[1][2] This primitive dog breed is primarily used a hunter and guard dog by the Hmong people in northern Vietnam, especially in the Bắc Hà district and Si Ma Cai district of Lào Cai province.

[6] The Hmong people were subjected to persecution and genocide by the Qing dynasty in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and many fled to the mountains of northern Vietnam.

[5] According to Hmong legend, after arriving to Lào Cai, a dhole came down from the mountains and mated with the female dogs, producing puppies with red fur and especially wild and fierce temperaments.

An adult male dog is approximately 52–58 cm (20–23 in) tall at the shoulder and weighs about 22–28 kg (49–62 lb).

[4] Like other hunting and guarding breeds, the Bắc Hà is fiercely loyal and protective of their family members.