur|first5=Ophelie|last6=Girdland-Flink|first6=Linus|last7=Lin|first7=Audrey T.|last8=Storå|first8=Jan|last9=Sjögren|first9=Karl-Göran|last10=Anthony|first10=David|last11=Antipina|first11=Ekaterina|last12=Amiri|first12=Sarieh|last13=Bar-Oz|first13=Guy|last14=Bazaliiskii|first14=Vladimir I.|last15=Bulatović|first15=Jelena|last16=Brown|first16=Dorcas|last17=Carmagnini|first17=Alberto|last18=Davy|first18=Tom|last19=Fedorov|first19=Sergey|last20=Fiore|first20=Ivana|last21=Fulton|first21=Deirdre|last22=Germonpré|first22=Mietje|last23=Haile|first23=James|last24=Irving-Pease|first24=Evan K.|last25=Jamieson|first25=Alexandra|last26=Janssens|first26=Luc|last27=Kirillova|first27=Irina|last28=Horwitz|first28=Liora Kolska|last29=Kuzmanovic-Cvetković|first29=Julka|last30=Kuzmin|first30=Yaroslav|last31=Losey|first31=Robert J.|last32=Dizdar|first32=Daria Ložnjak|last33=Mashkour|first33=Marjan|last34=Novak|first34=Mario|last35=Onar|first35=Vedat|last36=Orton|first36=David|last37=Pasaric|first37=Maja|last38=Radivojevic|first38=Miljana|last39=Rajkovic|first39=Dragana|last40=Roberts|first40=Benjamin|last41=Ryan|first41=Hannah|last42=Sablin|first42=Mikhail|journal=Science|volume=370|issue=6516|pages=557–564|pmid=33122379|pmc=7116352|s2cid=225956269|url=https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/168236/}}</ref>

}}

===Sources===
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last=Fox|first=Sue|title=Rhodesian Ridgebacks|year=2003|publisher=Barron's|location=Hauppauge, N.Y.|isbn=978-0-7641-2376-4|url=https://archive.org/details/rhodesianridgeba0000foxs|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/rhodesianridgeba0000foxs/page/2 2]|quote=rhodesian ridgeback history.|ref=fox2003}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Rhodesian Ridgeback}}
<!-- DO NOT ADD PRIVATE BREEDERS OR ADVERTISING; IT WILL BE REMOVED -->

<!--Editors: breed registry, club, rescue, and kennel information links are placed on DMOZ, not here-->*[http://www.rhodesia.me.uk/RhodesianRidgeback.htm History of the Rhodesian Ridgeback]- from the archive of the history and life of Rhodesia.

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[[Category:FCI breeds]]
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in Africa]]
[[Category:Ridgeback dogs]]
[[Category:Sighthounds]]