Phu Quoc Island is considered the birthplace of a rare breed of hunting dogs – ridgebacks. But for convenience, it is simply called the Fukuoka dog.
Outwardly, the sands stand out with a lean body on high legs, dim pleats on the forehead and a special strip of wool on the back, called ridge. In fact, there are many dogs in Fukuoka. It’s like in the same Greece, where the world domination captured the cat. Part of the local dogs, which mainly belong to the Ridgebek breed, is in free swimming, slowly moving along the streets. Others faithfully serve as guards, and at the same time as applicants in local food outlets. Visiting a street cafe, you will surely stumble upon a Vietnamese Sharik, faithfully looking into your eyes. But the most thoroughbred and purebred individuals live in a special place – the Fukuoka nursery, where they are engaged in their breeding.
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Dog nursery
There are several Ridgeback breeding facilities in Vietnam. Fukuoka nursery manages Mr. Le Quoc Tuan. Many years ago, after seeing local dogs, he was fascinated by their intelligence and courage. And after some time decided to create a place where everyone can get acquainted with the Fukuoka breed. The Belgian professor Du Thanh Khiem, who founded the movement for the preservation of rare Vietnamese animals, was also involved in this problem.
The dogs in the kennel live in separate well-kept enclosures. Here, in the sand, unpretentious mothers grow puppies. The nursery is open to all comers. The ticket costs 0.5 dollars. Feeding puppies comes for a fee.
In addition to the inspection of dog life, you can visit the local hippodrome and watch the races. It also accepts bets on the most liked athletes. The track for running is small, but it has various obstacles in the form of stones, ponds, horizontal slats. After the race, trainers demonstrate the skills of dogs. These are the simplest commands to “sit”, “to me”, “lie down” and more complex ones that require certain skills and mentality.
How to get to the dog kennel in Fukuoka
Canine kennel is located near Airport Jeongdong. If you take highway 47 to the west, to the capital of the island, then after the fork with road 46, you will turn right. The right place is indicated by a small sign. And although it is in Vietnamese, the drawn figure of the dog and the direction indicator will not allow passing by. A visit to the nursery is usually included in a tour of the island, but everyone can independently get to this place by bike or by ordering a taxi.
History of origin and date of the breed
It is believed that the Fukuoka dog appeared here more than 400 years ago. Faithful guards and hunters were isolated on the island, which helped preserve the purity of the breed. Vietnamese Ridgebacks came to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Two of them, Xoai and Chuoi, belonged to the Frenchman Gaston Heluin. The owner exhibited his pets at dog shows in Lille and Belgium, where the breed received a well-deserved assessment.
In 1897, the book of Englishman Henry de Bilandt was published with descriptions of 316 dog breeds available at that time. Vietnamese ridgebacks were also marked among the true friends of man. Breed with a comb then was the only one.
Today, there are three breeds of dogs with the “Mohawk”. This is already familiar to us Vietnamese dog from Fukuoka, Thai and Rhodesian (South African) ridgeback. For a long time there have been discussions about the genetic similarity of animals with Fukuoka and Tai: which of them was the ancestor of the breed. Some scientists agree that Thai dogs are older than their counterparts from Vietnam and they came to Phu Quoc with one of the travelers. The Vietnamese side is not satisfied with such an opinion. Local breeders consider their Phu Quoc Dog to be the main contenders for the championship, and animals from the neighboring country belong to the by-product of passionate canine natures that accidentally fell from the island to the mainland.
Thai and Rhodesian Ridgebacks are recognized as official breeds. The Fukuoka dog has not yet received such status. But the Vietnamese Dog Association (VKA) is already working in this direction. In 2009, the breed standard was restored, based on the description of Henry de Bilandt from 1897. At exhibitions in the country, local Phu Quoc Dog more than once won prizes. And in 2011, two dogs of this breed, although not officially recognized by the International Canine Federation, took part in the largest exhibition in Paris. Vietnamese dogs did not bring any medals or awards, but they announced themselves with loud barking. And he was clearly heard. Since 2017, the Fukuoka Ridgeback has been included in the reserve group of the federation.
