Rhodesian Ridgeback

[haycroft]

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Are rodesian ridgeback dogs sight or scent hounds i just wondered, as there were some running at the bsfa

 

[~elizabeth~]

Well it seems the BSFA are a little uncertain too as they list sighthounds as: "Afghan Hound, Basenji, Borzoi, Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Pharaoh Hounds, Saluki, Sloughi, Scottish Deerhound and Whippet." but created a class for the ones that turned up yesterday. I'd have said not; I thought their main purpose was guarding.

 

[kris]

arent they used in south africa for hunting lions?

 

[~elizabeth~]

arent they used in south africa for hunting lions?

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Yes but they'd hardly course lions would they? There are plenty of hunting dogs that aren't sighthounds.

 

[melanie]

im sure iv seen somewhere that they are sight hounds, but i wouldnt quote me on that :wacko:

 

[~elizabeth~]

Very interesting question in general, what is a sighthound?

It's not just pointy noses that will follow moving game or a lure (having seen GSDs, collies, pointers and terriers of all sorts lurecouring successfully) so what, beyond this, makes a sighthound distinct in the field? Personally I'd say it would depend on how the hound reacted to it's quarry (though in that case it's a question will never be answered unless someone has actually hunted lions with their RRs (w00t) :sweating: :b )

 

[wild whippies]

Errm :- "

http://www.k9community.co.uk/forums/index....wtopic=4368&hl=

Very funny thread this.

 

[stormydog]

ERRM........HERES A COUPLE OF "SIGHT-HOUNDS!" .... :- "

View attachment 42991

 

[OEH]

I could have sworn that I read somewhere that they are sighthounds, but i can't for the life of me find where.

I found this which is remarkably unhelpful but quite interesting.

Breed Characteristics

The Rhodesian Ridgeback has the advantage of having keen sight, and a good nose for scent. Due to the wide-open terrain of the southern African veldt, coupled with the habits of the game to be hunted and the techniques required to hunt such game in that terrain, the Ridgeback was developed as a silent trailer, characteristic of its sighthound ancestry. When the terrain becomes more varied, where baying is desirable to keep track of the hunting pack (such as in areas of the United States where these dogs have been used), supplementation with baying hounds (more typical of scent hounds) has been done.

from:

http://rrcus.org/assets/html/breedinfo/history.htm

 

[OEH]

And this

Miscellaneous

Ridgeback on trailThere is some debate whether the Rhodesian Ridgeback is a sighthound or scent hound. Positions in this discussion usually mirror geography (and the body style of dog preferred), with Americans on the sighthound side of the debate and Europeans and Africans on the scenthound side. Perhaps both are correct: This incredibly versatile breed does not fit easily in either category. In general Ridgebacks pursue prey by sight, and if the prey is not in sight, Ridgebacks track by scent.

 

[kris]

arent they used in south africa for hunting lions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Yes but they'd hardly course lions would they? There are plenty of hunting dogs that aren't sighthounds.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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i never mentioned coursing!

http://www.rhodesianridgebacks.me.uk/rhode...d_historyx.html

 

[stormydog]

THERES ONE NEARBY ME..NOT MY TYPE OF DOG AT ALL...AS FOR COURSING LIONS...THEYD NEED TO BE ON QUADS !

J HN

IM SURE A FEW TOGETHER COULD BRING A LION DOWN ....MAYBE ONCE A LION WAS CORNERED...AND THEYVE PARKED THEIR QUADS.

 

[Seraphina]

In other languages sighthound is called a windhound or fasthound, so i am not sure if the hunting by sight OR scent is a fair distinction. My first Whippet would put her nose to the ground and take off on the scent of rabbit or hare, and beagles are not exactly blind.

However scent hounds are generally slow and used to track animals. Sighthounds were used to catch them at high speed. Sighthounds would work singly, in pairs or small groups. Borzois were trained to kill small game without damaging the valuble pelts, while they would get a wolf into position where the hunter could either kill the wolf himself, or capture him alive.

I would not classify Ridgeback as a sighthound, I would imagine they would hunt similar way as Great Dane, but although they originated from greyhound X mastiff, I would not call Danes sighthounds.

Pointers and setters etc. are gundogs, they were trained to search, point and fetch, never to chase.

To me sighthound is skinny leggy sleek running machine, runing very fast over relatively short distance.

 

[trac]

i got a ridgeback for my 21st birthday, little was know about them then which was in 1983, she was a brilliant dog so gently but a very good guard dog, unfortunately she only lived to 6yrs old she had a enlarged heart,she was my best friend & slept in bed with me, not much room for me!!!!

 

[~elizabeth~]

i never mentioned coursing!

No, but that's what my definition of a sighthound would be, one that courses fast-moving quarry, rather than hunting it down in any other way, including tracking by a combination of sight and scent.

In other languages sighthound is called a windhound or fasthound, so i am not sure if the hunting by sight OR scent is a fair distinction.  ...To me sighthound is skinny leggy sleek running machine, runing very fast over relatively short distance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Spot on :thumbsup:

 

[dessie]

I wouldn't classify them as sighthounds. This is an extract from Wikipedia:

There is some debate whether the Rhodesian Ridgeback is a sighthound or scent hound. Positions in this discussion usually mirror geography (and the body style of dog preferred), with Americans on the sighthound side of the debate and Europeans and Africans on the scenthound side. Perhaps both are correct: This incredibly versatile breed does not fit easily in either category. In general Ridgebacks pursue prey by sight, and if the prey is not in sight, Ridgebacks track by scent.

 

[neave]

I would class them as a sight hound. As mentioned before they were used to hunt lions but then again you dont have to have good eye sight to see a lion (w00t) (w00t) (w00t)

 

[haycroft]

Confused but interesting topic but i would likely to agree with seraphinas post sayiny that RRs are scent hounds , to me RRs are a bigger version to a fox hound which we know is a scent hound but also can chase and cover alot of ground but this is just my opinion maybe i will never know for sure

 

[kris]

i have a few south african friends and some of them owned ridgebacks when they lived there (theyre all back here now) the dogs were used for hunting and also as guard dogs on lonely farms.they had uses that im afraid arent politically correct now but before apartheid finished they were used to keep the natives in line.

 

[jayp]

I owned a ridgeback some years ago, lovely breed which was never intended to bring down or engage a lion even when hunting as a pack. They were however brave enough to hold a full grown lion at bay until the hunter arrived for the kill.

Not my idea of a sighthound though :- " Jan