Spotlight Breed: Thai Ridgeback
Welcome to our Spotlight Breed article of the week! We are excited to feature a fun and unique dog breed from around the globe. Today we are teaching you about the Thai Ridgeback! This dog breed has a vibrant history. It wasn’t until about 350 years ago that humans domesticated Thai Ridgebacks to guard, pull carts, and hunt down vermin. The breed is headstrong and loyal, but much more is to be learned. Please continue reading to explore more facts about the Thai Ridgeback!
The breed is also known as Mah Thai Lang Ahn or Pariah dog. One of the biggest things to note about the Thai Ridgeback is that they do not adapt well to an apartment or small home living. This breed strives for mental and physical stimulation, so they must live in a space that provides room for exploring. We do not recommend adopting a Thai Ridgeback if you are a novice dog owner. Dogs such as this that are highly sensitive, assertive, and independent will be harder for first-time dog parents to manage.
The Thai Ridgeback can be friendly or unfriendly, depending on whom they are dealing with. They are affectionate with their “pack” (the family they are around for long periods). However, the breed may experience a different tone when they are around children, other dogs, and strangers. Therefore, we recommend you enroll your Thai Ridgeback in obedience and socialization training. Training sessions will allow the dog to be comfortable around other dogs and people, preventing issues down the road.
You will need time, patience, and repetition while you train a Thai Ridgeback. It may take this breed some time to form an association between a prompt, an action, and a consequence. We mentioned earlier that the breed was bred to hunt. With this said, the Thai Ridgeback has a high prey drive. They have a strong desire to chase anything that is whizzing by. Therefore, the Thai Ridgeback must be kept in a fenced area when outdoors.
Are you looking for a highly energetic dog that strives for mental and physical stimulation? If so, the Thai Ridgeback may be for you! We will leave you with our favorite quote about the breed: “I’m the boss, but my Thai Ridgeback is still in denial!”