About the name
For Russian dog lovers, ridgebacks are an exotic breed. It received its name from the word “ridge”, which in English means a ridge, a ridge. And indeed, the animal on the body has a plot where the hair grows in the opposite direction. It is clearly visible and may have a different shape in length, width, curls. A distinctly pronounced comb is present even in small puppies, which determines the breed. Dogs without such bright details are rejected and are not subject to planned breeding.
The nature of the Vietnamese ridgeback
The Fukuoka ridgeback is considered a hunting dog. Her distant ancestors had to survive in the wild, which affected the character of Phu Quoc Dog. And today Ridgebacks take pleasure in hunting with them. The obedient dog vividly pulls up the wounded trophies and hunts for itself on small rodents. “They run fast like squirrels and swim like otters,” as they say about these animals.
Adapted dogs and for protection. Despite the outwardly good-natured appearance, dogs are able to protect the property of the owner and himself from unwanted guests. And in the house will not need a cat. Ridgeback himself cope with rodents. It can be kept in the apartment.
Vietnamese Phu Quoc Dog has good health, endurance and unpretentiousness, swims and runs well, can overcome the barrier to 2.5 meters. Among other qualities – loyalty to their owners, loyalty to other people. There are cases when dogs, saving people, were the first to attack snakes and receive deadly bites. By their nature, local ridgebacks are good-natured and calm. Whether they are so influenced by the local hot climate, or they secretly profess Buddhism, finding harmony and tranquility.
The Fukuoka ridgeback is a well-trained breed. Dogs love to train, and teach them to perform some kind of command is a snap.
Appearance
The main difference between a Fukuoka dog is a hair comb on the back, going from the neck to the hind legs. The width of this peculiar track can be from 2 to 5 cm, height is up to 4 cm. The shape of the ridge also varies: in some individuals it resembles an arrow, in others it is a needle, a guitar, a sheet, and someone has rounded curly lines. In a state of excitement, the mohawk on its back straightens, giving the dog a brave and warlike look.
The breed standard of the Fukuoka Ridgeback has been set so far only within the country. The head of the dog is flat and wedge-shaped. On the forehead there are slightly pronounced wrinkles. The ears are straight and thin, the neck is large. A well-developed jaw has strong pointed canines. She does not have chewing teeth, therefore the animal tears off pieces from food and swallows them entirely. Phu Quoc Dog has a slim compact body with a slightly enlarged chest, a thin stomach. Hind legs slightly lower than the front. Adult height ranges from 45 to 55 cm, weight can reach 22 kg.
Dogs have good health and can easily endure difficulties. Some publications claim that the Fukuoka dogs have small membranes between their toes, which, together with their long, strong legs, made the animals good swimmers. In the water, they really feel calm and confident, but they cannot achieve fame of Ichthyander, membranes or membranes on the limbs have never been born. Another great quality of Vietnamese Balls is good jumping ability and agility. This can be observed in the nursery, when some curious handsome will begin to climb the fence or jump to a height of 2.5 meters.
Local dogs in food are picky and easily adapt to new feeds.
Color
The Fukuoka ridgeback traditionally had one of the main colors:
- the black;
- yellow;
- spotted;
- striped.
Over time, others appeared, for example, red. The most rare and purebred are dogs with black hair, eyes, paw pads and the same color spots on the tongue.
How to buy a Fukuoka dog
Puppies of related breeds of the Rhodesian and Thai Ridgebacks are expensive. For thoroughbred Kutenka have to pay almost 2 thousand dollars. Buy Fukuoka representative of this species on the island can be much cheaper. Here, in the kennel, you will be offered your favorite dog. It will remain to pay for vaccinations and a veterinary passport, to settle all the issues of moving across the border. For export will have to get a special permit. According to dog handlers, the problem may lie in the adaptation of animals to new conditions. Accustomed to living in rural Spartan conditions, dogs hardly get used to a different way of life and a colder climate.
Every year in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Hue Street hosts an exhibition of flowers. Along the entire length of the street, bright flowerbeds are arranged, which are decorated with figures of the zodiacal calendar. In honor of the Year of the Dog (2018), it was decided to choose the Fukuoka Ridgeback as a festive mascot. It seems that the time is not far off when Phu Quoc, smart dogs, will be listed on the official lists of the International Canine Federation.
