Rhodesian Ridgeback Conference - Breeding Ridged to Ridgeless

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of GB Conference 25^th January 2009

 Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders from Great Britain, Holland, Germany, Ireland, USA, Sweden, Norway and South Africa gathered at the new Kennel Club building in Stoneleigh, UK to discuss Breed Matters.  The Conference was held to discuss breed issues as Dr Jeff Sampson from the Kennel Club had contacted the Breed Clubs to propose that breeders consider allowing ridgeless ridgebacks into the breeding programme. 

 The proposal was prompted by the research of Dr. Nicolette Salmon-Hillbertz, and others from the Department of Animal Breeding & Genetics in Sweden.  Nicolette is a dog geneticist, a ridgeback owner and a breeder whose recent research proved that the ridge on the ridgeback is a fully dominant trait.  The breed consists of dogs which are ridged and will never produce ridgeless defined as RR, dogs that have the ridge but carry ridgeless Rr and ridgeless dogs rr which do not carry the ridge gene.

 Nicolette’s research of 2007 proved conclusively that the mutation causing the ridge is duplication on chromosome 18. 

 The ridge is NOT a mild form of spina bifida, Dermoid Sinus is NOT apparent in 10% of ridgebacks, both facts were incorrectly reported by ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’, the figure for DS is 2.24%  Dermoid sinus is a neural tube defect, as is spina bifida but nowhere near as severe.  DS is apparent in all breeds of dogs and humans but it is more prevalent in the Rhodesian Ridgeback. 

 DS is not inherited as simply as the ridge but the ridge mutation is a major risk for DS malformation.  From that research it was concluded that there is an increased risk of DS in the dominant ridged dogs RR but not all RR dogs carry DS.

 The hypothesis from that study was that the most straight-forward way to reduce DS in the ridgeback was to use ridgeless dogs in the breeding programme.  If a dominant ridge dog were mated to a ridgeless, then all the puppies should have the ridge and also carry the ridgeless gene.  This proposal was rejected by the Meeting as without a DNA test, there was no way of knowing if the ridged dog had the dominant trait.  Also if a ridged dog carrying the ridgeless gene were to be put to a ridgeless dog it is anticipated that 50% of the puppies would be ridgeless.   Furthermore it was the opinion of experienced breeders that in a few generations we would lose the ridge.

In practice also breed rescues are becoming saturated with a disproportionate amount of ridgeless puppies needing homes in comparison to ridged ridgebacks.  There are very few good homes to be found for them and it is inevitable that this problem will increase.

 It was agreed that the only way to eradicate DS is with a DNA test where it would be possible to retain the ridge and possibly also lower the number of ridgeless offspring also.

 In August, at the World Congress  Nicolette had told us that in her research she had not come across a ridgeless DS positive puppy although breeders stated they had known of them.  As such she could not use them as scientific evidence in her research, she asked for blood samples from the puppies  if breeders came across them 

 As a result of the activities leading up to this conference Nicolette was provided information regarding a litter of Ridgeback/Bull Mastiff crosses which will be sampled.  Some were ridged but in a ridgeless puppy the DS dimple could be seen on the photo mid-way up the neck.  If a cross mating produces DS then there is no point in using ridgeless ridgebacks in a breeding programme.  She had also been supplied with samples from some ridgeless puppies (reported by the owners as DS positive), some came from parents that were not dominant ridged.

 Identifying the genetic complexity of DS is very challenging.  At present necessary sensitive technology to prove the Swedish hypothesis is not available but until then we must keep taking blood samples to narrow the search.  At this time the research is semi-complete.  Many Breed Clubs and Kennel Clubs including our own through The Charitable Trust had aided her research but she requires more funding to complete it.  She also needs samples!  Samples from litters with DS positive puppies, samples from healthy litters containing ridgeless puppies and healthy ridged litters.  She also needs samples from DS affected animals in other breeds.  You can contact her through the Club of GB Secretary vanessa@suhuba.co.uk

 Dr Jeff Sampson from the Kennel Club then told us that pressures were being brought to bear on all aspects of dog breeding.  Many organisations are anti dog breeding and showing.  He stated that 2 or 3 reviews being undergone at this moment on Dog Breeding and Showing.  The geneticists involved in the Reviews are human geneticists, who possibly do not even own a dog, who will use human approach.  No canine geneticists had been invited to advise in the reviews. This caused major concern.  The KC were trying to support Breeders but are under a lot of pressure.  There are some Organisations that wanted to restrict KC registrations but the KC would like to leave the breeding decisions with the Breeders.  These Organisations are putting the ridgeback very much in the frame and it is being used as an example. 

