Lài
Also called Chó Lài, Chó Lài sông Mã, Lai dog
From Vietnam: the northern mountains, especially the highlands west of Thanh Hóa along the Mã River and remote villages near the northern border.1
At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
double coat, long or short
A long, broad-bodied dog with a triangular face, slanted amber or reddish eyes with dark rims, lance-shaped ears and a low-hanging tail. The double coat has a rough outer layer over a soft undercoat and comes in long and short versions. Its round feet are webbed and very flexible.1
Personality what they are like
A bright, quick-thinking and devoted dog that guards its family closely and keeps its distance from strangers.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A versatile working dog traditionally used for hunting, herding and guarding, so it thrives with an active life and a job to do.1
The story where it all began
The Lài is thought to descend from ancient dogs that reached Vietnam thousands of years ago, and dog motifs appear on Đông Sơn bronze drums and weapons. Tradition says Lê Lợi bred these dogs for hunting and war, and they helped his forces during the Lam Sơn uprising of 1418 to 1428. Today it is kept in rural mountain areas, where preserving pure lines is an ongoing effort.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- Vietnam Kennel Club
- Counted among Vietnam's four great native dogs, but the only one of the four not recognised by the Vietnamese kennel club.1
How many Only a few hundred remaining1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Lài. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 8every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Lài dog - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for all fields
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.