The Swedish Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (SRRS), in collaboration with Swedish breeders, recently updated its Breeding Strategies (RAS) to allow the use of ridgeless dogs (genotype r/r) in breeding under specific conditions. Read more about their “Strategies for Health and Long-term Sustainable Breeding.” Similarly, the Finnish Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (SRB) has supported the inclusion of ridgeless dogs in breeding programs for several years. These decisions aim as one of several measures to preserve genetic diversity within the breed, and especially the use of ridgeless dogs in breeding has sparked widespread debate around the world. We applaud forward-thinking strategies like those supported by the SRRS and SRB and, of course, embrace them.

Maintaining genetic diversity is crucial for the long-term sustainability of any purebred dog breed, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks are no exception. While the global population of Ridgebacks may seem large, finding suitable breeding pairs is becoming increasingly challenging. The prevalence of so-called “matador sires” – sires that leave a substantial genetic footprint in the population – has significantly narrowed the genetic diversity in the gene pool. When dogs appear multiple times in a pedigree, genetic diversity is lost. This narrowing of diversity heightens the risks of hereditary diseases and weakened immune systems. In closed studbooks with limited genetic variation (in other words, most dog breeds today), using as many healthy individuals as possible in breeding, including ridgeless dogs, is vitally important.

By breeding ridgeless dogs to ridged homozygous partners (genotype R/R), breeders can produce litters with all ridged puppies while maintaining and expanding genetic diversity. This approach doesn’t seek to alter the breed standard but to make sure that we maintain as much genetic diversity in the breed as possible. Let’s remember that even full siblings aren’t genetically similar, and every individual will have unique gene combinations that should be kept in the gene pool as long as the dogs are healthy and sound on the inside and outside. The SRRS emphasises that collaboration between breed clubs and breeders is essential to prevent the overuse of specific dogs and avoid excluding healthy individuals. Together, these efforts can lead to more sustainable breeding practices that prioritise health and long-term viability. 

Take Navi, for example. She is a ridgeless Rhodesian Ridgeback who perfectly illustrates why this shift is essential. Although she was born without a ridge, Navi is still every bit a Rhodesian Ridgeback in her appearance, behaviour and temperament. She embodies everything the breed stands for in terms of physical and mental qualities.

For too long, ridgeless dogs have been excluded from breeding simply because they lack a ridge. This simple cosmetic feature does not affect health, character or suitability as a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Science now shows us that there’s a better path forward. Breeding ridgeless dogs like Navi, with ridge homozygotes partners, ensures that every puppy in the litter will inherit the ridge, while the breeder also preserves valuable genetic diversity. 

Forward-thinking breeders and clubs have already embraced this approach, recognising that excluding healthy, well-tempered dogs solely based on appearance is a mistake. Dogs like Navi are a testament to what we lose when we let looks take precedence over substance. Her lack of a ridge has never mattered to the strangers who adore her, the children she enjoys playing with or her family who loves her.

Breeding ridgeless dogs isn’t just a choice – it’s the definition of “healthy breeding, common sense”. To secure the future of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, we must focus on what truly matters. The ridge will always be part of the breed, but it shouldn’t define it. There is a better way forward – one that values the whole dog, not just its surface.

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Note: This text was initiated and written by the author, with AI tools used to enhance language and readability.
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