Rhodesian Ridgebacks?

[r_cordell]

I was wondering if anybody out there has ever heard of a rhodesian ridgeback being used for cat hunting. I've read a few things about them and they were originally used as lion hounds in africa trained to hunt by both sight and smell. It doesn't sound like they are a tree dog, but i was wondering if anybody has any experience with them? they are also called African Lion Hounds. Seems to me if a dog is gritty enough to bay up an african lion, it might be kind of fun to run with some tree hounds

[Josh Kunde]

everybody around here atomatically tells me to introduce ridgeback into my dogs when they hear I am into hounds, but none of them run hounds. I dont want to, that just seems like it will get them killed faster. I guess my new step mom has an uncle in Arkansas or something the uses ridgebacks for bear...to each his own I guess. I'm not gonna use em.
Josh

[nmplott]

its always a gamble to try something new.

[w mcneal]

i had 2 when i started in hounds. they did everything except tree. they would be at the tree, but would not bark at all.

[cecil j.]

I was wondering if anybody out there has ever heard of a rhodesian ridgeback being used for cat hunting. I've read a few things about them and they were originally used as lion hounds in africa trained to hunt by both sight and smell. It doesn't sound like they are a tree dog, but i was wondering if anybody has any experience with them? they are also called African Lion Hounds. Seems to me if a dog is gritty enough to bay up an african lion, it might be kind of fun to run with some tree hounds

They make a great pig dog and fight dog on bear and lion,ya can hand rollem too get em too tree bark however in ya know how/ its an old fox hound trick ! They look like a redbone hound with a ridge streight up their back of fur runnen the oppisitt way from the rest of their coat of fur/hair what ever and they got a houndy mouth on em too/good bawll mouther !The very first ones I seen was in the early 60`s around 63-64 erra and they was rowdy ruff-n-tumble big game dogs on hog & bear & lion, in Ca. up out of Monterey Ca.They work well in a pack of hounds just 1 of em I was told.

[adrich]

I had one a friend could not have anymore about 12 years ago.I was not into hounds then but I really liked the dog.The one I had was a big dog about 75 lbs or more was supposed to be purebred was never used for hunting.But if I had him now I might have tried a cross.Let us know.

[Pops]

hunt down Matt Valdiva in missouri. he's bringing in working stock from eastern europe. essentially they are african curs (the original dogs worked stock also).
they might be considered good fight dogs on bear & cat, but A LOT of the american & australian pigdoggers i know say the ridge is the scar from when they took the heart out. keep in mind these guys have been working w/ show/pet stock. OTH they all say they have a good hot to medium nose & it passes on well in crosses.

[Scott O Rosson]

Had a friend use one for coyote hunting a few years ago and he has not too bad a dog!

[Emily]

Very handsome dog, crazy protective of me, very territorial, not an ounce of hunt in him. He was AKC show dog stock. Very big--110 lbs in his prime.
The original African stock did tree the lions, although they needed a pack, not just several dogs.
Mine instinctively tag-teamed with another ridgeback in our neighborhood to stalk alley cats, but Solomon never looked up. We had a neighbor who would sit on his second floor fire escape with his Lab--a dog Solomon sometimes played with and liked. The Lab would bark as we walked underneath and Solomon would go nuts trying to figure out where it was coming from.
There is enough sight hound in ridgebacks that they won't hunt out of sight of their hunter--at least mine didn't. When we walked in the woods, he would trail behind me on the way in and walk ahead of me on the way out. He would occasionally chase a deer, then get frantic when he realized he couldn't see me any more. VERY different from my coonhounds.