Introduction & History

The Rhodesian Ridgeback, often referred to as the African Lion Hound, is a native of South Africa. The first European settlers in Africa encountered Khoikhoi peoples, who had dogs with an unusual characteristic: a ridge of hair along the spine. Though the breed was made famous in its native Africa for its skill at tracking and baying, but never, ever killing. Today Ridgebacks are cherished family dogs whose owners must be prepared to deal with their independence and strong prey drive. In 1922 a group of breeders in Zimbabwe set up a standard for the Rhodesian Ridgeback that is unchanged to this day.

Appearance and Personality

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a strong, muscular and balanced athletic dog.  It is capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed. Males range in height from 63-70cms and weight to around 38kgs. Females range in height from 60-66cms in height and weight around 32kgs. Their coat is short and ranges from wheaten to red wheaten. Their life expectancy is around 10 to 13 years.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are extremely tolerant dogs and excellent companions. They are gregarious animals and they enjoy the company of other dogs. Families should be cautious about having several male dogs in one household, as this can lead to dominance struggles. Rhodesian Ridgeback can be good with cats if they were brought up together. They are good with children but because of their size, younger and more excitable ridgebacks may knock over small children by accident.

They require a moderate amount of exercise and they can adapt well to various living situations when provided with daily outings such as long walks and play sessions with their owners. They love to run, and they need physical activity to help keep them healthy and happy. Rhodesian Ridgeback requires stimulations for both their mind and body therefore it will be beneficial for them to participate in canine sports like tracking and agility.

Ridgebacks are not barkers, but they will be an alert watchdog to anything unusual.

Common Health Concerns

The five most common reasons for a Rhodesian Ridgeback to visit the vet (excluding routine care visits) according to PetSure data from the 2022 calendar year include:

Rank Condition Average cost for single treatment
(average pet insurance claim amount)		 Highest cost for single treatment (highest pet insurance claim seen for this condition)
1 Hypersensitivity (Allergic) Skin Disorder $761 $6,071
2 Otitis Externa $300 $2,176
3 Mass lesion – skin (cutaneous) $873 $4,404
4 Osteoarthritis (Degenerative Joint Disease) $423 $2,462
5 Diarrhoea $529 $3,298

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider.

* Please note that the values calculated are based on all claims for that condition and medically related conditions in each calendar year.

For the same period (2022 calendar year), the top five highest single vet treatments (or highest pet insurance claims) for from PetSure data were:

Rank Condition Highest Cost of treatment for condition 
(average pet insurance claim amount)
1 Spinal Stenosis $19,707
2 Polycythaemia $19,467
3 Ascites $17,720
4 Intoxication (Poisoning), Drug – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) $14,108
5 Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) $13,618

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider.

* Please note that the values calculated are based on all claims for that condition and medically related conditions in each calendar year.

 Most popular Rhodesian Ridgeback names from PetSure 2022 calendar year data:

Most popular names

  1. Nala
  2. Ruby
  3. Ginger
  4. Reggie
  5. Finn
  6. Gracie
  7. Jax
  8. Lexi
  9. Louis
  10. Maple

Most popular female names

  1. Nala
  2. Ruby
  3. Gracie
  4. Lexi
  5. Louis
  6. Maple
  7. Rosie
  8. Angel

Most popular male names:

  1. Finn
  2. Jax
  3. Reggie
  4. Rocky
  5. Winston
  6. Zeus
  7. Bailey
  8. Bandit
  9. Bear
  10. Beau

Did you know?

Rhodesian Ridgebacks only come in one colour, wheaten.