What is a Rhodesian Ridgeback?: The Rhodesian Ridgeback dog is a member of the hound group. They are also known as the African Lion Hound. The lion hound breed originated in South Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where this dog breed gets it's name. They are handsome, athletic dogs with a ridge of fur facing forwards on their spine. The coats of the lion hound are short and sleek, ranging from a light wheaten to a dark red wheaten in color. Their particular dog temperament is even and they rarely bark except to alert their family of visitors. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are great with children and love being with their family members. Rhodesian Ridgebacks make wonderful companions and are devoted family dogs. 


How did the Rhodesian Ridgeback come to be?:  The early European settlers of South Africa set the foundation stock of what is today known as the Rhodesian Ridgeback. The settlers bred the dogs they brought to Africa with the native Hottentot tribe's unique ridged African dog, the Hottentot dog. Great Danes, Mastiffs, Greyhounds, Salukis, Bloodhounds and other breeds were bred together with this unique African dog to create a hybrid dog that could handle the elements of the African veldt. This hybrid dog became the beginning of one of the few South African dog breeds, the Rhodesian Ridgeback. The Rhodesian Ridgeback was valued for it's immense versatility in it's ability to hunt big game, adapt to climate, safeguard livestock, and to protect and provide companionship to the settlers and their families.  


Looking for more Rhodesian Ridgeback information?: We'd be happy to answer questions you may have about this exceptional breed. We enjoy sharing our dog's history, traits, temperament, and their many great qualities with people interested in learning more about the breed. Whether you're looking for a pet Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, a show Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy to excel in the conformation ring, a Rhodesian Ridgeback performance dog, or just some specific breed information about the Rhodesian Ridgeback, we look forward to helping you, and we welcome you to Zuka Zama Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

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Our dogs are our family and our house companions. We strive to preserve the breed's health, temperament, and conformation. All of our dogs are certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, OFA, and the Canine Eye Registry Foundation, CERF, for healthy hips, elbows, thyroid, and eyes. In addition our Rhodesian Ridgebacks are OFA certified against Degenerative Myelopathy, a disease relevant to the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed. As conscientious Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders, all puppies are sent home with a health guarantee, an AKC dog registration, and a promise that they will have a forever home, should their owners ever become unable to care for them. We never want to see any of our puppies or dogs surrendered to an animal shelter or rescue. We'll either take the puppy back, or will help to assist the owners in finding a suitable, happy home for them. We offer our puppy buyers a lifetime of support. We love our Rhodesian Ridgebacks and enjoy hearing about their new lives and seeing pictures of how they've grown. We believe in upholding the standards of the AKC, American Kennel Club and RRCUS, the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States.