Scratching your head and wondering what on earth a Hmong dog is? Trust us, you're not alone! Up until two years ago, this ancient breed that looks like a cross between a cat and a dog received very little attention, but all that changed in 2020 when an adorable Hmong dog named Dúi became a social media darling.
Hailing from Hanoi in Vietnam, Dúi started gaining a fan following after his parents Hai Anh and Tuan started sharing photos of him and his sweet antics on Reddit, and it wasn't long before his lovable nature and adorable smile was charming the pants off of just about everybody.
Described by his parents as a happy-go-lucky dog who loves playing with people and other pups, Hai Anh says the most common question she gets asked is whether Dúi has any feline genes in him. And while Dúi has been labelled a cat-dog hybrid by netizens, Hai Anh believes there's nothing to suggest that her beloved canine companion has any kitty in him.
“He is a mix of a native dog breed and a short-legged dog called Dingo,” she explains. “But I think he might have a gene mutation too making him look like some sort of corgi mix. I bought him in a mountain province in Vietnam.”
Still, that hasn't stopped animal lovers from around the world weighing in with their thoughts with one Reddit user saying: “It looks like the result of mixing a Corgi with a Maine Coon cat. Instant love.”
Keen to learn more about the Hmong dog? Then stick with us because below you'll find everything you need to know about this ancient breed, including how you can go about getting yourself one.
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What is a Hmong dog?
The Hmong dog is an ancient breed that first belonged to the Hmong tribe, an ethnic group living primarily in China and Southeast Asia, with the dog being particularly popular in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam.
Believed to have originated when a native dog was bred with a jungle wolf, the Hmong have served as hunting companions and are said to be the pride of the Hmong people.
Medium in size, the Hmong dog has a docked tail and has a naturally strong and muscular body with high levels of intelligence. Their squishy faces give them their cute appearance and they are known to have wonderfully loyal and friendly temperaments when properly socialized.
Because of their high levels of responsiveness to training, Hmong dogs are often used by the Vietnamese police as sniffing and detection dogs who patrol the country’s borders.
The Hmong dog is an active breed that loves climbing and hunting in the woods and mountains. When well looked after, Hmong dogs can live for up to 20 years.
How rare are Hmong dogs?
At the moment, the Hmong dog remains one of the rarest dog breeds in the world. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to find a Hmong dog outside of the Asian regions from where it hails, but if you do, owning a purebred will likely set you back upwards of $1,000.
