ABOUT THE THAI RIDGEBACK

Thai Ridgebacks (otherwise known as TR's) originated from the Eastern part of Thailand (Trat and Jantaburi Area). In Thailand, they are known as Lung Ahn and are VERY expensive dogs (one million dollars and up) Back in the olden days, they were used as hunting or guard dogs. TR's are known for their velvety coat and are "hairless". Their fur is so short that you can actually SEE any fleas or other bugs if the dog has them!!

The most common colors of a TR are black, grey (called "blue"), and Red. Black and grey are pretty common but in my point of view, the grey-silvery color looks the coolest!

The main characteristics of a TR are a smooth coat, a ridge on its back (that's where it got it's name from), ears that stick up straight, a sword like tail (sticking up... look at the pictures for a better explanation). Most TR's will have black dots on their tongue... some even have black tongues! TR's also have chestnut-colored eyes. There are large TR's and small ones as well. Max is considered a "small TR" (yep, he could actually be BIGGER!). But this may have been caused by the lack of nutrition he had when he was young [look at "How we got Max" for more details].

Now, TR's are known for how loyal, elegant, and fierce they are. Although Max is not always like that, he is definitely the sweetest little puppy anyone could ask for. Here in Thailand, many are scared of TR's because they look and are known for how fierce they are. Actually, TR's are only fierce when they are locked up for a long period of time. But even then, they will NEVER turn on their master, though. From many books and sources I have, I know that TR's are very loyal (so loyal that in my sister's words, "They have no dignity") that they would do anything to protect their owner, even it if meant death for them. TR's are known in Thailand as a "one-ownered-dog". This means that this breed can ONLY have one owner. If the dog ends up with another owner, it may not eat or will not be as close to the new owner. This was proved after our family returned from HK during summer of 1998 (look at the second story) and Max refused to eat! Poor Maxie was heartbroken when he found out we were gone. This also proves that TR's have a good memory.

That's about it! Now I spared you a few hours you could have been spending in a library finding information about TR's! ^_^