 Jeff Sampson said that KC needed more information regarding the health of breeds.  The information relating to the health of the Rhodesian Ridgeback had been drawn from Insurance data and conditions referred to scientific literature.  Not much had been forthcoming from breeders; this is most likely as there was nothing to report!  It was pointed out that we should still have sent the forms back.  The Kennel Club have no idea how long registered dogs live as it is not recorded.

 He stated that the KC are working to obtain a database whereby if a breeder was looking at three sires for their bitch they would be able to obtain from the database the best match.  I believe that this is something they do in zoos.

 The Accredited Breeders scheme was brought up and it was noted that the Accredited Breeders that bred most prolifically were not at the Conference.  It was also pointed that quite a few were not members of any Breed Clubs and so did not have to abide by Club Rules and Breeding Practices.  At present the Kennel Club had only one inspector for Accredited Breeders.  Jeff  Sampson said the KC were looking at the possibility of having regional inspectors.

 Clayton Heathcock, Organic Chemist who had studied genetics from America, pointed out that the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States had a database which anyone in the World can access using their own area which is protected by a log-in password so that owners can input the health data of their dogs.  The owners and dog’s information are removed and the health information is supplied to the Clubs and Scientists for their Research.  The website is www.rhodesianridgebackhealth.org .  The Rhodesian Ridgeback Comprehensive Health Surveys helps the RRCUS determine what health problems and genetic conditions that are affecting RRs today and their prevalence.  The survey may also determine what research projects should be initiated and support based on their relevance to the breed.

 In relation to the DS condition the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of GB had been collating information from all over the World.  Of the reported litters in the UK over the last four years ridgeless were 6.72% and DS 2.24%.  The Rest of the World had similar results of 6.58% ridgeless to 3.12% DS.  Looking back on archival data it proved that even though we had no DNA test. through studying the parentage of prospective mates and co-operation and honesty between owners of stud dogs and dams Breeders have been able to breed away from it and it has been reducing.   Jeff Sampson said that unfortunately for some of these Organisations one dog with a sinus was one too many.

 Liz Megginson said that in South Africa the 50’s and 60’s the incidence of DS was as much as 50% in some litters due to breeders not realising what it was and breeding affected individuals together. 

 Liz Megginson,  said that many lions have ridges except that their crowns are usually at the bottom of there ridge but she does not know if they get DS. 

 We can conclude that the ridge is a naturally occurring phenomenon which occurred also in the ridgebacks’ ancestor, the Hottentot dog and is not man made.

 The final part of the Conference was to discuss changes to the Standard.  Bill Lambert from the Kennel Club was expected to take this part of the Meeting but his car broke down on the way and he could not make it and so Jeff Sampson stepped in as Kennel Club Representative.

 Liz Megginson firmly stated that the breed’s name was not up for discussion.  This was met with unanimous approval.

 The KC Interim standard was discussed; in the Rhodesian Ridgeback the changes proposed by the Kennel Club were in the characteristics. The proposed sentence ‘Any evidence of Dermoid Sinus to be severely penalised’ had been removed.  It was noted that the KC had taken notice of representation from the Breed Clubs that it would not be practical to check for DS in the ring and in any case all-rounders would be unlikely to find a DS or an operation scar if presented in the ring.  In the UK to the Meeting’s knowledge no DS positive dog had ever been shown.

 ‘Peculiarity is the ridge on the back’ and been changed to ‘A distinctive feature is the ridge on the back’ and ‘ridge must be regarded as the escutcheon of breed’ has been removed.  It was agreed that the first word should be ‘The’ and not ‘A’. There was a suggestion that ‘Distinctive’ should be changed to ‘Definitive’ but as these changes had only just come into force and they need to be discussed at the next Breed Council Meeting.

 Liz Megginson suggested that the sentence relating to crowns not extending further than one third of the length did not reflect the ridgeback in the ring and it should be altered to crowns should be in the first quarter of the ridge.  This was agreed.  Liz Megginson also brought up that at the World Congress delegates wanted an International Standard agreed, this was met with enthusiasm.

 At the end of the meeting it was agreed that this day would be the 1^st day for the future of our breed.

 The Official Minutes of the Meeting were recorded by a stenographer and are yet  to be issued.

Lindsey Barnes©

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