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Brown Noses and The South African Connection

by Ginny & Nelda Vaughn, Globe Rhodesian Ridgebacks

Ridgebacks can have one of two nose colors: black or brown. The brown nose should be accompanied by a dark amber eye color; the black nose should have a dark eye color in keeping with the color of the dog. Rare in some parts of the world, the brown nose is enjoying an increasing popularity in this country, and more recently other parts of the world, as breeders have come to realize the significance of the brown nose to their breeding program. Because of this, the US is producing some the finest quality Ridgebacks that are more competitive with other breeds.

Our brown nose Ridgebacks is one reason Globe Ridgebacks was the first asked to ship frozen semen back into Africa. In 1988 we were contacted by two breeders in South Africa about shipping frozen semen there. Not only did they want a superb Ridgeback overall, but they specifically wanted a dog with strong brown nose genes. While the brown nose was doing well in the USA, it suffered some discrimination in South Africa, and had become very rare there. The first brown nose in over a decade had just finished her South African championship. Some breeders were beginning to realize the importance of the brown nose to the breed and were anxious to bring this valuable gene back into their breeding programs. 

They were considering a number of brown nose Ridgebacks in this country. We were honored that Globe Ridgebacks was selected. For such an expensive investment for them, and lengthy red tape for us all, we wanted to obtain the services of an agency/veterinarian in whom we had complete confidence. Our initial findings about the success of using frozen semen and the agencies here in the southeastern part of the country were very discouraging. Though these breeders met with some controversy and misgivings from other breeders in South Africa and even by the national kennel club for going outside the "mother country", they were adamant about wanting these bloodlines and very persistent. After lengthy research into frozen semen agencies, we suggested Ch. Globe Casino's Shaka Mzazi, TT, owned by Jim and Pat Hoffmaster, as the stud dog to use. Shaka is the son of a brown nose (Ch. Turoka Globe's Casino Renose) and out of a litter which produced 9 out of 12 brown noses. At that time Shaka was located in Boston in close proximity to Dr. Betty Trainor, one of the foremost authorities on frozen semen in this country. In March 1990 two litters were whelped in South Africa. 

So successful were these litters (one won Best Junior Dog in Show), these two breeders again joined forces to import a puppy from our litter out of Ch. Globe's CaLia Toi Soldier. He became Multi-BIS S.Af. Ch., Zim Ch. Globe's Roving Red Regent ("Clay") - the first American-bred Ridgeback to attain his championship in South Africa as well as Zimbabwe. 

For us the benefits of using the brown nose are coat quality and rich red wheaten coloring. It has been said the brown nose is more intelligent and more calm and "laid back" in nature. In our experience with the brown nose, we have found them generally to be a little gentler, softer-natured dog. This is relatively speaking, since Ridgebacks as a whole have these and each is an individual. Since all Ridgebacks are intelligent, we have not noticed that much difference in intelligence, but we do notice improved coat quality and coloring with a slicker, red wheaten coat.

This information provided by Globe Rhodesian Ridgebacks website is used by permission. http://www.geocities.com/globerr/aboutglobe.html