Rhodesian Ridgeback

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large-sized dog breed bred in the Southern Africa region. Its forebears can be traced to the semi-domesticated ridged hunting and guarding dogs of the Khoikhoi, which were renowned for their heightened ferocity in both of their roles as hunters and guardians. These were crossed with European dogs by the early colonists of the Cape Colony of southern Africa. The original breed standard was drafted by F. R. Barnes, in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), in 1922, who named the breed the Rhodesian Ridgeback. The standard was approved by the South African Kennel Union in 1927.