When European settlers arrived in South Africa in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, they brought with them such breeds as the Mastiff, Great Dane, Bloodhound, Pointer, Staghound, and Greyhound, among others. These settlers needed a dog that could be comfortable in both hot and cold temperatures, limited water, and rough bush, while performing the duties of a hunting dog. By mixing their European dogs with native Hottentot tribal hunting dogs (which were distinguished by a ridge of hair growing in the opposite direction along the top of their back) they produced just such a dog. These dogs hunted by both sight and scent and were devoted protectors of the entire family.

In the 1870s, several of these dogs were taken to Rhodesia to protect from lions, tracking them and then keeping them at bay. The “lion dogs” were so successful that they soon became popular, their distinctive ridge becoming a trademark. By the 1920s, so many different types of ridged Lion Dogs existed in Rhodesia that a meeting was held to elucidate the most desirable points of the breed, which became the basis for the current breed. Dogs meeting the standard criteria were known as Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks were introduced into England in the 1930s and to America soon after. In both cases, they gained recognition in the 1950s and quickly attracted admirers. In the 1980s, the breed received recognition as a sighthound and became eligible to compete in sighthound field trials. Today, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are among the more popular hounds, undoubtedly because they are an athletic companion in a sleek handsome body.