The Thai Bangkaew Dog (TBD) or simply Bangkaew is a Spitz type working dog that originated in the Bangkaew, a small village located in the Bang Rakam District, Phitsanulok Province in the Tha Nang Ngam area in central Thailand. Local folk tale says the breed actually traces its ancestry more than 100 years ago in a monastery called Wat Bangkaew near the Yom River. Third abbot of this monastery, Luang Poo Mak Metharee, was a true admirer of nature known for giving care to various animals. One day an old Bangkaew villager called Tah Nim granted him a native black and white female dog, which was pregnant at the time. However, since there were no other male dogs in that area, they believed her mating was either a Dhole (Cuon alpinus) or a Golden jackal (Canis aureus) – both of these wild predators inhabit forests surrounding this monastery. Latest chromosome study of the TBD confirmed the breed indeed being a cross between a jackal and a domestic dog. This native Thai bitch of Luang Poo Mak Metharee produced the litter of longhaired, black and dark brown puppies. Those were the first Thai Bangkaew Dogs, which soon afterwards became very popular and prized among locals. Continue Reading →