Thai Ridgeback Dog

While the Thai Ridgeback definitely isn’t the most affectionate of dog breeds, they are devoted and loving towards their owners. They tend to have a favourite person, but will still be naturally warm and protective towards the rest of the family. Overall, if trained, socialized and handled appropriately, the Thai Ridgeback will be your best friend.

This breed has an obvious playful side to its personality. They love sports, games, getting involved in family activities, and thrive during one-to-one playtime.

The Thai Ridgeback is often fiercely independent, stubborn, and overly protective around unfamiliar faces. Therefore, they’re not known as a particularly calm breed. However, when matched with the perfect owner and lifestyle, they can be chilled-out, relaxed, and calm, especially within the home environment.

This breed is very intelligent. Nothing will get past a Thai Ridgeback. They learn things fast, but will also test the boundaries - beware!

The Thai Ridgeback survived in the wilds of South East Asia for hundreds of years - so it's not surprising that their prey drive is particularly high. They will chase and may try to kill pretty much any small animal, including cats. A lot of care needs to be taken when other animals are around - invest in a strong harness and lead!

This breed is extremely wary and suspicious of strangers and can be aggressive towards them if not socialized from a young age. A well-socialized Thai Ridgeback may act aloof towards unfamiliar faces but is unlikely to turn aggressive.

This dog is too attached to its owner to be an independent dog.

The Mah Thai does not like loneliness, therefore he feels very uncomfortable being alone.

Looking for an easy-to-train, obedient, calm dog? The Thai Ridgeback isn’t the one! Despite their intelligence and ability to learn fast, this breed is stubborn and therefore, difficult to train. They will (yes, it’s a definite!) test boundaries and behave badly if allowed to get away with it. 

We can’t stress enough that intensive training and socialization of the Thai Ridgeback is essential. Without it, they really could be a nightmare pet, through no fault of their own. Therefore, it’s essential that only experienced dog handlers adopt this breed.

The Thai Ridgeback isn’t particularly vocal. However, if someone they don’t know enters their territory, they’ll bark excessively.

Because of their strong prey drive, the Thai Ridgeback could run away at any given moment. They’re fantastic at jumping, climbing and digging, so back gardens will need to be thoroughly secured.

If the Thai Ridgeback is exercised enough, they’re unlikely to be destructive. On the flipside, without adequate exercise or if they’re left alone for too long in a small space, you may come home to find they’ve chewed the sofa and carpets apart.

The Thai Ridgeback isn’t known to be greedy, but you should still take care to measure out food portions and be careful not to let them overindulge on treats or scraps.

Want a top class watchdog? The Thai Ridgeback is perfect for you! They’re extremely protective of their family and will bark excessively at anyone they don’t recognise. They can also be aggressive, so it’s important to socialise them intensely from a young age - otherwise, they may injure someone.

Ideally, this breed needs an experienced dog owner who understands dog behaviour and training methods. They’re stubborn, independent and hard to train. A first-time dog owner will struggle with a Thai Ridgeback and may find themselves with an aggressive, hard-to-handle pet.

This breed may be able to tolerate a flat, providing they’re given regular, fast-paced walks to burn off their energy. However, in an ideal situation, they’ll live in a house with a secure back garden to safely roam around.

The Thai Ridge was bred as a working dog and so, requires lots of exercise. Without it, they may become destructive and irritable. Ideally, they need multiple walks throughout the course of the day as well as plenty of playtime and ball games. The more exercise you can provide, the more pleasant this breed will be to live with.

Its size allows it to follow its owner everywhere without too much difficulty but the Thair Ridgeback requires a lot of work on socialisation.

The Thai Ridgeback will chase and possibly harm cats. They’re highly unlikely to be able to live peacefully together.

When socialised intensively from a young age, the Thai Ridgeback should be able to co-exist peacefully with other dogs in the family. However, you should introduce them slowly before committing, as not all dogs will get along - especially males. They’re tough cookies and may become aggressive towards other dogs if they feel threatened.

This breed is playful and loving around the kids within the family. However, due to their sheer strength, they’re not a good match for families with particularly young children. You should supervise the Thai Ridgeback if your children have friends around to play, as they may misunderstand a situation and become protective.

The Thai Ridgeback may be a good companion and watchdog for a particularly active elderly person or couple. However, if vigorous daily exercise can’t be guaranteed, they’re best avoided.