Vietnamese dogs have their own characteristics, unlike any others in the world. 4 Vietnamese dog breeds that today's article introduces are in the list of "four great national dogs". So what are they? What are their characteristics?
1. Lai dog
The Lai Dog (Indochina Dingo) is one of the most famous Vietnamese dogs. Currently, experts and dog lovers still debate a lot about the origin of the Lai dog. Meanwhile, the Hmong people (an ethnic minority of Vietnam) believe that it is a hybrid between a wolf and a Vietnamese dog.
The characteristic of the Lai dog is that the height ranges from 43 to 66cm, usually the male will be taller than the female dog. The average weight is from 24 to 34 kg, some can weigh up to 40 kg. If it is a purebred Indochinese dingo, its 4 legs are like wearing white socks. The legs are short but very tough, almost like a horizontal rectangle. The ears are not very big but not small either, always standing upright.
Fur color is usually black and particularly water-proof. The Lai Dog is one of the most intelligent and brave Vietnamese dog breeds, just like their wolf ancestors. They are very good at hunting and looking for prey. Therefore, they are often raised by mountainous ethnic people to hunt and keep house. The Indochinese Dingo is not only strong but also very loyal. They are ready to fight with many wild animals such as tigers, leopards, centipedes, even poisonous snakes.
2. H'mong bobbed tailed dog
Besides the Lai dog, the H'mong with the bobbed tail is also one of the four precious Vietnamese dog breeds. With physical strength and agility, the H'mong bobbed tail dog is being sought by many Vietnamese dog lovers.
This can be considered as the oldest and most skillful hunting Vietnamese dog. People in the Northwest have long raised them to serve hunting. The dog has a medium size, almost similar in appearance to the typical Vietnamese dog breeds today. Their heads are quite large and have strong muscles. Most Lai dogs don't have a tail, or if they do, it's very short. That's why people call them "Hmong with bobbed tails".
Because it is a hunting dog, the H'mong has very strong and sharp fangs. Their teeth are quite similar to tiger’s teeth. Therefore, it is possible to easily take down even opponents that are many times larger than them.
In addition, the ears of the short-tailed Hmong are usually triangular in shape and are always erect. Their hind legs are extremely strong and are always in a ready position.
3 - Bac Ha dog
Bac Ha dog is also known by local folks as Xom dog. They are raised the most by the Mong people in Bac Ha, Lao Cai. Bac Ha dogs are effective assistants in every forest trip of the people in the Northwest mountains. Bac Ha dog has a medium size. At first glance, they are quite similar to the Tibetan Chow Chow breed. The fur color of these dogs is also quite diverse. The most popular colors are black, white, cream yellow, gray, etc. There are those possessing an extremely rare reddish color. In addition, their fur is very thick, the hair on the nape resembles a lion's mane.
The tail of the Bac Ha jasmine dog looks like a squirrel's tail or a reed. The tail can be curled or hung over the hind legs. Bac Ha dog is one of the four Vietnamese dog breeds that are extremely agile, very smart and loyal. With an amazing speed. They can move at high speed on even mountainous terrain
4. Phu Quoc Dog
There was a document mentioning that the Phu Quoc dog is a descendant of the French ridgeback dog. According to this theory, the French brought their dog to Phu Quoc island. After that, some of them were lost and turned into wild dogs. The most recognizable appearance feature in the Phu Quoc dog is the ridges extending from the shoulder to the hip. As they hunt these ridges will erect. In addition, the legs of this breed have a membrane similar to that of a duck. That's why when they swim they look like otters.
Phu Quoc dogs are very gentle in nature, easy to approach and very loyal. They have many outstanding abilities such as swimming, moving at high speed, hunting,... A special thing about them is that they can dig their own burrows when giving birth. Today, although they have been domesticated, the habit of giving birth in burrows is still their hard-to-give-up hobby.
With intelligence, courage, loyalty and docility, Phu Quoc dogs is not only loved in Vietnam. Even foreign guests do not mind traveling long distances to find and buy Phu Quoc dogs.
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