Skip to content
PetPrep
Get early access

Animal register · DogIn the app

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Ridgeback, African Lion Dog

The Rhodesian Ridgeback comes from southern Africa. Its best-known feature is the ridge on its back, a strip of hair that grows in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. The FCI standard describes a well-balanced, strong, muscular, agile and active dog that is dignified, intelligent and aloof with strangers, especially prized as a watchdog and family pet. The short, dense coat is light wheaten to red wheaten, and the standard gives a weight of about 36.5 kg for males and 32 kg for females.

The Royal Kennel Club recommends more than two hours of exercise a day and grooming once a week, notes that the breed sheds and suits a large house with a large garden, and gives its lifespan as over 10 years. The PDSA describes playful, powerful and very loyal dogs with a very high prey drive that are not recommended for first-time owners, should never be left alone for more than four hours and need socialising from a young age; it also advises a gap between eating and exercise. Woodgreen adds that they do best with older children.

Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).

Updated:

Rhodesian Ridgeback — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
large — The Royal Kennel Club S387
Adult weight
about males 36.5 kg, females 32 kg — FCI S385
Daily exercise
more than 2 hours a day — The Royal Kennel Club S387
Brushing
once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S387
Shedding
sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S387
Lifespan
more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S387

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

Keep in mind:

  • needs lots of exercise every dayS387S390
  • powerful dog — needs an experienced ownerS390
  • large dog — not for homes with small childrenS390S392
  • loves company — best with someone home most of the dayS390S392
  • shedsS387S390
  • strong prey drive — may chase small petsS390

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: more than 2 hours a day — The Royal Kennel Club S387

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S387
  • Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S387
  • Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S387

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S387

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 15–18 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: large — The Royal Kennel Club S387
  • Height at the withers: males 63–69 cm, females 61–66 cm — FCI S385
  • Adult weight: about males 36.5 kg, females 32 kg — FCI S385

Training

  • No. 52 in Stanley Coren's ranking of working and obedience intelligence. — Wikipedia S35
  • FCI standard no. 146, group 6 (scent hounds and related breeds); origin: South Africa. — FCI S385

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Rhodesian Ridgeback need?

According to our sources, the Rhodesian Ridgeback needs this much exercise: more than 2 hours a day — The Royal Kennel Club S387.

How long does a Rhodesian Ridgeback live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Rhodesian Ridgeback is: more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S387.

How big does a Rhodesian Ridgeback get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, according to our sources: Size: large — The Royal Kennel Club S387; Adult weight: about males 36.5 kg, females 32 kg — FCI S385.

How much grooming does a Rhodesian Ridgeback need?

Coat and grooming of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, according to our sources: Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S387; Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S387; Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S387.

Who is the Rhodesian Ridgeback a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Rhodesian Ridgeback as a good fit for: an active family — The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S387S390; family life — FCI, PDSA S385S390; a large house and garden — The Royal Kennel Club S387. Keep in mind: needs lots of exercise every day — The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S387S390; powerful dog — needs an experienced owner — PDSA S390; large dog — not for homes with small children — PDSA, Woodgreen Pets Charity S390S392; loves company — best with someone home most of the day — PDSA, Woodgreen Pets Charity S390S392; sheds — The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S387S390; strong prey drive — may chase small pets — PDSA S390.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 12,000 from month 12
Young dogmonth 929,000 → 12,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)212,000 steps
Seniormonth 90 (7.5 years)29,000 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 2 hours, so 12,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
  • Becomes a senior in month 90 (7.5 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing once a week.
  • Care: checking and cleaning the ears once a week — a task for the child.
  • Care: a bath every 4 weeks — a reminder for the parent.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine, Woodgreen Pets Charity S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S387S391S392

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • Dermoid sinus, a painful condition in which a tube in the skin of the back connects to the spinal cord, can occur in the breed; breed clubs run a dermoid sinus checking scheme for puppies. — PDSA S390
  • Can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia; breeders are advised to have the parents' hips and elbows tested before breeding. — PDSA S390
  • Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), where the stomach twists, can occur in the breed — it is an emergency that needs a vet straight away. — PDSA S390
  • An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), which can affect weight, skin and energy levels, can occur in the breed. — PDSA S390

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Other screening schemes for this breed

  • Puppy check for dermoid sinus (breed club scheme) — The Royal Kennel Club S263
  • Hip X-ray screening for hip dysplasia (UK: BVA/KC scheme) — PDSA S390
  • Elbow X-ray screening for elbow dysplasia (UK: BVA/KC scheme) — PDSA S390
  • DNA test for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) — PDSA S390
  • DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM) — The Royal Kennel Club K25

These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S263The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — The Kennel Club Health Standard (breed-specific Good Practice / Best Practice tests)https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/BreedSpecificRequirements
  11. S385FCI — FCI-Standard N° 146 — Rhodesian Ridgeback (EN PDF; date of publication of the official valid standard 15.05.2025)https://fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/146g06-en.pdf
  12. S387The Royal Kennel Club — Rhodesian Ridgeback — breed page (older address; key facts, health, Breed Watch)https://thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/display.aspx?id=1026
  13. S390PDSA — Rhodesian Ridgeback — breed guidehttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/large-dogs/rhodesian-ridgeback
  14. S391PetMD — L. Jones, VMD, reviewed by B. J. Morrison, DVM (updated Aug. 30, 2024) — Rhodesian Ridgebackhttps://petmd.com/dog/breeds/rhodesian-ridgeback
  15. S392Woodgreen Pets Charity — Pet explorer: Rhodesian Ridgebackhttps://ask.woodgreen.org.uk/pet-explorer/results/rhodesian-ridgeback
  16. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  17. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  18. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  19. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  20. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy
  21. K25The Royal Kennel Club — New DNA testing scheme for Rhodesian Ridgebacks (media centre, December 2024 by its address)https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2024/december/new-dna-testing-scheme-for-rhodesian-ridgebacks

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

Ready for a pet?

Be among the first families to try PetPrep. We will email you when it is ready — nothing else.

By subscribing you agree to receive emails about PetPrep. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy