A Complete Price Guide for the Rhodesian Ridgeback
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The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a dog breed that came into existence in Southern Africa. It can trace its roots to a couple of sources. One, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Khoekhoen of the Cape Peninsula had their own dogs, which are said to have been both formidable guards and formidable hunters. As a result, when the Dutch started settling in Southern Africa, it wasn’t too long before they started using these animals as well. Two, those European settlers eventually brought in dog breeds from Europe as well as other parts of the world, with examples including but not limited to the Great Dane, the Bloodhound, and the Dogo Cuban. The Rhodesian Ridgeback was brought into existence through the mixing of these dog breeds, though some made bigger contributions than others. For example, the Great Dane is known to be a close relative of the dog breed. Similarly, the Dogo Cubano is said to have played an important role in the earlier development of the dog breed. Regardless, the Rhodesian Ridgeback has quite a bit to recommend it. It isn’t the friendliest dog breed that can be found out there. However, it was never meant to be. Instead, the Rhodesian Ridgeback is as it was meant to be in this regard, which is to say, loyal towards its dog owner while being more reserved towards strangers. Something that makes it well-suited for being a guard. Of course, this is reliant on the Rhodesian Ridgeback receiving the proper training and socialization, but the same can be said for every other dog breed that can be found out there. Besides this, these animals are also famous for being both smart and athletic, which makes sense considering not just their role as guards but also their role as hunters. As such, if people believe themselves to be experienced dog owners, the Rhodesian Ridgeback could be an excellent choice of dog for them.
What Should You Expect to Pay for a Rhodesian Ridgeback?
There can be enormous variation in the price of a Rhodesian Ridgeback depending on how interested individuals managed to get their hands on one. As such, while $600 to $2,000 seems to be the standard range of prices for such puppies, it is possible for people to get one at either a much lower price or a much higher price. Every single option has its pros and cons, meaning that whether a particular option will be worth it or not depends on what interested individuals have in mind. For starters, if someone wants a Rhodesian Ridgeback for a much lower price, they have a couple of options. One would be seeking to either adopt or rescue a Rhodesian Ridgeback from an animal shelter or an animal rescue respectively. The other would be scouring advertisements to find the cheapest offers for these puppies, which aren’t necessarily the same as the best offers for these puppies.
In the first case, there are some major upsides in addition to the much lower price. For example, people can take satisfaction from knowing that they are doing something good. Animal shelters and animal rescues have to deal with an overwhelming number of animals while operating with limited budgets. As a result, they have to make tough choices if they want to be able to provide an adequate level of food, healthcare, and other necessities to their charges. By either adopting or rescuing a Rhodesian Ridgeback, people can free up resources that can be used to help out other animals. Similarly, while the animals that have been entrusted to animal shelters and animal rescues can have health problems as well as behavioral problems, being informed means that people will be able to prepare for the resulting issues ahead of time. Something that can make a world of difference when compared with being surprised by such things. In fact, people might even be able to get a chance to know the Rhodesian Ridgeback ahead of time, which should provide them with a much better idea of whether their ownership of the dog will work out or not.
Of course, there are some downsides as well. In particular, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are rarer than the most popular dog breeds such as Rottweilers and Labrador Retrievers. Fewer dogs mean fewer dogs being entrusted to animal shelters and animal rescues, which in turn, means much reduced availability for people who are looking to either adopt or rescue one. This isn’t a huge issue if people aren’t set on getting a Rhodesian Ridgeback. However, it can definitely cause problems for those who have their heart set upon this dog breed. Similarly, there is no guarantee that people will be able to find a Rhodesian Ridgeback that is well-suited for their particular needs and preferences even if they are willing to search far and wide for one. Something that can hinder them quite a bit.
In the second case, the much lower price would be the main upside, which to be fair, is a very important one. However, if people choose to search for the cheapest offers that they can find, they should also do their best to look into the sellers. This is extremely important because a puppy’s price tends to reflect the resources that have been spent upon it. Sometimes, a puppy is being sold at a very low price because someone is just trying to find a good home for the offspring born of a dog’s unexpected pregnancy. These cases come with some risk because these puppies just don’t come with the same kind of guarantee as their counterparts from a reliable and reputable dog breeder. Still, they can provide interested individuals with a very reasonable chance of getting a happy, healthy Rhodesian Ridgeback at a fraction of the normal cost. Other times, a puppy is being sold at a very low price because it comes from a dog breeder that is seeking to make money through a low price, high volume sales strategy, which is a rather nice way to say that they are running a puppy mill. There are ways for dog breeders to run their operations in a more efficient manner without sacrificing the wellbeing of their dogs. However, there are serious limits to what are and what aren’t possible. As such, if dog breeders are managing to make money off of very low prices, well, suffice to say that poor treatment can mean a much higher chance of both health problems and behavioral problems for the dogs that come out of such operations. People should try to avoid puppy mills, if only because such issues can hammer their wallet in the long run. As mentioned earlier, the standard range of prices is $600 to $2,000 for a Rhodesian Ridgeback. However, there is a claim that the average is about $1,250. People should know that there are much more expensive puppies out there that can be sold for $3,500 or more. However, if they just care about getting a happy, healthy dog more than anything else, they shouldn’t need to pay out that much money. Instead, people should have no problem getting a happy, healthy dog by just sticking to the $600 to $2,000 range.
