In a message dated 2/26/2009 4:08:10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes: We went back to the river again today and those dogs were at the same spot. ---- Good to learn. Yes, feral is perhaps a bit too much for an educated docked-tail purebred like that -- who befriends below his station (his mongrel best-bud). 1934 Hutchinson's Dog Encycl. I. 184 Boxer. This dog, which appears to derive from the ‘Dogues’ that had been made use of, during past centuries, for animal-baiting, is very little known in Britain. --- I'm going ridgeback for the fun of it: "Rhodesian lion dog" or "ridgeback", a large, short-coated, light brown dog belonging to the breed so called, distinguished by a ridge of hair along the middle of the back, growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. 1930 Observer 9 Feb. 13/2 Such rarities as..Rhodesian lion dogs, distinguished by the ridge of hair running along the back the reverse way of the rest of the coat. 1937 Our Dogs 10 Dec. 886/2 The belief that the Rhodesian Ridgeback is the direct result of crossing the old Cuban Bloodhound with the Hottentot Hunting Dog arose a considerable time ago. ---- but is it true? There is some implicature in the wording to the effect that it ain't necessarily so (to quote Porgy and Bess). idem, p. 3 The ridge in the breed..is present in practically every Ridgeback puppy. 1945 L. G. GREEN Where Men Still Dream 167 The finest type of Bushman hunting dog, a light brown ridgeback mongrel with dark stripes and a trace of the greyhound in its appearance, is now verging on extinction. 1948 C. L. B. HUBBARD Dogs in Britain xxi. 373 The Rhodesian Ridgeback obtains its name from this crest of hair which is present in all true specimens of the breed. Ibid. 375 It [sc. the Rhodesian Ridgeback] was for some years known in Britain as the Rhodesian Lion Dog. 1955 J. PACKER Valley of Vines iv. 44 Their house stood empty save for the Native boy, Elias, and two Rhodesian ridgebacks. 1977 P. C. VENTER Soweto 51 A ridgeback yawned and got up from the polished door step. 1979 A. PRICE Tomorrow's Ghost xi. 182, I think we ought to have dogs... A pair of Rhodesian Ridgebacks‘Lion Dogs’. Cheers, JL **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1218822736x1201267884/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fwww.freecreditreport.com%2Fpm%2Fdefault.aspx%3Fsc%3D668072%26hmpgID %3D62%26bcd%3DfebemailfooterNO62) ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html