Video: Vietnam’s ancient hunting dog breed revived
Until today, the Lai dog breed still possesses a handful of wild features of the wolf. There are still myths about the ferocity of Lai dog that still remain today
With the hobby of collecting Vietnam’s indigenous dog breeds, for many years, Tran Tuan Anh (born 1985 in Thach Thanh district, Thanh Hoa) has been, for a long time, searched for information, origin, and behavior of each local Vietnam dog breed. That’s why the rare Lai dog caught his attention.
“Lai is a breed with a more developed sense than a normal dog. This kind of dog has a very high connection with the owner, from which loyalty is built. They are partners that never betray their owners. Lai dog has a calm character. It reaches maturity at the age of 3”, Tuan Anh shared.
Photo: Dan Tri
Photo: Dan Tri
Photo: Dan Tri
“As told by folk, in ancient times, the Lai dog was highly worshiped by Dai Viet warriors. In fact, archaeological work has discovered many ancient tombs where bodies of the dead were buried with dogs in Da But, Vinh Loc, Thanh Hoa. The tomb also includes are many types of daggers, short battle axes, combs, drinking cups, arm rings, bronze drum,… all are cast or sculpted in the shape of a Lai dog”, Tuan Anh shared his self-learned understanding.
The Lai dog was once considered a symbol of loyalty that bringing luck, happiness, victory, and success to the owner. The weight of a mature female dog is about 15kg and the male is about 18-20kg. After giving birth for the first time, the female will reach a weight of about 17-18kg, which stays stable afterward. The male ones of over 1 year old are about 20-26kg.
Photo: Dan Tri
Photo: Dan Tri
Photo: Dan Tri
Typical features of the Lai dog include: triangular face, long pointed ears, red or amber slanted eyes. As a Vietnamese hunting dog, Lai loves the smell of dead animals and often use those smell to disguise itself. The dog has 2 layers of hair, an outside coarse layer to protect the body and an inside firm layer to keep the body warm.
With a passion of raising the Lai dog to protect a rare animal genetic source of the nation, Tuan Anh hopes that in the near future, this breed will receive deserving love from the community that loves and treasures Vietnamese indigenous dogs.
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