On Phu Quoc Island, stories of the loyalty, intelligence and hunting ability of the native dog abound.
The Phu Quoc Ridgeback has been a companion to island residents for many years, providing valuable assistance to the island’s hunters.
Named for the ridge of hair along their spine, Phu Quoc Ridgebacks are extremely agile. Their slim bodies, straight legs and webbed feet make them good at swimming, running and leaping.
They also have a strong hunting instinct.
Almost all of Phu Quoc’s earliest settlers kept one or two ridgebacks. The dogs were companions and valuable assistants on hunting trips.
Current island resident Bay had three ridgebacks but one, his most experienced hunter, died a few days ago.
The old dog, Xoay, was well known on Phu Quoc for his hunting prowess.
Bay received Xoay as a gift from his previous owner, who was embarrassed by the dog’s thieving skills. Xoay had been bringing food and money to the woman, a gardener, who was worried about what her neighbors would think.
Bay told Sai Gon Tiep Thi (Sai Gon Marketing) newspaper the dog didn’t need any training. When accompanying Bay to the local woods, Xoay instinctively brought his catches back to his new owner.
Reptiles were a favorite target for Xoay, who could hunt four or five a day.
The 15-kilogram black dog even defeated a wild boar double his weight by chasing it down and biting its throat for hours.
Bay said Xoay’s hunting and retrieving skills had helped him support his family.
Although Xoay is gone, his daughter, Muc, is still helping Bay’s family.
Muc, who inherited her father’s black coat, and Bay’s other dog, Ven, who has a striped coat like a tiger’s, regularly accompany Bay on expeditions for small reptiles known as cang cuoc (monitor lizards).
Cang cuoc resemble iguanas but are smaller in size, growing to a maximum of 5 kilograms.
As Bay prepares for a hunting trip, Muc and Ven leap around him in excitement.
Like all Phu Quoc Ridgebacks, the two dogs can swim very fast and chase down their quarry at great speed. And like her father, Muc is very swift when hunting cang cuoc.
Seconds after spotting a lizard in a nearby tree, Muc had leaped up and snatched the animal.
Local people also tell the story of Thai and his ridgeback, Dom.
Dom’s reputation as an excellent hunter was made when he brought down a 12 kilogram iguana. It was further enhanced two days later when he herded an 80 kilogram deer into a dead-end while on a hunting trip with his owner.
Phu Quoc Ridgeback are also well-known for their ability to protect local residents from ran ho may (giant poisonous cobras) that used to be plentiful on the island.
The cobras are said to grow as big as a coconut tree trunk and weigh about 30 to 40 kilograms.
Ut Thuan, head of island’s Suoi Cat Hamlet, was among the people that were saved by their dogs. On one of his trip to the mountains, Thuan was chased a giant cobra.
Normally, Phu Quoc Ridgeback run away when they sense a cobra but Thuan’s three dogs rushed to protect their owner.
Two of the dogs died in the reptile-canine battle and Thuan swore he would never eat dog meat again.
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