The Thai Ridgeback Dog, also known as a TRD, Mah Thai, or Mah Thai Lang Ahn, is the national dog of Thailand. This Spitz Primitive Hunting Dogs may be one of the oldest dog breeds known to man.
The Origin of the Thai Ridgeback Dogs:
The Thai Ridgeback Dogs, originally from Asia, have been Thailand’s domesticated dog for centuries. Their remarkable characteristics are “high set ears, a straight top line with a distinctive line of hair that grows along the backbone, a straight tail, and a black spotted mouth that looks “dirty” making them look both elegant and fierce simultaneously.
The Thai Ridgeback dogs have been known amongst the Thai people for several centuries. Most of them are naturally bred and run free around residential areas, farms, and temples. There are old documents that mention the Thai Ridgeback dogs. In the era of the King Ram Kham Hang Maharach of Sukhothai Kingdom in the year B.E. 1826, the King had his army fight against Indochina, now Vietnam in order to expand the territory with the help from his skillful warriors from around the kingdom. It is possible that these warriors found the strange-looking dogs and brought these dogs with them to Sukhothai Kingdom. Since being raised and bred as domestic dogs for some period of time, these dogs had been developed to be the Thai Ridgeback Dogs.
In the era of King Song Tham of Ayuthaya Kingdom in the year B.E. 2170, there was information written about the Thai Ridgeback dogs in Sa-mhud-khoi (a long book made of pulp from trees of the family Uricaceae) that, “these dogs are large.” They are taller than 2 cubits. They come in various colors. They have a distinctive line along their straight back. They are fierce but loyal and faithful to their owners. They hunt smaller animals by digging holes into the ground. They love to follow their owners into the woods for hunting. When they catch their prey, they will bring it back to their owners. They are loyal to their families, and love their pack. They are courageous, strong and fearless. The two documents mentioned above indicate that the Thai Ridgeback dogs are originally from Thailand. They are also appreciated as one of Thailand’s many treasures. This is why they should be preserved and developed for the betterment of the breed in the future.
The development of the Thai Ridgeback dogs:
Ruang Paripon Potchanapisut, A past Justice Department official, had bred the Thai Ridgeback dogs since the year 1927. He passionately loved and was kind to the Thai Ridgeback throughout his life. He was recognized as the "Master of the Thai Dogs.” He pioneered the breeding and development of the Thai dogs, especially the blue Thai Ridgeback. By that time, the only blue-gray dog that he owned was a bitch with short hair, but with no ridge. Later, he got the blue-gray male Ridgeback dog with the ridge on it’s back. He mated this male dog with the female one that he had before. The result was a blue male puppy with a ridge on it’s back. This puppy’s name was Chao Tao (Mr. Gray). He was so beautiful with his amazing qualities that people started to call him (MR. Gray of Khun Ruang). He became so famous, that many people brought their female dogs to mate with him because they wanted to have the blue Thai ridgeback dogs for their own. It is reasonable to say that all of the blue Thai Ridgeback dogs now a day are Chao Tao’s grandchildren.
The Thai Ridgeback dogs of Khun Ruang originally had short hair with a straight tail. He then took his dogs to mate with the hairless dogs from Chantaburi and Trad provinces. The results were the popular Ridgeback puppies with very short and fine Hair in many colors.
The Thai Ridgeback dogs were recently accepted into the Asian Dogs Organization in 1987.
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