FCI BREED STANDARD

FCI-Standard N° 338 / 25. 02. 2004  / GB

THAI RIDGEBACK DOG

ORIGIN : Thailand.

UTILIZATION : Hunting and companion dog.
 
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 26.05.2003.

FCI'S CLASSIFICATION :   Group   5    Spitz and primitive   types.
   Section 7      Primitive Type-HuntingDogs.
                                             Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY :  The Thai Ridgeback Dog is an old breed which can be seen in the archeological writings in Thailand which were written about 350 years ago.  It was used mainly for hunting in the eastern part of Thailand.  People also used it to escort their carts and as a watch  dog.  The reason why it has kept its own original type for so many years is due to poor transportation systems in the eastern part of Thailand; it had fewer chances to crossbreed with other breeds.

GENERAL APPEARANCE :  Medium-sized dog with short hair forming a ridge along the back.  The body is slightly longer  than its height at withers.  Muscles are well developed, and its anatomical structure is suitable for activities.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :

Length of body  :  Height at the withers           = 11 : 1O

Depth of chest   :  Height at the withers          =   1 :  2

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT  :  Tough and active with excellent jumping ability.  A loyal family dog.

 HEAD

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : The skull is flat between the ears but slightly rounded when seen from the side.

Forehead : Wrinkles when the dog is attentive.

Stop : Clearly defined, but moderate.

FACIAL REGION :   

Nose : Black.  In blue dogs, the nose is bluish.

Nasal bridge : Straight and long.

Muzzle : Wedge-shaped, slightly shorter than skull.

Lips : Tight with good pigmentation.

Mouth : Black marking on the tongue is preferable.

Jaws : Upper and lower jaws are strong.

Teeth : White and strong with scissors bite.

Eyes : Medium size and almond shaped.  The eye colour is dark brown.  In blues, amber-coloured eyes are permitted.

Ears : Set on sides of the skull.  Medium sized, triangular, inclining forward and firmly pricked.  Not cropped.

NECK : Medium length, strong, muscular, slightly arched and holding head high.

BODY

Back : Strong and level.

Loin : Strong and broad.

Croup : Moderately sloping.

Chest : Deep enough to reach the elbows.  The ribs are well sprung, but not barrel-shaped.

Lower line : The belly is well tucked up.

TAIL :Thick at base with gradual tapering toward the tip.  The tip can reach hock joints.  Carried vertically and slightly curved.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :

Shoulder : Well laid back.

Forearm : Straight.

Pastern : Straight when seen from the front and very slightly sloping when seen from the side.

Feet : Oval

Nails : Black but can be lighter depending on coat colour.

HINDQUARTERS :

Thighs : Well developed with well bent stifles.

Hocks : Strong and well let down.

Rear Pastern : Straight and parallel when seen from the rear.

Feet : Oval

GAIT : Reachy stride with no pitching nor rolling of the body. Parallel tracking at normal speed. When viewed from the front, the forelegs move up and down in straight lines so that the shoulder, elbow and pastern joints are approximately in line with each other. When viewed from the rear, the stifle and hip joints are approximately in line.  Movement in a straight line forward without throwing the feet in or out; thus enabling the stride to be long and drive powerful.  The overall appearance of the moving dog is one of smooth flowing and well balanced rhythm.

SKIN : Soft, fine and tight.  Throat : no dewlap.

COAT

Hair : Short and smooth

The ridge on the top region is formed by the hair growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat.  It should be clearly defined from other parts of the back.  There are various shapes and lengths of ridge, but must be symmetrical on either side of the backbone and within the width of the back.  Crowns or whirls at the head of the ridge are acceptable.

Colour : Solid colour  : red, black, blue and very light fawn (isabella).  Black mask is preferable in reds.

SIZE : Ideal height at the withers : Dogs    22-24 inches (56-61 cm)

                                                  Bitches 20-22 inches (51-56 cm).
There is a tolerance of  plus or minus one inch (2.5 cm).


FAULTS : Any departure  from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

·       Any bite other than scissors bite.

·       Unbalanced ridge.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

SCALE OF POINTS used when Judging the TR

Inclusion of the point schedule is intended to indicate those characteristics of the Thai Ridgeback Dog deemed most important in judging the breed; however, the TRD should be judged as an entire unit.

General Conformation -  30 points

• General appearance -  10 points
• Color -  4 points
• Ridge -  4 points
• Condition of  Coat -  4 points
• Size and Substance -  4 points
• Tail -  4 points

Type, Balance and Soundness!

UNITED KENNEL CLUB BREED STANDARD -GROUP PARIAH DOGS

Pariah Dogs comprise some of the oldest breeds known to man. These breeds represent the first stage in the evolution of dogs from wild creatures to domestic animals. Pariah Dogs evolved primarily in the southern hemisphere where a limited food supply drove them to a closer association with people. These breeds lived on the outskirts of human settlements, scavenging and occasionally interacting with humans. In response to the warm climate, the Pariah Dogs developed short, smooth coats and large, erect ears. These breeds are believed to be the ancestors of the Sighthounds.

