Rhodesian Ridgeback Breeders UK: Advertise Your Kennel Free

Advertise your Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies, litters and stud dogs

Breed Rhodesian Ridgebacks? Add your kennel to caninebreeder.co.uk so buyers across the UK can find you. A free basic profile lists your kennel name, website, social media, location and categories. You can then advertise Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies for sale, promote your Rhodesian Ridgeback stud dog, and show the JME, hip and elbow results that informed buyers look for. Add your listing today, or see pricing for extra profile features.

No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.

Free basic profile: your breeder or company name, website, social media, location, breeds and industries.
Litters and stud dogs advertised in their own sections, never mixed with puppies for sale.
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Sponsored articles about your breed or industry, written and published by our team.
Featured placement at the top of this page, labelled as sponsored.

Create your free breeder profile Advertise a litter Advertise a stud dog

Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the Rhodesian Ridgeback

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large hound from southern Africa, shown in the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) Hound group. According to the RKC breed profile, it was first developed in South Africa as a scent hound for tracking game. Taken to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, it was used mainly to track lions and keep them at bay until the hunters caught up. The RKC traces the ridge back to the ancient dogs of the Khoikhoi people. The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain says the breed came from many crosses, chiefly gundog, terrier and hound types, plus mastiff types and native African hunting dogs.

The ridge

The breed is named after a line of hair along the spine that lies the opposite way to the rest of the coat. The breed standard wants the ridge clearly defined, tapering and symmetrical, running from just behind the shoulders to the haunches, with exactly two matching crowns set opposite each other in its first third. The breed club points out that a puppy's ridge does not change as it grows, so a ridgeless puppy will never develop one.

Size and coat

This is a strong, muscular and active dog built for endurance. The standard gives a desirable height at the withers of 63 to 69 cm for dogs and 61 to 66 cm for bitches. The coat is short, dense and glossy, and colours range from light wheaten to red wheaten; a little white on the chest and toes is allowed. It sheds, and the RKC suggests weekly grooming.

Exercise and lifestyle

The RKC recommends more than two hours of exercise a day and suggests a large house with a large garden. It puts the breed's lifespan in its "over 10 years" band, and the breed club gives an average of about 13 years. The club warns that, as a hunting breed used to making its own decisions, a Ridgeback will chase anything that runs away, so secure fencing and recall training matter.

Temperament and suitability

The standard describes a dignified, intelligent dog that may be aloof with strangers but should be neither aggressive nor shy. The breed club describes Ridgebacks as loyal and protective of their family, playful and sometimes rough in play, and strong-minded enough to test their owners. It suits active, patient owners with time for consistent training. See other hound breeders to compare related breeds.

Rhodesian Ridgeback health tests

The RKC places the Rhodesian Ridgeback in Breed Watch Category 1, meaning no breed-specific points of concern have been flagged for show judges beyond those the breed standard covers.

The main breed-specific problem highlighted by the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain is dermoid sinus (DS), a defect that can be detected at birth. Puppies need checking over the whole area from the top of the head, down the neck and back, to the base of the tail. The club asks buyers to make sure their puppy was checked regularly by someone who knows the condition, because a sinus left undetected can become a painful abscess; once found, many vets can now remove it surgically. The club's breed health page also covers juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and hip and elbow dysplasia, and the RKC notes that the breed has a breed club health scheme.

The RKC sells a breed-specific DNA package that covers JME, and results for registered dogs appear on the Health Test Results Finder. Screening lowers the risk of inherited problems but cannot guarantee a healthy puppy.

Good Practice
- DNA test for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME)
- Elbow testing using the BVA/KC Elbow Dysplasia Scheme
- Hip testing using the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme

Best Practice (in addition)
- DNA test for degenerative myelopathy (DM)

Choosing a Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder

A careful Ridgeback breeder should be able to show you the RKC Good Practice results for both parents, meaning a JME DNA result plus BVA/KC hip scores and elbow grades, and ideally a DM DNA result as well. Ask how and when the litter was checked for dermoid sinus, and who did the checking. According to the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain, a good breeder will not breed from a bitch younger than two, limits how often and how many times she is bred, asks whether you are a suitable owner, offers to take the dog back if your circumstances change, and expects you to have the puppy checked by your own vet soon after collection. The club's Puppy Advisor and puppy list cover litters from members who breed under its code of ethics.

Expect questions about exercise, fencing, time at home and training. Read our buyer safety guide before paying a deposit.

Can I see the JME, hip and elbow certificates for both parents?
How and by whom was the litter checked for dermoid sinus?
Will the puppy be RKC registered, and are there any endorsements?
What is the inbreeding coefficient for this mating?
Will you take the dog back if my circumstances change?

Rhodesian Ridgeback questions

What is a dermoid sinus?

It is a defect that can be detected at birth and may be found anywhere from the top of the head, down the neck and back, to the base of the tail. The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain asks buyers to confirm that their puppy was checked competently, because an undetected sinus can develop into a painful abscess. Many vets can now remove it surgically.

Can a ridgeless Ridgeback grow a ridge later?

No. The breed club explains that the ridge a puppy is born with stays the same for life, so a ridgeless puppy will never develop one. Under the club's puppy list rules, faulty-ridged puppies must have their registration endorsed 'Progeny not eligible for registration', so any puppies they later have cannot be registered.

How much exercise does a Rhodesian Ridgeback need?

The Royal Kennel Club recommends more than two hours a day. The breed club notes that Ridgebacks were bred for endurance and stamina and will chase anything that runs away, so good fencing and recall training are important.

Are Rhodesian Ridgebacks good guard dogs?

The breed club says they are not guard dogs as such, but they keep a watchful, protective eye on their family and can be standoffish with strangers. The breed standard describes a dignified dog that may be aloof but should show neither aggression nor shyness.

Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders