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Rhodesian Ridgeback

dignified / affectionate / even-tempered
Hound Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

25-27 inches (male)

24-26 inches (female)

Weight

85 pounds (male)

70 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

10-12 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    70% 70%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    50% 50%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    70% 70%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    50% 50%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

A versatile “Renaissance hound,” the Rhodesian Ridgeback is distinguished by a ridge, or stripe, of hair that grows backward, on his back. Ridgebacks are beloved family dogs whose owners must be prepared to deal with their independence and strong hunting drive, despite the fact that the breed was once famous in its native Africa for its talent at tracking and baying, but never, ever killing, lions.

 

Ridgebacks are swift, powerful athletes who can weigh anything from 70 to 85 pounds, and frequently more, beneath their distinctive ridge. They only come in one color, wheaten, which ranges from light flaxen to the burnished crimson of a maturing crop in a wheat field. Additionally, ridgebacks have two different nose colors: the less common brown and the black. Strong-willed, independent, and occasionally dictatorial traits may be seen in the fearsome Ridgeback. Ridgebacks need to be raised with a fair but firm hand from a young age. They have loyal friendships, are devoted to the people they love, and have a melting passion for those they can rely on. A Ridgeback, however, may be too much of a hound for a new dog owner.

What To Expect When Caring For a Rhodesian Ridgeback

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The majority of Rhodesian Ridgebacks are healthy, and responsible breeders check their puppies for thyroid disease, eye abnormalities, hip and elbow dysplasia, and other conditions. An experienced breeder can palpate, or feel, this problem. A dermoid sinus is a tube-like opening in the skin that might occasionally be present at birth.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Elbow Evaluation

Grooming

Although the Rhodesian Ridgeback sheds a little, overall, he requires little maintenance. An occasional bath will keep the Ridgeback clean and looking his best. Routine weekly brushing will assist to eliminate loose hair and maintain the coat lustrous. If the nails don't naturally wear down, they should be regularly cut because excessively long nails can make a dog uncomfortable and make it difficult for it to run and walk. Many Ridgebacks object to having their nails clipped, while others react better to having their nails ground.

Exercise

When given daily activities like long walks and playtime with their owner, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are muscular, athletic dogs who need a moderate level of exercise and can adapt well to diverse living situations. They enjoy running and require exercise to stay wholesome and content. By taking part in dog sports like tracking, agility, and other activities that dog and owner can enjoy together, the breed can also exercise mind and body.  

Training

Rhodesian Ridgebacks should always be in a secure contained location when off leash due to their extremely intense prey drive. The Ridgeback is a devoted companion and needs to live indoors with his human family. They need to be trained with a firm but gentle hand starting at a young age since they can be strong-willed, independent, and occasionally bossy. Positive reinforcement puppy training programs and early socialization serve to guarantee that the dog matures into a well-adjusted, well-mannered companion.

Nutrition

The Rhodesian Ridgeback should thrive on premium dog food, whether it is produced commercially or is made at home under the direction and agreement of your veterinarian. Any diet should be suitable for the dog's stage of life, whether it be a puppy, adult, or senior. Ridgebacks are infamous "counter surfers," so make sure to keep an eye on any unsecured human food. Watch your dog's calorie intake and weight level because certain dogs are prone to obesity. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian. Fresh water that is clean should always be accessible.  

History

The native ridged Khoikhoi dog was crossed with European breeds introduced by Dutch colonists, the Boers, including Greyhounds and different Terriers, to create the Rhodesian Ridgeback, a unique product of southern Africa. The influx of native Khoi blood gave the ensuing generations a resistance to regional pests like the tsetse fly, as well as an innate understanding of how to traverse their new African surroundings – and outsmart its lethal predators.

 

Big-game hunter Cornelius van Rooyen of Rhodesia included two ridged Greyhound-like females into his pack of lion dogs in the late 19th century. He discovered that the offspring of these ridged parents were particularly adept at approaching and confusing the king of creatures, giving the hunter time to sight in his rifle and kill his victim. In addition to successfully repelling other dangerous animals like leopards and baboons, these ridged dogs were also adept at trotting alongside riders on horses for the duration of the day, breaking off to pursue quick-footed game like antelope to provide meat for the pot, and guarding the homestead against all intruders. They were renowned back then, as they are now, for their love of family, as well as their tolerance and compassion for the members’ children.

 

A gathering was called in 1922 to draft the initial Rhodesian Ridgeback standard. The breed itself was on the verge of extinction at that point, and big-game hunting had already started to decline in South Africa. The Dalmatian standard was used as a model to create the standardized image of the breed that is familiar today. The dogs present at this meeting ranged in size and look from Bull Terriers to Great Danes.