Description. The Thai Ridgeback is a big dog with a height for the male dog being 22-24 inches and the female bitch being 20-22 inches. Their weight is between 50 and 75 pounds. Ridgebacks are so named as a result of a ridge of hair down the centre of their backs. The Thai Ridgeback is a muscular well built dog that is well proportioned. Their skull is flat topped leading to a straight nose, the nose being about 1/3 of the size of the entire head. They have powerful jaws below the black shaded nose. Their powerful neck is average in length and leads to well defined strong looking shoulders. Their chest is deep and their overall body length is approximately the same as their height. Their tail is strong and tapers away from the thick base. Their eyes are almond in shape and brown in color. The triangular ears are high set and are forward inclined. When alert the neck has more skin roles, most noticeable in the puppies. They come in a few colors which are blue, silver, black, and chestnut. The coat is quite short.

History. There is evidence of this breed, from the east of Thailand, dating back as far as the middle ages. The Thai Ridgeback was used mostly as a guard dog and when out travelling the farmers would have them tied to their cart, to scare of vagabonds and predators. It is thought that these are descendants of another Taiwanese dog that had no ridge but was otherwise was pretty much identical. Evidence of the predecessor is about from over 2,000 years ago, in cave paintings. Due to the limited contact with other breeds, as a result of the remoteness, this was a fairly pure breed and is still so today. Outside of Thailand this is a rare breed.

Temperament. These are a companionable dog that is an excellent hunter. Along with their great abilities as a watch and guard dog they were popular with the local farming community. They are a strong, resilient dog that is active and a very capable hurdler. They require early socialization to avoid any related problems. Training can be difficult and needs perseverance and patience. You have to establish yourself as the master over the dog, or there will be problems. The dog will follow rules as long as they are made clear, and every body in the house enforces them. You need to be calm consistent and fair in any training, adding a bit of fun or play should be a good idea as this reduces boredom. Never chastise the dog for making a mistake (I’m sure we have all made a few ourselves) but praise them when they complete a task well, or even averagely.

Health issues. The Thai Ridgeback suffers no real issues and lives 12-13 years.

Grooming. Simple brushing or combing, from time to time, is all the Thai Ridgeback requires.

Living conditions. Whilst the Thai Ridgeback requires a lot of exercise and mental stimulus they will do fine in an apartment, as long as the exercise is provided. They do better in warmer climates and need to be kept indoors, except for when out walking, in colder weather.