Thai Ridgeback

The Thai Ridgeback is a dog breed from Thailand, tied to the eastern provinces of Chanthaburi and Trat. It is the national dog of Thailand and takes its name from the ridge on its back.

History

The Thai Ridgeback shares its ridge with the Rhodesian Ridgeback of southern Africa, which is partly descended from a ridge-bearing native dog of the Khoi people. Genetic research has shown that the mutation behind the ridge is the same in the Asian and African dogs and was inherited from a common ancestor, which rules out the old idea that it arose separately on the two continents. Where the ridge first appeared is still unknown.

Appearance

Males stand 56 to 61 cm and weigh 23 to 34 kg; females are 51 to 56 cm and 16 to 25 kg. The coat is short and comes in red, black, blue or isabella, a fawn shade.

Eight ridge patterns have been described: needle, feather, arrow, lute, violin, bowling pin, leaf and saddleback. All are acceptable as long as the ridge is clearly defined and symmetrical, and the broader the ridge, the more it is prized.

The ridge is controlled by two groups of genes. One decides whether a ridge appears at all, and the other sets its size, from none to very broad. A dog shows a ridge only when it carries at least one dominant allele in both groups.

Care and health

The short coat is easy to keep with a brushing once a week; a rubber curry brush brings up the shine. The dog sheds lightly all year round. Baths are needed only when it is dirty, perhaps once or twice a year.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.