These smart, popular, purebred dogs originate from Africa, where they were favoured as guard dogs and hunting companions, ready to face off against lions and baboons. Nowadays, they’re a little more likely to go for a run with you and take a snooze in the sun.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback has a short coat that requires minimal grooming, but just like any dog, there is more to grooming than just using a brush.
Keep on reading to find out just how to keep your Rhodesian Ridgeback happy, healthy, and looking its best.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback – Ridgie – has a short, easy-care coat. They shed a little year-round but don’t generally require a haircut. Instead, regular grooming sessions should remove dead hairs from your Ridgie’s sandy coat, allowing new, healthy hair to grow in place.
Okay, sometimes. For the most part, the Rhodesian Ridgeback grooming regime does not include cutting their hair, but from time to time, you might need to do a little tidying in areas of extreme hair growth.
Carefully trim around areas such as the paws, tail, and underside. The coat should feel smooth and lie flat against the body.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is an easy dog to groom at home, provided your dog is willing to stand still long enough!
You should brush your Ridgie’s coat at least once a week – more often if your pup is prone to picking up dirt and debris, as well as during higher shedding seasons.
You can use a gentle, medium-toothed comb to remove loose hair from sensitive areas like the head and face. Use a rubber curry brush or a slicker brush on the rest of your dog’s coat.
The Rhodesian Ridgebacks’ defining characteristic is the ridge of hair running the length of their back in the opposite direction to their short coats. Using a grooming mitt a couple of times a week will remove dead hair from their eponymous ridge and make sure their short hair stays fresh and ‘glossy’ in appearance.
Adult Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs should be bathed a minimum of once a month. If your dog leads a particularly active lifestyle or roams dirty, dusty terrain, it will require more regular bathing.
Bathe these dogs in warm water using a dog-friendly shampoo and conditioner. The conditioner is an excellent way to keep their skin clean and hydrated.
Ridgebacks have short hair, so using an aloe spray or similar canine hydration spray between baths is a good way to prevent your pet from suffering from dandruff or flaking skin – especially if you live in a particularly arid part of Australia.
Okay, so you lucked out with the super-smooth, easy-to-maintain Ridgeback coat… but there is still more you need to do to keep your pup happy and healthy and… you know, clean.
This breed tends to be fairly active and loves running in the brush, so expect them to wear down their own claws a fair bit.
However, you should still expect to trim these dogs’ claws every 4 weeks or so. A rule of thumb? If you can hear the click, click of your pup walking on the hard floor, then it’s time for a trim.
Australia is no stranger to extreme temperatures, and the Rhodesian Ridgeback is an outdoorsy kind of dog. Use paw balm weekly to protect your Ridgie’s paw pads from the hot ground and to keep them soft and pliable, or else they could crack, which will be painful for your po0ch.
An important part of grooming for all dog breeds is to keep their ears clean, and the Ridgie is no different.
Gently use a moist cotton ball to wipe around the underside of your dog’s ear, wiping away debris to stave off avoidable ear infections.
Wipe away debris from your dogs’ eyes using a moist cotton ball or soft face towel. Make sure to wipe away from the eye and never drag the debris back across the eyeball.
Brushing your dog’s teeth on a daily basis is ideal, but a minimum of once a week is okay for most pets. Just like other breeds, brushing your Ridgie’s teeth with canine toothpaste will help prevent gum disease and tartar buildup.
Familiarise your pup with having their teeth brushed from a young age, running your finger over their teeth and gums until they get used to the sensation and the taste of the toothpaste. The next step is to upgrade to a fingerbrush and, hopefully, a proper canine toothbrush.
You should start grooming all dogs when they are still puppies so that they are used to the whole grooming regime and begin to see that time with you as a positive experience.
Giving your Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy its first bath pretty early on and brushing your pup just a little on a regular basis will make your dog much more inclined to be calm and patient as an adult.
Approximately once a month. More if your dog picks up dirt and debris or scratches a lot.
Absolutely not. This dog breed has a super short, easy-to-care-for coat – it does half the job for you!
Of course, you still have to clean your dog’s ears and eyes and paws, and the Ridgie is a big pooch, right? You don’t need to seek out a professional groomer, but if you are a first-time pet parent or adopted your Ridgeback as an adult, seeking the advice or help of a professional might be a good idea.
Make sure you are comfortable handling such a large dog. If you’re uncomfortable, the dogs will be uncomfortable.
No, no, definitely not.
These dogs have smooth, short, sleek coats which are not prone to tangling. Shaving these dogs and exposing their skin can actually put them at risk of sunburn or skin infection.
Rhodesian Ridgebacks have come a long way since their hunting guard dog days, but they still love to be outside, and they still love to run.
As far as their coat goes, you would be hard-pressed to find a dog with an easier-to-care-for coat than the Rhodesian Ridgeback: it’s smooth soft, and all it needs is a regular brush. However, there is more to being a pet parent than grabbing a curry brush. You must also clean your Ridgeback’s eyes, ears, paws, and teeth to keep them fit and healthy.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a big dog. If they protest your grooming efforts, there really isn’t much you can do about it. Familiarise your dog with grooming while it is still a puppy so it will be used to the regime and more inclined to sit patiently as an adult. Who knows, your Ridgeback might even enjoy a little pampering!
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