The Thai Ridgeback ( th, ไทยหลังอาน, ) is a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

from Thailand. The Thai Ridgeback is one of only three breeds that has a ridge of hair that runs along its back in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. The other two are the

Rhodesian Ridgeback The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large dog breed bred in the Southern Africa region. Its forebears can be traced to the semi-domesticated ridged hunting and guardian dogs of the Khoikhoi. These were interbred with European dogs by the early colonist ...

and the

Phu Quoc Ridgeback The Phu Quoc Ridgeback ( Vietnamese: ''Chó Phú Quốc'') is a rare breed of dog from the island of Phú Quốc in Kiên Giang Province in southern Vietnam. It is one of three ridgeback breeds, the others being the Rhodesian Ridgeback and th ...

Appearance

The Thai Ridgeback is a muscular, medium-sized pariah-type dog with a wedge-shaped head, triangular-shaped prick ears, and a very short, smooth coat. It has a pronounced ridge on its back formed by hair growing in the opposite direction that extends from behind the withers to the hips. Puppies are occasionally born ridgeless. Thai Ridgebacks have a muscular and streamlined body, making them extremely agile. The tail is carried upward called a sickle or sword tail. Its forehead wrinkles with enormous expression. Like many eastern breeds, the Thai Ridgeback has retained a 'scissor jaw' where upper and lower teeth interlock when the jaw bones clamp down. The tongue can be black or have black marks. Eyes are almond-shaped and brown but may be amber in blue dogs. The ears are set low and point slightly outward. The ears stand up progressively during the puppy growth period; they are not cropped. The back is straight and level. The coat is short, hard, and straight. Due to the length and density of the coat shedding is minimal, occurring once or twice yearly. Because this breed does not have an undercoat the hair does not usually bother people allergic to other breeds of dogs. Coat must be solid colors of blue, black, red or fawn with a black mask being acceptable on reds. However,

brindle Brindle is a coat (animal), coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cattle, guinea pigs, Cat, cats, and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger-striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger' ...

and white are also found but are not acceptable colors. For international show and competition, shoulder height should be 22–24 inches (56–61 cm) in males and 20–22 inches (51–56 cm) in females. The weight averages 35–55 lbs (16–25 kg) in females and 51–74 lbs (23–34 kg) in males. Eight distinctive ridge patterns have been identified: needle, feather, arrow, lute, violin, bowling pin, leaf, and saddleback. All patterns are acceptable, but must be clearly defined and symmetrical. The broader the ridge, the more highly it is prized.

Health

Thai ridgebacks are a hearty, overall healthy breed with few inherent health issues. The breed has reproduced in Thailand almost exclusively by natural selection until the very recent past. The domesticated population is small. Inbreeding depression has not been observed in the breed. Thai Ridgeback Dogs are prone to

dermoid sinus Dermoid sinus is thought to be a genetic skin condition in dogs. It is also known as ''pilonidal sinus''. However, unlike pilonidal sinus in humans, the dermoid sinus in dogs is a neural tube defect. Dermoid sinus is sometimes also confused with d ...

. Modern lines of Thai Ridgeback, resulting from interpopulation crosses, may also be prone to

hip dysplasia Hip dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip joint where the socket portion does not fully cover the ball portion, resulting in an increased risk for joint dislocation. Hip dysplasia may occur at birth or develop in early life. Regardless, it doe ...

and other genetic disorders.

Temperament

Thai Ridgebacks are an intelligent breed. The energy level is typically medium to high, with most of the day spent lounging and activity periods occurring in sporadic bursts. Well bred and properly socialized Thai Ridgebacks make loyal, loving family pets. They are naturally protective of their home and family and can be aggressive or shy when not properly socialized. They are best kept by consistent owners who have a thorough understanding of dog behavior. Because of prior geographic isolation and lack of human contact, the Thai Ridgeback remains independent minded and much of the original natural instinct and drives remain intact, particularly prey drive. Due to its nature, the Thai Ridgeback is not recommended for the novice dog handler. They have an excellent jumping ability and may seek to roam if not properly contained.

Genetics

Ridge

The ridgeback is under a control of two groups of epistatic genes. The first determines the existence of the ridge. The other determines the size of the ridge, from none to very large (down to the side) the latter, the more the genes in the dog, the broader is the ridge. The ridge will appear only if there is at least one dominant allele in both groups.The origin of the Ridge and Associated Anomalies in Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Hillbertz 2007, Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae, PhD Thesis
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Color

Coat color is also under a control of two groups of epistatic genes. The first determines the color of the coat if it should be black, brown, red or blue. The series of dominance is black to brindle to red to white. The intensity of the coat color is under control of a set of modifying genes. The other group controls the dilution of the colors. Black can be dilute to gray/silver/blue, and red will turn fawn. The normal color is dominance over the diluted.

History

The other existing breeds of ridgeback dog are the

from Africa and the

from

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, which is somewhat smaller than the Thai Ridgeback. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is partly descended from the southern African indigenous Hottentot Khoi dog, a known ridge-bearing dog. The gene that causes the ridge has been inherited from a common ancestor: "The geographical origin of the ridge present in Ridgeback dogs is still a mystery, thus solid proof has now been provided that the ridge mutation in Ridgeback dogs is identical by descent and the likelihood of parallel mutations occurring in Asia and Africa (Epstein, 1937) can therefore be rejected."

Grooming

The Thai Ridgeback has a short coat that is easily cared for with a weekly brushing. Use a rubber curry brush to keep it gleaming. It sheds year-round, but not heavily. Give it a bath when it is dirty, maybe once or twice a year. Introduce your puppy to grooming from an early age so that it learns to accept it with little fuss.

References

External links

* {{hounds FCI breeds Dog breeds originating in Thailand Dog landraces Rare dog breeds Ridgeback dogs Sighthounds