The Thai Bangkaew Dog is a breed of dog from Thailand.  A fairly recent breed, the origins of the dog dates back only 100 years.  Still unrecognized by any major kennel club, the Thai Bangkaew Dog is slowly growing popularity.
   
    Thai Bangkaew Dogs are medium sized and belong to the spitz family of dogs.  They stand between 17-21 inches and weigh between 35-46 pounds.  Like most spitz they have erect, triangular ears and have a curled tail that is carried along the back.  They have a double coat with longer hairs that form a ruff around their neck, which is more noticeable on males then females.  The Thai Bangkaew Dog is white with shades of red, gray, brown, or black in a variety of patterns.
  
     The origin of the Thai Bangkaew Dog is a village in the Phitsanulok Province called Bangkaew.  Near the village there is a monastery called Wat Bangkaew.  The legend says the abbot was given a native dog with long fur that was already pregnant with pups.  Some believe that the father of these dogs may have been either jackal or dhole, and the result was four females pups with long hair and black or brown in color.  These dogs mated with herding dogs in a neighboring village.  Seasonal raining created a natural barrier that excluded other dogs from adding to the gene pool.  Eventually these dogs were selectively bred to create the Thai Bangkaew Dog.
   
    Thai Bangkaew Dogs are natural watchdogs.  They are protective of their home and family, while aloof toward strangers.  This breed is highly active and prone to digging.  Although devoted to their masters and intelligent they can be difficult to train as they are a stubborn breed.  These dogs love to dig, and this is not something that they can be trained not to do.  Early socialization of the Thai Bangkaew Dog is recommended for other dogs and humans, they tend to be aggressive towards dogs of the same sex.