What Factors Can Influence the Price of a Rhodesian Ridgeback?
The price of a Rhodesian Ridgeback is determined the same way as anything else, which is to say, the interaction between the supply of such puppies and the demand for such puppies. There are numerous factors that can influence supply. Similarly, there are numerous factors that can influence demand. As a result, if people want to get a Rhodesian Ridgeback that is well-suited for them while spending as little as possible, it can be useful for them to look into these factors to see which ones matter to them and which ones do not.
For starters, the number of dog breeders who are producing Rhodesian Ridgeback is going to be a serious limiting factor on people’s ability to pick and choose. This is particularly true because it is on the rarer end of things rather than the common end of things for a dog breed. People can mitigate this problem to some extent by looking for suitable dog breeders over a much wider area rather than just sticking to the ones that can be found in their local surroundings. There is no guarantee that they can find a suitable puppy even if they do this, but their chances of success should definitely improve. The trade-off is that they can expect to spend more time and effort on the search. Furthermore, they might find it difficult to do the necessary work when it comes to dog breeders that are located further away from them. For that matter, getting a puppy from such a dog breeder will mean shipping costs, which can be quite expensive in their own right.
As for demand, well, there are a number of things that people should take note of. One, purebred dogs are more expensive than mixed-breed dogs. As a result, if they are willing to settle for a dog that is similar to a Rhodesian Ridgeback but not quite a Rhodesian Ridgeback, chances are good that they can get quite a discount. Two, this dog breed has strict rules for what can and can’t be considered one of its members. For example, some of the puppies are born without the characteristic ridge running down their back. Traditionally, these puppies were culled. However, widespread opposition means that said practice has become less common. Ridgeless puppies won’t be able to show when they mature. Furthermore, chances are good that ridgeless puppies won’t be able to breed when they mature because it is common for them to be sterilized even though they are now allowed to live. Still, if people don’t care about any of these three things, they might want to check out these dogs to see if they can find a suitable animal. Similarly, there are a lot of other characteristics that are considered to be flaws but can nonetheless benefit people who don’t care about them. One example would be markings in the wrong place. Another example would be an off-color nose. On the other end of things, if people want a perfect puppy from prestigious parents, they can expect to pay a lot more. That won’t be worth it if they just want a happy, healthy dog. However, if they want more than that, well, the fact that such prices are being charged means that some people consider them to be worthwhile.
What Other Costs of Dog Owners Should You Consider When Getting a Rhodesian Ridgeback?
The first year of owning a Rhodesian Ridgeback will be more expensive than most. This is because there are a number of initial costs to get everything ready, which won’t need to be repeated again and again in subsequent years. Examples include but are not limited to the cost of accessories, the cost of vaccination, the cost of spaying or neutering, and so on and so forth. In total, they can be somewhere between $790 and $1,390, though it should be mentioned that some of these things might be included in the cost of getting the puppy in the first place.
In any case, the cost of maintaining the dog in year after year can be considerable as well. Dog food can cost a fair amount of money at $75 to $100 on a monthly basis, which is unsurprising because Rhodesian Ridgebacks aren’t exactly small dogs. Said price can see a fair amount of variation depending on how the dog is eating. Interested individuals can try to look for less expensive options, though they will need to make sure that their dog is still getting the right nutrients if they do so. Healthcare and healthcare insurance are likely to be important costs as well. Rhodesian Ridgebacks have a reputation for being healthy dogs, but they aren’t invulnerable, so $20 to $100 a month isn’t that unusual even if they are just getting preventative healthcare for the most part. If the dog does get some kind of healthcare problem, those costs can soar. As a result, it is a good idea to get healthcare insurance for $10 to $100 a month for some extra assurance. Everything else such as grooming, toys, and environment maintenance probably won’t break $100. Combined, this means that a Rhodesian Ridgeback in good condition can cost something like $150 to $370 on a monthly basis.