A Ridgeback Cross Staffy is a cross between the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Although the characteristics of these two dogs vary, you can never be sure. The clever, devoted, and sensitive Rhodesian Ridgeback is well-known for these qualities. All dogs require good socialization, and how they interact with people will significantly influence them.
How this hybrid breed behaves and look is one question you might have. Another question you could also have could be if the hybrid is more akin to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier or the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
In this article, we’ll paint a complete picture of the hybrid so you can be well-equipped with the knowledge if you ever plan on getting one!
Ridgeback Cross Staffy Temperament
The Ridgeback and Staffy cross is known to be courageous and determined. They are interested in anything around them and can be very curious about their surroundings.
Like any other dog, they are very social and do much better around company. They don’t like to feel lonely! But that’s why you have a dog in the first place, isn’t it? To keep yourself good company in the form of a loving four-legged creature.
As the Ridgeback Cross Staffy does well with interaction, it’s recommended for an owner to keep them around your family. They are very friendly and loving, so don’t worry about creating problems around people. Make an effort to socialize the puppy, and you’ll have a great family companion down the line.
Ridgeback Cross Staffy Caring
Every breed has its special needs and needs to be cared for in its unique way, and crossbreeds are no less. If you wonder if crossbreeds have similar caring requirements to that of the parents’ breeds, then you’re half right.
In most cases, there will be similarities in many areas, including care between the cross offspring and the parent breeds.
Let’s take a look at how the Ridgeback Cross Staffy needs its care.
Grooming the Ridgeback Cross Staffy
The parent breeds of the Rhodesian Ridgeback and Staffordshire Bull Terrier are both known to be light shedders. Fortunately, the cross offspring inherits that same quality. Get a good brush and give them a groom every once in a while just to keep their coat clean; their coat doesn’t require much maintenance.
But even if you’re well educated on the breeds’ characteristics, you never know when they’ll shed heavily. It’s best to get a vacuum cleaner so you can always clean up, no matter the amount of shedding. Also, remember to give them regular baths, but too much, because you wouldn’t want their skin to dry out.
Exercise for the Ridgeback Cross Staffy
The Ridgeback Cross Staffy is known for being energetic and full of enthusiasm. With that in mind, you should take them out for a very long walk around the neighborhood or the park, wherever you think is best, to keep them satisfied and their energy levels at a low.
If that is not possible, you should play with him for a good amount of time to use their stored energy. Doing this will prevent them from being destructive pets.
Keeping them a bit tired is the way to go. A good session of exercise tires out the dog. And a tired dog is a good dog. One thing you should never do is that you shouldn’t ever tie your dog outside alone, even if they’re being destructive. It will manifest worse habits.
Training a Ridgeback Cross Staffy
For the average owner, a Ridgeback Cross Staffy will be a bit tough to train, even though the dog is extremely intelligent. They are known to constantly challenge for the alpha position and will need an owner with a relatively firm grip on authority to handle them.
The good idea is to shorten the training sessions into small daily portions to improve their attention span and keep them interested. Long training sessions will only bore them.
The prey drive is usually not as high as other breeds, but they occasionally tend to chase a few small animals. But this is easily manageable. Like any other dog, a Ridgeback cross Staffy always does well with a positive approach to training.
Giving them praise when they do things properly is an excellent way to strengthen your bond with the animal and keep them happy. Who wouldn’t respond well to love?
This extremely intelligent dog loves to please its owner and loves a great challenge physically. The more you train the dog with love and a firm hand, the easier it will be to train. Don’t forget to keep your dog socialized as well. A healthy mind is also important for their development.
The good idea is to take them out to nearby parks for a good walk or to the daycare center so you can get your four-legged companion some good socialization.
Ridgeback Cross Staffy Feeding
If you’re a dog owner, you should know that every dog does not have the same diet requirements. It varies from breed to breed and goes as specific as a dog to a dog.
Most owners fail to realize that overfeeding their dogs can be easy because, most of the time, people like feeding them out of love. This is why most dogs are overweight.
A Ridgeback Cross Staffy is known to be susceptible to elbow and hip dysplasia. You can well avoid these diseases by putting the dog on chondroitin and glucosamine dietary supplements. Including fish oil is also a really good idea.
While not that popular, a good diet plan is the raw food diet. As descendants of the wolf, a raw food diet has some great benefits for their development and health.
Ridgeback Cross Staffy Weight, Size, Colours, And Others
Every dog has a unique size and weight. But there is a general idea of the size and weight you can expect when looking at a breed. When it comes to the Ridgeback Cross Staffy, they tend to be somewhere around the middle between their parent breeds.
