The Phu Quoc Ridgeback hails from Vietnam and is sometimes also known as the Vietnamese Ridgeback or the Phu Quoc Dog. It is one of three breeds to carry a distinctive ridge of hair down the center of its back that grows in the opposite direction to the rest of the hair, and is by far the rarest of the three – even considered rare in Vietnam. This athletic breed was discovered in the 19th century as a somewhat feral dog – sometimes living with people and other times fending for itself by relying on excellent hunting and scavenging skills to survive. Those that lived with people hunted with them in the day and guarded the home at night. When kept as a pet, this is a loyal and sweet companion.
The Phu Quoc Ridgeback is alert and suspicious of strangers at first. When shown kindness, however, he will accept them as friends. The breed is fearless and if needed, he will defend his owner from any perceived threat – be it person or animal. That said, unlike many breeds with a guarding background he is fairly friendly with the majority of people (including kids) and has a laid-back, even temperament when raised correctly. He tends to get along well with other dogs as well and generally enjoy playing with them. Historically, the breed would occasionally hunt in packs as well as independently so they are generally “wired” to get along.
Phu Quocs need regular daily exercise – and plenty of it! This is not a sedentary breed and will stay fairly active throughout the majority of their lives, which averages about 15-16 years. Because of the Pho Quoc’s semi-feral roots, only the strong survived and thus most are resilient, hardy and active! This primitive dog is known for his speed and his propensity for swimming, jumping and climbing (including trees). He is also very playful and enjoys running and cavorting in a fenced area. Fenced is best… because he is exceptionally fast and could easily get away if he decides to run after a small animal or other distraction. He is a natural hunter and will go after anything from small rodents to huge mammals to fish in a pond!
The Phu Quoc is an intelligent dog although needs mental outlets in the form of training, puzzles and play sessions. Because of his exceptional athleticism and strong need for mental stimulation, he is actually a fairly versatile dog that is able to compete in many dog sports if desired! He learns quickly and tends to pick up obedience commands and general house rules with ease, in addition to being easily housebroken.
The Phu Quoc Ridgeback’s smooth coat comes in a variety of colors – namely fawn, black/tan, black or brindle. Countershading and/or a black mask is accepted on fawns and brindles. The head is wedge-shaped and exotic. Interestingly, the tongue may have black spots or be entirely black (which is actually preferred in the standard). The tail should look not unlike a saber, tapering at the tip and carried high while never arching over the back. As the smallest of all the ridgebacks, they never grow above a medium height/weight. Though their frame is muscular, they have a refined and graceful appearance overall.
Phu Quocs are easy keepers and don’t require much in terms of grooming. They keep themselves fairly clean and shed very little. They are overall quite healthy (despite their small numbers, as a breed they are surprisingly genetically diverse) and don’t require mountains of food. Finally, they are generally polite and easygoing in the home as long as they are given basic training and taught good manners. Separation anxiety isn’t common, nor are other neurotic behaviors – although digging may become an exciting pastime. This is all assuming that the dog lives in a suitable environment (no apartments please) and is given plenty of exercise.
Photo By Stefan from Dresden, Germany