THAI RIDGEBACK
Official U.K.C. Breed Standard
Copyright 2001, United Kennel Club, Inc.
Revised January 1, 2007

History

The origin of the Thai Ridgeback is unknown but the breed developed in eastern Thailand, where the breed was kept pure by isolation. Descriptions of the breed can be found in written references dating back to the 17th century. The breed's name comes from a ridge of hair that runs along the dog's back, a trait found in only three breeds of purebred dogs. The Thai Ridgeback was used for hunting, and as a guard dog. Today the breed is still very rare outside of Thailand.

The Thai Ridgeback was recognized by United Kennel Club on January 20, 1996.

General Appearance

The Thai Ridgeback is a medium-sized pariah-type dog, with a wedge-shaped head, prick ears, and a short, smooth coat. The length of body from point of buttocks to point of sternum is about 10 percent longer than the height measured at the withers. The depth of chest is equal to the length of the foreleg. The tail is carried vertically or curved like a sickle.

Characteristics

This breed is characterized by a ridge of hair growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. This ridge starts at the withers and extends down the spine to the top of the pelvis bones. This breed is very active and agile, with excellent jumping and climbing abilities. They are devoted to family members but are inclined to be wary of strangers.

Head

The head is proportional to the size of the body. Viewed from the front, the Thai Ridgeback head forms a vertically elongated octagon. The octagonal shape is formed by a flat line between the ears; a line sloping downward and outward from the inside corner of the ear to the outside corner of the ear; a straight line downward from the outside corner of the ear to the point of the jawbone; a line slanting downward and inward from the point of the jawbone to the lower outside corner of the muzzle; a short, horizontal line across the bottom of the muzzle; and three corresponding lines around the other side of the face. Viewed from above and from the side, the head is wedge-shaped. The skull and muzzle are roughly parallel to one another when viewed from the side, and joined by a well-defined, but not abrupt, stop. The ratio of muzzle length to skull length is 2:3. Supraorbital arches over the eyes are well defined but not pronounced. The forehead is wrinkled when the dog is attentive.

Black marking on the tongue is preferable.

SKULL - The skull is flat and moderately broad. The skull tapers slightly from the widest point to the base of the muzzle. The cheeks are flat.

MUZZLE – Viewed from above and from the side, the muzzle tapers toward the nose, forming a blunt wedge. The nasal bridge is straight. Lips are tight, with good pigmentation.

TEETH - The Thai Ridgeback has a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite.

NOSE - Black. In bluish dogs, the nose is bluish.

EYES - The eyes are medium-sized and almond-shaped. Eye color is dark brown, except in blue dogs, where amber eyes are permitted.

EARS - The ears are strongly erect, medium size, triangular in shape, and set at the outer edges of the skull. Viewed from the side, the back line of the ear inclines slightly forward from the base to the tip in line with the back of the neck. Ears are never cropped.

Neck

The neck is moderately long and slightly arched, but strong and well muscled, blending into sloping shoulders. The skin on the throat may form slight, smooth, non-pendant folds.

Forequarters

The shoulders are well laid back and muscular. The scapula and the upper arm form an angle of about 110 degrees. When standing, a line dropped from the highest point of the withers would pass just behind the forelegs. The muscles of the upper leg are firm and well developed. The forelegs are straight, with strong, moderately short, very slightly sloping pasterns, and moderate bone. The shoulder blade and the upper arm are roughly equal in length. The upper arm lies close to the ribs but is still very mobile, with the elbow moving close to the body.

The Thai Ridgeback is slightly longer, measured from prosternum to point of buttocks, than tall, measured from the withers to the ground. The ribs are moderately sprung out from the spine, forming a strong back. The back is level and well muscled with a broad, muscular, slightly arched loin. The chest is moderately wide and the brisket extends to the elbow. The forechest should extend in a shallow oval shape in front of the forelegs, but the sternum should not be excessively pointed. The belly is well tucked up. The croup is broad and moderately sloping.

Hindquarters

The thighs are well muscled. The rear legs are well angulated at stifle and hock joints. The hocks are well let down. Viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns should be parallel to each other; from the side, they should be perpendicular to the ground.

Feet

The feet are oval in shape, with toes well arched and tight. Pads are well developed.

Tail

The tail is set on as a natural extension of the topline, and tapers from its thick base to a point. The tail extends approximately to the hock but is normally carried erect and slightly curved.

Skin & Coat

Skin is soft, fine and tight.

The coat is short and smooth, with a clearly-defined ridge of hair growing in the opposite direction of the rest of the coat extending down the spine from the withers to the pelvis bones. There are various shapes and lengths of the ridges, but they must be symmetrical on either side of the backbone, and be within the width of the back. Crowns and whirls at the head of the ridge are acceptable.

Disqualification: Absence of ridge; long coat.

Color

The following solid colors are permitted: Red, black, blue and very light fawn (isabella). A black mask is preferable in red.

Size

The ideal height for a mature Thai Ridgeback male is 22-24 inches; and 20-22 inches for a female. Weight should be in proportion to the height.

Fault: More than one inch over or under the height range.

Gait

Correct movement is essential in this breed. The Thai Ridgeback moves with strides of moderate length in a quick, agile trot. The forelegs and hind legs are carried straight forward, with neither elbows nor stifles turned in or out. While the dog is gaiting, the topline remains firm and appears level.

Disqualifications

Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Absence of ridge. Long coat. Albinism.