About a breed

 

Thai Ridgeback Dog – one of the most cryptic breeds!

TRD is middle-sized dog which has an athletic body and short, soft and pleasant to touch wool. Wool on the dog’s back grows in the opposite direction, it’s called "Ridge". Oriental narrowed eyes, and special Thai smile. Thai Ridgeback Dog always attracts the attention of people and everybody became really interested in this exotic animal

 

Ages Ago…

 

Thai Ridgeback Dog is a national breed in Thailand. It's one of the eldest breeds that people know. Till this day scientists give us more and more different versions of genesis of Thai Ridgeback Dogs. Maybe history of TRD begins from wolves and Dingo dogs.  Archaeologists think that exactly a Dingo dog is a progenitor of TRD. Historians proved that Dingo dogs originated in Asian territory, maybe Asian wolves are their progenitors, with which they have many the same features in behavior and exterior. One of the earliest fossils of dogs similar to Dingo were found in Ban Chiang, northeastern part of Thailand, 6000 years BC.  And in northern Vietnam, 5000 years BC. In Thailand were found ancient murals with pictures of dogs cognate to Thai Ridgeback, with crescent tail and stand-up ears. First textual documentation about breed was made 350 years ago. It was an old manuscript of Songthan king, where he described modern Thai Ridgeback Dog in all details: “ Big dogs, which have different colors of their wool, and a ridge on their back, stand-up ears and a tail similar to saber. TRD have raging character and devoted to owner.  It can subsist singly, dig holes and hunt small animals. Thai Ridgeback Dog like to accompany it’s owner everywhere and hunt in the forest.  TRD loves it’s family and loyal to all inhabitants of the home. Thai Ridgeback Dogs accompanied their owners as far as Big “Yang” Tree.

 

 

Thai Ridgeback Dog originated in eastern part of Thailand, presumably. Thai Ridgeback lived unchanged for centuries because of seclusion of island where this breed have lived. Seclusion and bad transport interchange of Thailand protected Thai Ridgeback Dog from crossbreeding with other dogs.  Consequently Thai Ridgeback Dog is a primitive and original dog. TRD was really important part of life for population of country, especially for poor people, because Ridgeback in virtue of it’s unique speed and outstanding mind could independently hunt small animals and birds, and provide food for it’s owner.    Ridgeback was a guard of home and was cleaning owner’s house from snakes and rats. Also TRD was used to escort carts, which were the most used transport in Thailand ages ago. Those trips always were dangerous and hard, so dogs should have been healthy, strong and savvy. Despite of old ancestry, breed recognized officially not so long ago. In 1989 breed was recognized with title “Thai Ridgeback Dog” by Kennel Union of Asia (AKU).  And in 1990 breed was recognized by Kennel Union of Japan, which is main organization of Asian countries and member of FCI. In 1993 FCI registered this breed. Thai Ridgeback is very popular in Thailand. In Europe TRD arrived from Thailand, but Thai breeders reluctantly sell their dogs.  Now breed is successfully expand in Germany, France, Czech Republic, Russia and other countries.

 

 

The dog from steel and velvet.

 

Thai Ridgeback Dog is very pleasing nice dog with exotic exterior, striking elegance and grace. This breed is rarely. Breeding of TRD is slow because female dogs have an estrus only once a year and not many puppies are usually born. Puppies have a lot of folds of skin, like small Shar Peis. While puppy is growing it’s skin stretches and all folds disappear. Closer to 4 month ears of puppy stand-up and eyes acquire their ultimate color. Young TRD haven’t strong muscles and bones, so owner must look after his dog and do not allow it to play with strong and very active dogs, while Ridgeback is young. It’s better to feed your Thai Ridgeback with nutrition for quick growing dogs, which has increase of body weight.

 

 Thai Ridgeback is very devoted to it’s owner. So changing of owner will be very big loss for TRD. Adults must control relations between the dog and children in family because children are unpredictable always and it can cause undesirable behavior of dog. To avoid troubles, owner must pay much attention to the dog from it’s childhood, acquaint it with new dogs and people, to suppress hunting instinct. 

 

 Thai Ridgeback is very hierarchical dog and begin to build it’s system of hierarchical relations with people and other animals, from the first moment in new home. TRD deem his authority those person which feed it and take care. Meal and walking are main things for TRD. It will not love everybody living with it in house, it will love only those person which take care about Thai Ridgeback. It will be pleasant to neighbors, but always will remind that they are just guests and must behave like guests. TRD obeys to leader unconditionally. TRD will try to dominate and be a leader if you have another one dog in yours house.

 

 

TRD is not so submissive dog as dogs of other breeds. This dog will never fall on its back even if your punish it, or one another dog is aggressive to TRD. Adult Thai Dogs are usually calm and avoid communication with extraneous people. TRD greet its friends very reservedly. It just come around, solve you to stroke it twice and leave. Or if it can’t leave it will reject its head to show you that your touch is unpleasant.

