When you find out that the Rhodesian Ridgeback was originally bred for hunting lions, you’d be excused for picturing a huge and powerful dog breed. But although a Ridgeback puppy can grow quite tall in terms of height, they don’t come anywhere close to the height of a lion, so don’t worry!
Known as the African Lion Hound, These purebred dogs are classed as medium-large, meaning their fully grown stature can be unpredictable. In this article, we’ll examine what you can expect from your Rhodesian Ridgeback regarding height and size.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback dog breed is medium-large, meaning their fully-grown height could fall on either side. To give you a rough idea of what to expect, a female Rhodesian Ridgeback tends to reach a height of 60cm, while male dogs normally measure between 63 and 68cm.
Compared to other dogs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are slow growers and can sometimes take up to the age of two to reach their full size, weight, and height.
This is particularly the case with male Rhodesian Ridgebacks, who continue to build muscle after their first birthday. Even after two years, a Ridgeback may continue to grow fuller in appearance.
Female Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs, on the other hand, will typically stop growing between the ages of 12 and 14 months.
The ideal weight of a male Rhodesian Ridgeback is around 38-45kg, while the perfect female weight is roughly 29-34kg. A healthy male Rhodesian Ridgeback should be hitting the 40kg mark between the age of 12 and 16 months. Please refer to our Rhodesian Ridgeback growth chart below for more information on how much your pup should weigh during each month of their first year.
Before adopting a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, ask to see the puppy’s parents to get an accurate idea of how much the puppy will weigh as an adult. Only in very rare cases will a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy grow larger than its parents.
The best way to check if your Ridgeback pup is overweight is by weighing them – obviously! If your male Ridgeback exceeds a weight of 45kg, or your female dog is heavier than 35kg, then your Ridgeback canine is probably overweight!
The silhouette of a Ridgeback adult dog should be athletic and slim – not stocky. The side-view of a Ridgeback should also feature a diagonal line between the dog’s chest and its hind legs. If this line is straight, then your dog could be overweight.
To grow into healthy dogs, Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies should not be overfed. Portion sizes should be appropriate to the dog’s weight, and treats should be kept to a minimum. Ridgebacks are known to steal scraps of food whenever the opportunity arises, so be sure to keep surfaces that they can reach free of leftovers!
You should also ensure that your Ridgeback puppy gets enough exercise, as these athletic dogs need to start growing their muscles early. At just four months old, your Rhodesian Ridgeback should be getting around 20 minutes of exercise per day. With each passing month, you should add five minutes to your dog’s daily exercise routine.
A Rhodesian Ridgeback is classed as a medium-large dog, meaning it could grow to either a medium or large stature.
This depends entirely on the dog that the Rhodesian Ridgeback is mixed with. For example, a Labrador Rhodesian Ridgeback will appear much the same as a standard Ridgeback, given that both Ridgebacks and Labradors are medium-to-large dogs.
A fully grown Rhodesian Ridgeback will reach a maximum height of 68cm.
As the owner of a Rhodesian Ridgeback, it is your responsibility to feed and exercise your dog correctly. Once it’s fully grown, you need to keep its weight consistent by continuing to feed it right and exercising it twice per day.
Like other larger dog breeds, it’s easy to get in the habit of overfeeding a Ridgeback. Instead, you should keep unhealthy food out of its reach to avoid elbow dysplasia and other Rhodesian Ridgeback health concerns.
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