Thai Ridgeback
Thai Ridgeback is an old dog breed but recently has accepted as a standard breed. The breed was formerly anonymous outside Thailand, but now it is gaining a reputation in the western world, with the name “Mah Thai Lang Ahn”. There are three ridgeback breeds which have a ridge of hair on their back, and “Thai Ridgeback” is one of them. Other two breeds are “Rhodesian Ridgeback” and “Phu Quoc Ridgeback”.
Weight and Height
The average weight of Thai Ridgeback should be around 40 to 60 lbs of males and 35 to 55 lbs of females. For international shows and competition, the height should be 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm) for males and 20 to 22 inches (51 to 56 cm) in females.
Lifespan
The normal life of Thai Ridgeback is expected to be 11 to 13 years.
Appearance
Thai Ridgeback is a healthy and medium-sized breed of dog with a wedge-shaped head and triangular-shaped prick ears. Thai Ridgebacks have a strong and robust body which makes them very agile. The tail is generally standing upward, thus called a sickle or swordtail. Like many other eastern breeds, Thai Ridgeback has a 'scissor jaw' where upper and lower teeth interlock when jaw skeletons clamp down. The tongue can be black or with black marks. The eyes of Thai Ridgeback should be brown and almond-shaped but can be amber in blue dogs. The ears ascend gradually during the puppy’s growing age. The back should be straight and smooth.
Coat and Colors
The dog has a short, hard, and straight coat; with a distinct ridge of hair on its back that extends from behind the withers to the hips. The puppies of Thai Ridgeback are rarely born ridge-less. The coat shedding is negligible due to its small size, occurring once or twice yearly. The breed has no undercoat, thus hair does not usually bother people allergic to other dog breeds. The coat should be dense colors of blue, black, red or fawn with a black-mask being allowable on reds. The brindle and white colors are also found but are not permissible.
Eight unique ridge patterns have been recognized; needle, feather, lute, arrow, leaf, violin, bowling pin, and Saddleback. All these patterns are acceptable but must be obviously defined and symmetrical. The dogs with broader ridge are highly prized.
Temperament
Thai Ridgeback is an intelligent dog breed. The energy level is naturally medium-to-high. If properly socialized, Thai Ridgebacks make loyal and affectionate family pets. They are naturally protective of their family but can be aggressive when not well-socialized. They are best kept by reliable owners who have an in-depth understanding of dog’s behavior. Because of prior topographical isolation and lack of human contact, Thai Ridgeback remains independent-minded and much of the unique natural disposition and drives remain intact, particularly prey drive. Because of its nature, Thai Ridgeback is not recommended for the beginner dog owner. They have an exceptional jumping ability and seen wandering if not properly controlled.
History
The breed was developed in eastern Thailand, but the origin is not documented. Therefore history is the subject of many hypotheses. The other existing pure-breeds of Ridgebacks are “Rhodesian Ridgeback” from Africa and “Phu Quoc Ridgeback” from Vietnam. They are slightly smaller than Thai Ridgeback. Based on genetic-based hypothesis, both Thai Ridgeback Dog and Phu Quoc Dog are likely to be descended from Funan Ridgeback Dog; which was developed over 1000 years ago in Funan Era of the region. The descendent of “Hottentot Dog” or “Ari Dog”, a known African ridge-bearing ancestor of “Rhodesian Ridgeback” is now found as Africanis. The gene that causes the ridge has been hereditary from a common ancestor: "The topographical origin of the ridge present in Ridgeback dogs is still a mystery, thus solid proof has now been provided that the ridge alteration in Ridgeback dogs is identical by descent and the likelihood of parallel mutations occurring in Asia and Africa (Epstein, 1937) can, therefore, be rejected."
Other Names: Mah Thai, Thai Dog, Mah Thai Lung Arn
Thai Ridgeback Puppies
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| Thai Ridgeback puppies - Bred by Jake Gardner |
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| Thai Ridgeback puppy |
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| Thai Ridgeback Puppy - Grace, Color Isabela |