The Thai Ridgeback developed in the isolation of the islands in which it lived. Because of poor or nonexistent transportation systems in Thailand for many years, the breed remained relatively pure and very consistent in type over centuries.
The Thai Ridgeback is thought by some cynologists to be one of the oldest dog breeds known to man. It was certainly important to the people who owned it. These dogs were the only possession some people owned, and thus the dogs were extremely important to their owners. Ridgebacks are excellent hunters more than capable of capturing the night’s supper, and they are tremendous watchdogs. They also rid the home of dangerous snakes and pesky vermin. Little wonder that the Thai Ridgeback is the national dog of Thailand.
It’s estimated that there are fewer than 3,000 Ridgebacks outside of Thailand, and only a few hundred in the United States. Even in Thailand the number of registered dogs is in the low thousands, qualifying the Thai Ridgeback as a truly rare breed.
Thai Ridgeback by Scott Wallace