From "Too Much Dog" to History Maker: The Incredible Journey of Gemma the Phu Quoc Ridgeback Dog

Sometimes all a dog needs is someone willing to believe in them.

For Gemma, a 6-year-old Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgeback, that belief changed everything.

Today, Gemma stands as one of the most accomplished Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgebacks competing in the United States. She has earned an extraordinary collection of AKC and UKC performance titles, accumulated countless qualifying runs, won Judge's Choice awards, and become one of the greatest ambassadors our rare Vietnamese breed has ever known.

Yet her story did not begin in the winner's circle. It began with disappointment.

Gemma was originally placed into what everyone hoped would be her forever home. But by just seven months of age, she was surrendered back to her breeder.

She wasn't aggressive. She wasn't unsafe. She wasn't untrainable. She was simply too much dog.

Like many young Phu Quoc Ridgebacks, Gemma possessed tremendous drive, boundless energy, exceptional intelligence, and an eagerness to work. Without an outlet for those instincts, she became overwhelming for an owner who simply was not prepared to invest the time and training required to unlock her potential.

Sadly, this is a story we hear all too often. High-drive dogs are frequently misunderstood, when in reality they are simply waiting for someone to channel their remarkable abilities.

Fortunately for Gemma, that someone came along. She found her forever home with Melissa Boschwitz, a Texas law enforcement officer whose appreciation for working dogs perfectly matched Gemma's desire to learn. Rather than seeing a difficult dog, Melissa saw limitless potential. She recognized the brilliance hidden beneath the boundless energy and committed herself to helping Gemma become everything she was capable of being.

Gemma's adoption day: July 11, 2020

Together, they have accomplished something truly extraordinary. As the first Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgebacks registered with the United Kennel Club (UKC), Gemma has helped introduce this ancient island breed to judges, exhibitors, and competitors throughout the United States. Every trial became an opportunity to showcase a breed that many people had never seen before. Instead of simply representing the Phu Quoc Ridgeback, Gemma began changing perceptions.

Weekend after weekend, she demonstrated that this rare Vietnamese breed possesses the intelligence, athleticism, versatility, and work ethic to excel alongside the finest sporting and working dogs in the country.

American Kennel Club (AKC)

Gemma's accomplishments in AKC performance events are nothing short of remarkable. Her current titles include:

• RA – Rally Advanced

• AXP – Agility Excellent Preferred

• DCAT – Fast CAT

• SWA – Scent Work Advanced

• SIE – Scent Work Interior Excellent

• SBE – Scent Work Buried Excellent

• SCE – Scent Work Container Excellent

• CGCA – Advanced Canine Good Citizen

• CGCU – Urban Canine Good Citizen

• TKA – Trick Dog Advanced

Gemma continues to excel in AKC Scent Work, having earned Excellent titles in Interior, Container, and Buried. She is now just one Excellent qualifying score away from completing the requirements to compete fully in the Master class, an accomplishment that reflects years of dedicated training, precision, and teamwork.

Her Agility Excellent Preferred (AXP) title further highlights the athleticism and versatility that make the Phu Quoc Ridgeback such an exceptional working breed.

United Kennel Club (UKC)

Gemma has also compiled an impressive UKC résumé, earning titles that include:

• DASH – Drag and Sprint Hunter

• URO1 – United Rally Obedience Level 1

• NS – Nosework Superior

• MC – Master Containers

• MI – Master Interiors (earned and awaiting official posting in the UKC records)

Beyond performance sports, