Barkarian Kennels

Thai Bangkaew Dogs

The Breed

Thai Bangkaew Dogs

A glimpse at the TBD

 

The Thai Bangkaew Dog is an agile, and sturdy spitz type breed. It is moderate in size & has a double coat that is medium in length. The undercoat is soft and dense.   The outer coat is longer and straight. The guard coat forms a ruff around the neck, shoulders and down the back.  The ears & front legs are often fringed, contributing to the appearance of a “lion’s mane”.  The coat may be solid or patterned and it varies in color including white with shades of red, tan, black, brown, or gray.  The Thai Bangkaew coat requires minimal care and does not require frequent bathing. 

An alert watchdog, hunter, and companion to the people of Thailand, the TBD is devoted & affectionate with the family. The TBD may be independent & can be aloof with strangers. The breed has a highly developed sense of hearing and is skilled in digging.  TBD have an affection for water and enjoy swimming. Perhaps, reminiscent of their dhole ancestry, TBD love to vocalize by howling.  As with every breed, the TBD is not for everyone. They are best suited to homes with previous experience in dog ownership. They are very intelligent, but, do require training and socialization. They respond best to positive methods of obedience instruction.

 

 

Life Expectancy: About 12-16 years

Group Designations: Non-Sporting & Rare Breed

Recognized & Accepted for Exhibition by: AKU, KCTH, TBDCA, NCA, UCI/IABCA

 

 

The Thai Bangkaew Dog  was developed over 100 years ago and bears the name of  the village in which it originated. Bangkaew (Crystal Village) is located in the Bangrakam District, Phitsanulok Province, it is situated in the central region of Thailand, near the Yom River. At the time, this area supported the dense forest and thick scrub jungle that was once inhabited by various animals including the Asiatic Wild Dogs (Cuon alpinus) known as dholes.

The Third Abbot of Wat Bangkaew Temple was the merciful Lŭang Poo Mak Metharee an old renowned monk. The animals he took into his care were diverse and numerous. As such, an aged Bangkaew villager named Tah Nim gave Mak Metharee a native Thai bitch.  She was soon to whelp a litter, thought to have been sired by a dhole, the resulting litter consisted of well furred puppies in shades of black and brown.

In the following years there were the migrations by a race of Thai people, the Song, into Huay Chan village. This near by settlement was located a little more than a mile away. The Song brought cattle, herded by their dogs, along the journey to their new homes. The Huay Chan settlers began to interact and establish trade with the inhabitants of Bangkaew village, and of course, their dogs would follow along on visits.  Subsequently, the mating of the bitches belonging to Lŭang Poo Mak Metharee and the dogs of the Huay Chan villagers took place.

 

The local residents of the Yom River houseboats often kept these dogs as their pets. The bitches' heats occurred during the winter months, September through February, when the land was flooded by the very heavy seasonal rains. In this, the dogs secluded by this natural occurring barrier, mated. Other dogs, outside the region, were excluded from contributing to the gene pool. Thus the line breedings that took place produced the foundation stock of the Purebred Thai Bangkaew Dog.

 

In 1983 it was found that the breed was nearing extinction due to crossbreeding.  Dr Nisit Tangtrakarnpong, a veterinarian in Phitsanulok Province, along with a group of villagers in the Chum Saeng Song Karm community formed a liaison that initiated the resurrection of the breed.

 

The conservation project, “Bang Kaew Khuen Thin" (Bang Kaew Goes Home) was Dr Nisit’s vision. He set out for the Breed’s home village of Bang Kaew. Unfortunately, he found that the inhabitants had no real interest in the mission. Undaunted by this finding, Chum Saeng Song Kream village was his next stop. Dr. Nisit discovered a sizable number of purebred Bangkaew in residence. Villagers agreed to participate in a selective breeding program for the Thai Bangkaew.  It was with the cooperation of the village officials & the residents that Dr. Nisit’s conservation project was realized.

 

Through the concerted efforts of those involved we see the results of the project in the dogs we know today.  The TBD is a beautiful, clever, and hardy breed. The pride of Phitsanulok Province has earned the well deserved spot as the most favored variety of Thai dog.

 

 

                                             © 2004-2006 Jill Kennedy Wolens

 

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Asiatic Wild Dogs (Cuon alpinus)

 Figure of Lŭang Poo Mak Metharee. Note the TBD depicted on the mural in background.  Photo Courtesy Bangkaew.Community

Shrine at Wat Bangkaew Temple.  Photo Courtesy Bangkaew.Community

Thai Bangkaew History in Brief