The Thai Ridgeback Dog, better known as the "Mah Thai Lang Ahn "or the "TRD" is a true Thai purebred dog. Along with its beauty, it has many charming traits. It has a very strong allegiance and loyalty to its owners and family. This makes it easy to love and raise. Certainly all who have owned and raised one are able to confirm the aforementioned statements. The twelve charming traits of the Thai Ridgeback Dog and its distinguishable characteristics are as follows:

TRAIT 1: Cleanliness. The Thai Ridgeback, even as a puppy loves to keep itself clean. For example, If it is in its cage, it will signal its owner to let it out to his area to relieve itself. It will always look to keep its living quarters clean. In times of urgency, this is evident, as it will even try to pass its waste through the mesh in the cage, instead of soil its quarters.

TRAIT 2: Happiness and Good Spirit. The TRD is normally a very happy dog, and would prefer playing and spending time with its owners rather than other dogs.It is happiest when with its master.

TRAIT 3: Intelligence, Alertness, and Territorialness are 3 characteristics the TRD possesses, making it a natural guard dog of your home, possessions and its owner, even without formal training.

TRAIT 4: Loving its freedom. Likewise Thai means freedom, it is not uncommon for the TRD to love playing, chasing and hunting more than obeying the commands of its owners, and is especially true for someone who hasn't raised it. This is just a trait of its love of freedom and independence.

TRAIT 5: Self preservation, caution, and vigilance. These traits make it know to avoid moving vehicles, find shelter and avoid danger from strangers, stray dogs, and poisonous animals such as snakes or Centipedes.

TRAIT 6: Lack of destructiveness. Normally the TRD does not like to destroy the possessions of its owners, but on the contrary, it may occasionally chew the stray sock, bringing it to its owner when it is done. This exhibits its modesty.

TRAIT 7: Territorialness. The TRD will establish its domain in any area it frequents or lives by emitting pheromones. An ecto -hormone to convey this message to other dogs. Once there is an invasion of its territory, the intruder will experience a violent fight, until either it or the intruder has won. The intruder is very rarely victorious. If the intrusion is by a strange or suspicious man, it will warn by growling. If this does not deter the intruder, it will not hesitate to charge and attack fiercely. On the contrary, when it leaves its domain, it becomes rather modest.

TRAIT 8: Quiet and Calm. The TRD would rather not bark or growl. Whenever this happens excessively, it will usually mean there is a strange man, animal, and/or occurrence on or within its domain. So when a TRD goes on like this, its owner should investigate the surroundings thoroughly.

TRAIT 9: Superior fighting skills. The TRD is very clever and intelligent, taking care of itself as a young pup until adulthood. It is a great fighter one on one, or against multiple adversaries and will suffer little wounds because of this trait. If making a stand against a foe is impossible, it will flee safely. In one on one fight against larger adversaries, it will bite at vulnerable areas until its opponent has fled. If its opponent is a man, it will bite at his calves, buttocks, genitalia and stomach as its preferred targets.

TRAIT 10: Great memory and recall. The sound of its owners car door closing, unheard by others in the home, is enough to send him running back and forth, wagging his tail, pricking his ears, and barking in happiness and excitement to greet his master.

TRAIT 11: Love and possessiveness of its owner. Even within the family. In general, the TRD will always stay near his owner to prevent strangers and other animals from accessing him.

TRAIT 12: Self adjustment, adapting and acclimation. The TRD can adapt to many different topographical and environmental conditions, including what it ingests for food. This makes it a very easy dog to own and being raised.

All of these characteristics are within the TRD. So you can easily imagine how lovable and interesting it is with these traits and characteristics. If you appreciate that love begets love, then raise the TRD with love, not just feeding and you will forever be its beloved owner.

The charming traits of the true Thai purebred dog.....The Thai Ridgeback Dog

Extracted from Jatujak Magazine, permitted by Khun Lek JJ
Edited by James Hernandez: May, 2005