Rhidgebacks rhidge?

mrose_s

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#1
why do they have it? i mean historically? was it to make them look more intimidating (like permanent hackles)?

I love learning the reasons behind breeds pphysical traits.
I'm stuck on

the bull terriers nose and the dalmation colouring?
why?

those three breeds have me stumped.
 

Boemy

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#2
My theory with dalmations is that when their spotty ancestors first appeared, people got so fascinated that they bred the dogs hoping for more spotties. ;) Like siamese cats . . . it's just another form of coloring but **** it looks good! :p No one really knows dalmations' original purpose, they've been used for everything, guard dogs, carriage dogs, circus performers . . .
 

SummerRiot

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#4

why do they have it? i mean historically? was it to make them look more intimidating (like permanent hackles)?


This is all I could really find about the Rhodesians ridge..

"The ridge is thought to be derived from the ridged hunting dog of the Khoikhoi (literally, "men of men"; native South African people, referred to by the Europeans as Hottentots). Some Ridgebacks are born without ridges, and until recently, most ridgeless puppies were culled, or euthanized, at birth."
and this
"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.
"

" They noticed that a dog that had the special ridge on its back as a puppy, grew up to adulthood to become an excellent hunter, of good disposition with the family, and a ferocious protector of the home and herds. The settlers became more selective in the breeding, and eventually the Rhodesian Ridgeback became a pure breed. "

So basically, the "breeders" of this breed thought that the ridge in the dog made it a good hunter.. so it was by selective breeding that the ridge came to stay.



the bull terriers nose

Here is what I found on that..
"It is said that the Afrikaans name for the Bull Terrier is Varkhond (Pig-dog), because of the pig-like appearance of the head and eyes. However, this name is more likely to have arisen as a result of the use in the past of cross-bred bull terriers during bush-pig and warthog hunting in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape.
"

"Borzoi and Collie may have also been crossed into this gene pool to elongate the head even more and to arrive at the type of dog with a stop ever less marked."

Thats really all i could find, othe then that fact that they were basically bred for Pit Fighting way back in the day. They cross bred a bunch of different dogs to get these little guys. I assume their heads are shaped the way they are to help them in the pits..



and the dalmation colouring?

This is basically what I found'

"Historians believe that dalmatians originated in India as a lightly spotted hound type dog treasured by gypsies because of their flashy markings and eagerness to have fun. "

" The earliest history of the breed begins in 3.700 BC with King Cheops, the builder of the Great Pyramid, who owned a spotted pet dog. Wall paintings and friezes found in Greece and Crete show hounds were imported into Greece to create a breed with size, speed and elegance, suitable for hunting deer. This resulted in a dog closely resembling today's Dalmatian. Collectors of pottery will have found that early Staffordshire figures show groups of Dalmatians hunting fallow deer. Even the origin of the name can be found here - a corruption of Dama (Latin for Fallow Deer) and Chien (French for dog) became 'Damachien', akin to Dalmatian, which evolved later. In the late 16th century, the style of hunting changed and the 'Damachien' went out of fashion. Gypsies and wandering players on the Continent, attracted by the dogs' unusual appearance incorporated them into their troupes. They were also noticed by English aristocrats on their travels in the 18th century, who brought a few back to England. They soon discovered that the spotted dogs had feet and legs strong enough to run on the rough roads for 30 miles or so without breaking down. So it was then they became carriage dogs, and many contemporary prints showing them trotting happily behind their masters' carriages.
"

and the most helpful I had found;
" Why the distinctive marking? Camouflage possibly, for a dog bred to hunt in desert country, where the white coat blends with the sand and the spots are lost among the pebbles.
"
 

Rosefern

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#5
This is all I could really find about the Rhodesians ridge..

"The ridge is thought to be derived from the ridged hunting dog of the Khoikhoi (literally, "men of men"; native South African people, referred to by the Europeans as Hottentots). Some Ridgebacks are born without ridges, and until recently, most ridgeless puppies were culled, or euthanized, at birth."
and this
"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.
"

" They noticed that a dog that had the special ridge on its back as a puppy, grew up to adulthood to become an excellent hunter, of good disposition with the family, and a ferocious protector of the home and herds. The settlers became more selective in the breeding, and eventually the Rhodesian Ridgeback became a pure breed. "

So basically, the "breeders" of this breed thought that the ridge in the dog made it a good hunter.. so it was by selective breeding that the ridge came to stay.
"
That's pretty much spot-on. :)

I actually had to call my dad and ask... :lol-sign:

-Rosefern
 

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