Angola Dog Names

A dog breed that was developed in southern Africa, including Angola, is the Rhodesian Ridgeback, the result of crosses between the ridged Khoikhoi dog and the European breeds brought by Dutch colonists, like Greyhounds and different Terriers.

Gunnar, a 2-year old Rhodesian Ridgeback owned by Lori and Steve Wittenwiler, loves belly rubs and a good steak like many pups. Gunnar is unique, however, in that there is a book about him. Lori published a book called “Through the Eyes of a Ridgeback: Gunnar’s Deep Thoughts”, which includes anecdotes from his first year as a part of their family.  Though Lori had minimal experience writing before working on the books, she stated that Gunnar’s personality made translating his character to the page easy. The book is a collection of short stories and musings that were inspired by Gunnar’s antics. In addition to the book, Gunnar also has a social media presence with around 500 Facebook fans.

Another Rhodesian Ridgeback with a social media presence is Biko. The pooch, now 94 pounds, was given to his person, Donatella Lorch, as a Mother’s Day gift at six weeks of age in 2009. While a large dog, he is described as a “gentle giant” who enjoys spending time on his Lorch’s yoga mat. When Lorch was planning a move from Nairobi to Kathmandu, she learned just how challenging moving with her pooch had become. Lorch wanted Biko to be on her Qatar Air flight; however, this was a struggle as a result of his size. When standing, Biko is over 5 feet 5 inches when upright on his hind legs. This meant that his kennel just barely fit through the door of the only pressurized cargo compartment on the plane the pup would be on. Lorch was concerned that the kennel that would barely fit in the cargo compartment would not provide Biko the minimum amount of headroom that is required by the International Air Transport Association regulations. The next size up would not fit on the plan and would require a Boeing 747-size cargo door. It turned out that Lorch had reason to be concerned. The day before they were scheduled to leave, the government airport-based vet denied permission for Biko to fly. Fortunately, through a lot of effort, Biko was allowed to board the plane in his kennel.