 

Thai Ridgeback Dog is born to hunt. Without training TRD can find wildfowl and help its owner. It can catch flying bird because dog is very quick abrupt. It can find squirrels in park or forest and go far from owner, but it’s typical for TRD. Also TRD will try to catch cats outdoors and you must explain your dog that it’s bad. In Europe it is rare opportunity for TRD to hunt so most of all owners of Thai Ridgeback suppress their dogs in hunting instinct.

 

This dog is good security guard. TRD are very territorial so it will protect territory with all their responsibility. They include to their territory not only a flat, house and garden but the car of its owner too. Unlike many breeds, these dogs do not behave hysterically and silently watching what happens. Only in real situation dog begin to act. With its thick and velvety voice, the Thai Ridgeback barks very rarely and usually growls or makes purring sounds. In ordinary life many owners say they do not hearbarking of their dog and if suddenly TRD started barking it means the dog has really serious reason. Thai Ridgeback is unusually clever dog. Every owner of a Thai Ridgeback can tell you many stories about the amazing resourcefulness, the ability to think about solutions of some problems and take a non-standard and the right decision.

 

This is a strong, athletic built dog with a thin delicate skin, beneath which reads every movement of relief muscles. Thai Ridgeback has excellent jumping ability. There are no barriers for the dog, if there is a barrier it can be only height. The only thing TRD needs - it's time to learn how to overcome it. Each movement of the Thai Ridgeback is harmonious and balanced. You can hear very often that the build of this dog looks like good and purebred horse. 

 

TRD is very active and playful dog, especially in the first year of life. However you should not congest young dog because it can adversely affect the growth of the bones and muscles. In the puppy and adolescence Thai Ridgebacks love to run. Unfortunately TRD usually play with other dogs rudely (especially males)."Are you tired? You will not run? I'll bite you lightly - run with me until I get bored!" - Many dogs don’t like it. But with age, they become calm, even lazy dogs. They like to nap near their owner. You can take an adult dog to go jogging with you or wile you ride a bicycle. TRD likes long, quiet walks. After 2.5 years old your dog need only 30-40 minutes walking twice a day to feel good. Do not want to walk – buy another dog! Walking with TRD is nice pastime – it will not pull the leash strongly and will carefully avoiding puddles and mud. Because of the special anatomy it stain belly only during long walks in the forest or park after the rain. In the grass TRD moves with jumps and if it stops, it will put up one leg. After a short walk in the wet weather it’s enough just to wash feet in a small basin. With it you can do agility, and training should be based not on the drill, and on the game. You can train your dog with food and be prepared that your dog will work only because of respect and love for you!

 

At home dog behaves calmly, so it is convenient to have TRD in a city apartment. TRD need a close contact with the owner, dog likes to get close, sharing the place. Also wool of TRD doesn’t smells, it’s caused with hot climate of South-East Asia which is a native place of Thai Ridgeback. What we call “the smell of dog” is due to the work of the sebaceous glands which works to save the body warmth. In our situation dog’s organism doesn’t needs this function. TRD is amazingly cleanly! They love the heat and even in the hottest day like to lie on the “Sunny Bunny” licking their paws and washing up like a cat. Short and smooth wool doesn’t need much care. Periodically, a dog can be washed with a mild shampoo. Thai Dogs are known as a strong health dogs, but there is a weakness of TRD – it is dermoid sinus. TRD freezes in cold countries, short wool doesn’t protect the dog of the coldness. Comfortable temperature for this dog 28 ° C. TRD doesn’t like to walk under the rain. 

 

Unlike other breeds, the actions of which are entirely dependent on the person, TRD can make right decisions by themselves. Find an approach to the Thai Ridgeback is more difficult than to the other breeds of dogs. It has a unique intelligence and is able to predict the actions of human so it is quite boring and uninteresting for Thai Dog to train with a classical and usual scheme. This breed with “the rod” – proud and stubborn, that’s why owner need to be smarter and more cunning than the dog and owner must train the dog in that way in which TRD will have a significance in training. Training should be structured that way in which dog will be interested. Thai Ridgeback is very clever,easily trained, able to perform even the mostintricate command, but you should remember that training must be structured on the game. It is a key to the successful training. And once you "catch the wave", this dog will surprise you with its mind, its gumption, its exceptional abilities! 

 

And if you decide to buy this amazing, in all respects breed, do not be lazy to carefully examine all available information, feel free to ask breeder any questions. Don’t forget that you take to your house a friend, a full-fledged member of the familywhich in the next 15 years should please you with its dedication. Therefore, going to choose a puppy, ask someone whoversed in dogs to help you to choose the dog with good mentality and temperament.Let this advice does not scare you - this advice is universal for all breeds. And it's a huge responsibility - to take in the dog house - big or small. Thai Ridgeback relieve you of your responsibility to take care in that in the sense that you were so scared, but TRD remains the dog which needs you, your concern, your attention and your love. Actually, the Thai Ridgeback - an ideal dog for the house in every way, if there are such dogs at all! 

 

Materials used:

Borodino Victoria

Head of the Thai Ridgeback breed

Odessa Regional center of dog breeding,

Pevunovoy Olga

Mischiha Olga

Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Ridgeback

conducted by the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (South Africa)

The magazine "Friend", 2001 - 9