Phu Quoc Ridgeback

The Phú Quốc Ridgeback is a Vietnamese island dog and one of only three breeds in the world with a ridge of reversed hair along the back.

History

It comes from Phú Quốc island in the Gulf of Thailand, where isolation kept it distinct, and it is the smallest of the three ridgebacks — the others being the Rhodesian and the Thai. It was shown in Europe in the nineteenth century and then largely forgotten outside Vietnam. It has webbed feet and swims well, which suits an island dog that hunted along shorelines.

Temperament

The breed is known for being agile, intelligent and devoted to its own household, wary of strangers and possessed of a strong hunting drive.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and secure fencing — it climbs and jumps unusually well. Early socialising matters. The short coat needs nothing.

Health

As in the other ridgebacks, the ridge is associated with dermoid sinus, a developmental defect breeders screen puppies for. Otherwise generally hardy. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.