As previously mentioned, van Rooyen and Helm from Hope Fountain were very good friends. The two Hope fountain bitches, Powder and Lorna, when in the care of van Rooyen, interbred with van Rooyen's pack of hunting dogs, made up of any number of breeds including mixtures of Greyhound, Irish Terriers, English Pointers, Bulldogs, Rough Collies and Great Danes. The best puppy from each litter was always kept to improve the strain. The ridged puppies produced from these matings showed a marked tendency to excel as hunting dogs, particularly in baying lions. They were fearless and brave, tenacious and with great endurance to hunt in the bush all day. It is unlikely can Rooyen cared if they had a ridge on their back or not, as long as they could hunt, but most certainly he developed and formulated a hunting dog that became famous for baying lion, a type of dog soon became known as “van Rooye's lion dogs” and which was highly prized in the area.
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