Although increasingly popular, Rhodesian Ridgebacks remain somewhat of a rarity throughout the world, including in Australia. Currently, there are just 80 registered breeders of Rhodesian Ridgebacks throughout Australia. This is a relatively small figure compared to the near-250 Australian National Kennel Council-registered Golden Retriever breeders.
Due to their rarity, you may find yourself paying more than you’d expect for a Ridgeback puppy. In this guide, we’ll let you in on all you should know before adopting a Ridgeback, from the upfront cost to ongoing maintenance costs.
A Ridgeback from a reputable breeder with champion bloodlines will likely cost somewhere between $1,500 and $3,000. However, some breeders have been known to sell them for up to $4,000. In most cases, your lower-priced Rhodesian Ridgebacks will come from breeders simply looking to find their Ridgebacks a loving home. You may also find ridgebacks at an adoption shelter. Rhodesian Ridgebacks that cost more usually come from registered breeders with a good reputation for breeding strong, healthy Ridgebacks with little to no genetic issues. With that in mind, it’s common to see purebred Ridgeback puppies selling for over $3,000 in Australia.
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are beautiful, large dogs that would make a great addition to any home, granted you have the space for them. Buying a Rhodesian Ridgeback from a registered breeder will set you back between $1,500 to $4,000. These figures vary based on the dog’s age, bloodline, pedigree, and the reputation of the breeder.
We recommend only buying a Rhodesian Ridgeback from a registered breeder. This is because registered breeders show their dedication to ethical breeding by undergoing the strict registration process where they have to adhere to various breeding regulations. This offers you the assurance that the Rhodesian Ridgeback you buy is from a good bloodline, and was bred ethically.
If buying a Rhodesian Ridgeback from a breeder is a bit too far out of your budget, then you may want to consider looking for a ridgeback that needs a home through an adoption shelter. Adoption shelters usually charge an adoption fee of somewhere between $200 to $1000. This covers spaying/neutering, microchipping, and anything else the dog needs before it goes home with you. However, some adoption shelters end up with pure Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies. In this case, they may charge competitive pricing.
You may find the Ridgeback you have your eye on to have a price tag that exceeds your budget. Besides the size of the litter, several influencing factors determine the cost of a Ridgeback, including:
The dog’s bloodline impacts the price of all dog breeds, not just Ridgebacks. Breeding lines that have been kept within the Ridgeback breed standard will definitely cost more, especially those with the pedigree paperwork to prove their lineage.
Breeding Rhodesian Ridgebacks isn’t easy; it takes years of maintaining breeding standards, looking after the breeding stock, and removing genetic defects as they appear.
Reputable breeders, therefore, have a right to charge high costs for their Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies. A reputable breeder will also ensure they’ve had all their necessary vaccinations vet-checks and register them with the Australian National Kennel Club.
A dog show-ready Ridgeback will certainly cost more than the average dog without papers. The defining and most desirable feature of a Rhodesian Ridgeback is the ridge of hair on its back, which grows in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat hairs.
The colour of the dog’s coat may also impact its price. Although all Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs are technically wheaten, the shade of their coat can differ dramatically, from pure black wheaten to silvery wheaten. Although pure wheaten is most desirable, getting a pure black wheaten Ridgeback is rarer, which may cause the breeder to charge more.
The good health of the pups, as well as the parents, can cause the price of a Ridgeback to be on the higher end. For example, if none of the parents suffers from common health issues, such as dysplasia, dermoid sinus, or hypothyroidism (and has medical certification to prove it), the puppy’s price will be higher.
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are high-energy dogs, especially when they are young. For this reason, it would be in your best interest to prepare properly before you bring one home. Here are some of the essentials we suggest you get and how much they will cost you:
Dog crate: between $100 to $400 to cater for their large size
Dog bed: $150 to $300 for a dog bed that’s durable and equally supportive
Dog collar/lead: $50 to over $100 for a quality collar and lead
Feeding bowl: $20 to $60 for a ceramic, plastic, or stainless steel dog bowl
Dog toothbrush: $15 to $30 for dog toothpaste and a toothbrush
Dog car harness: Between $50 to $100 for a strong harness
Puppy treats: $20 to $40 per pack, depending on the brand
Puppy training pads: $20 to $50 per pack
Dog shampoo & conditioner: $20 to $50 per bottle
Dog nail clippers, brushes & combs: around $20 to $80 for a set of grooming tools
Before adopting a Ridgeback dog, be sure to consider the maintenance costs that come with the breed, which include:
To keep your Ridgeback fit and healthy, you’ll need to consider what these high-energy, large dogs require to keep them ticking. Ridgebacks weigh between 30 to 40kg or more in some cases. Because of their weight and high-energy nature require between 600 to 800 grams of food a day. Now, you can choose to feed them this diet through a dry kibble diet, wet food diet, or raw food diet, which would change the amount they need to eat because each diet has its own nutritional value. here is what you can expect to pay per day for each diet:
Keep in mind that these are merely estimates. These amounts might drastically differ if you feed your ridgeback premium raw food products or cheaper kibble.
Prevention is always a better measure when it comes to your dog’s health. Considering they were initially bred to fight off lines in Africa, Ridgebacks are fairly hardy dogs. But they aren’t without their issues. Therefore, it would be best to take out insurance to cover the dog’s whole lifetime. Insurance costs vary. Here are some basic routine preventive care costs to consider:
The grooming needs of a Ridgeback are minimal, meaning you can carry it out yourself without the assistance of a professional groomer. This keeps maintenance costs down somewhat, although you will need to cover the cost of dog shampoo. If you do plan to take your Ridgeback to a professional groomer, here’s what you could expect to pay:
Because Ridgebacks are such large dogs, you might find that taking them to a groomer might be slightly more expensive. The prices above a just averages.
Ridgebacks are very intelligent dogs as well as independent. So, they may learn easily but also might show some resistance because of their independence. Because of this, you may want to get professional help to train them. Here’s what you can expect to pay for Ridgeback training:
Ridgebacks are a wonderful breed, perfect for a family environment, but good-quality pups tend to be costly. Potential puppy buyers should get well-informed with breed information before purchasing and check that the breeder is ANKCR-registered. Ensure you account for the full cost of owning a Rhodesian Ridgeback before buying one. This will ensure that you don’t get any surprises.
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