This applies to almost another characteristic as well. Although most of these are just physical attributes, they are certainly important to know. Keep in mind that a crossbreed can inherit more traits from a certain parent than the other in different situations.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Weight: Female – 11-15 kg, Male – 13-17 kg
- Life expectancy: 12-14 years
- Colors: Brindle, white, fawn, black, brindle and white, red and white, black and white, red, blue, etc.
- Height: Female – 33-38 cm, Male – 36-41 cm
Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Weight: Female – 29-34 kg, Male – 36-41 kg
- Life expectancy: 10-12 years
- Colors: Light Wheaten, Red Wheaten, Wheaten
- Height: Female – 61-66 cm, Male – 36-41 cm
Ridgeback Cross Staffy General Information
Most mixed breeds are actually tough to get our heads around because of the lack of history of the breed. Specific breeds like this have only been bred in the last thirty years. Because of the new nature of these breeds, there is a lack of concrete information and experience with them breeds.
However, the history of the parent breeds, the Rhodesian Ridgeback and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, are extensive and can be discussed in detail. Taking a look at both the parents’ histories will be beneficial as it will give you an idea about the crossbreed.
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
A Staffordshire Bull Terrier is usually known by its nickname; Staffy. It is a short-haired breed that originated in the United Kingdom. Originally, the Staffy was bred for fighting bulls, a not-so-honorable background. When the government passed the Cruelty to Animals Act, the practice stopped, and the breeding of the Staffy slowed down for a while.
The Staffy was also kept as a pet for controlling vermin, and they were very effective because of their high prey drive. The name is because the breed originates from Staffordshire, a location in the northern area of Birmingham.
With a deeper analysis of their DNA, it is concluded that the breed can be traced back to Ireland’s terriers. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the breed in 1974. Given their looks, they are sometimes categorized as pit bull kind of dog.
And as with most Pitbulls, they are outlawed in different municipalities because of their aggressive nature. They are known to be strong, resilient, and muscular dogs.
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
A Rhodesian Ridgeback is a very majestic-looking breed. They can be most distinguished by the noticeable ridge of hair that runs along in the opposite direction of its back from the remainder of the coat.
The ridge is very noticeable because its width is 2 inches at the widest point. It runs along the spine of the dog. It is very hard to miss. The origin of the dog is believed to be from the ancestral African dog group, with them having a similar ridge.
They were bred by the ancestral Africans, i.e., the Boer farmers, because they needed a good hunting dog for use in the wilds. They are sometimes known as the African Lion Hound because of their majestic appearance. The farmers were in need of a resilient and robust dog that could stay without water for long periods.
The dog also needed to have a coat that was good enough to be resilient against the harsh terrain. With the influx of immigrants from other parts of the world into South Africa during the colonial period, the local dogs were bred with the likes of Bloodhounds, Danes, Greyhounds, Mastiffs, and other breeds they brought.
This interbreeding of the dogs resulted in the creation of the Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Ridgeback Cross Staffy Health
If you’re an experienced dog owner, you already know that every dog is prone to genetic problems depending on its breed type. Some breeds are even more susceptible to diseases than others. Knowing what breed your dog is and researching it is fundamental for your dog to lead a happy and healthy life.
A Ridgeback Cross Staffy is prone to both the problems of the parent breeds and care should be taken to keep them healthy. They are more susceptible to diseases such as deafness, dysplasia, hypothyroidism, etc.
Fortunately, you can get a puppy without having to worry about these problems a lot if you get it from a reliable breeder. A good breeder provides a health guarantee for their puppies. If a breeder doesn’t, then you should do well to avoid them.
A reputable breeder will always help you with your health background and checks. They will be upfront with you about the breed’s requirements and needs for a healthy life. They will tell you what you need to be careful of in regard to their health. It is always recommended that you get a puppy with health clearances, as this means the puppy has been cleared of certain conditions and problems.
Wrapping Up
Getting a Ridgeback Cross Staffy can be a confusing decision. The breed itself has not been around for long, and there is not much to go off on. But the rule of thumb you should follow is that you should always treat them like any other dog, more or less.
Love, care, and affection, with plenty of socialization and playtime, will keep any dog happy and healthy. With the good sides of the parent breeds in one dog, you can be sure that you’ll have a companion by your side.
A good look at the parent breeds and reading up on them is one way to go too. At least, instead of going in blind, you’ll have some idea of how a Ridgeback Cross Staffy will be. For example, the crossbreeds could have directly inherited the health issues from the parent breeds.
Don’t be scared of getting a less popular mixed breed; they’re infinitely adorable and are the best of both worlds. With the majestic look of a Rhodesian Ridgeback and the fiery loyalty of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, you’ll have a companion like no other.
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