"Bangkaew" is a village located in the Bangrakam District, Phitsanulok Province, in the central region of Thailand. In this district, near the Yom River, there is a monastery named Wat Bangkaew. 100 years ago, the land was supported by a forest abundant in timber and inhabited by wild animals, including elephants, boars, wild chickens, jackals, and dholes (Asiatic wild dogs). It is believed that Wat Bangkaew is the place of origin of Thai Bangkaew Dogs.
As the story goes, the third Abbot of Wat Bangkaew Temple, long respected Luang Puh Maak Metharee, was known for mercy and care given to all things living. He kept a variety of animals, including bantam hens, doves, cats, and dogs.
He came to receive a native Thai bitch from an old Bang Kaew villager named Tah Nim. That bitch was large with long black hair. As she was pregnant, her mating may have been to a jackal or dhole; the resulting litter produced long-haired puppies of black and dark brown colouration.
During the time that Luang Puh Maak Metharee had raised four bitches from the litter, there were the migrations by the Song, a race of Thai people, into Huay Chan, a village located a little more than a mile away. These people used their dogs to herd the cattle they brought along on the journey to their new homes. After settling in Huay Chan, they began to interact with and establish trade with the people in Bangkaew village, and, of course, their dogs followed along.
Hence, the breeding between the bitches of Luang Puh Maak Metharee and the dogs of the newly arrived inhabitants took place. Residents of the houseboats along the Yom River took these dogs as their pets.
The bitches' seasons occurred at a time when most of the land in that area was flooded by the very heavy rains. Secluded by this naturally occurring barrier, other dogs were excluded from contributing to the gene pool. Thus, the inbreeding that took place in 1957 led to the creation of the Purebred Thai Bangkaew Dogs.
In 1983 it was found that the breed was nearing extinction. Dr Nisit Tangtrakarnpong, a veterinarian in Phitsanulok Province, along with a group of villagers in the Chum Saeng Song Karm community, formed a liaison that initiated the resurrection of the breed.
The conservation project, “Bang Kaew Khuen Thin" (Bang Kaew Goes Home) was Dr Nisit’s vision. He set out for the Breed’s home village of Bang Kaew. Unfortunately, he found that the inhabitants had no real interest in the mission. Undaunted by this finding, Chum Saeng Song Kream village was his next stop. Dr Nisit discovered a sizable number of purebred Bangkaew in residence. Villagers agreed to participate in a selective breeding program for the Thai Bangkaew.
It was with the cooperation of the village officials & the residents that Dr Nisit’s conservation project was realised. From then on, this charming, beautiful, clever, honest, and loyal breed has been selectively bred and has become one of the most favoured varieties of Thai dogs.
It remains a rare breed outside of Thailand.
Thai Bangkaew Dog FCI Group: 5 fully approved since 2022 at the World Dog Show in Madrid
(Section 5: Asian Spitz and Related Breeds) provisionally accepted in 2011
BREED HISTORY: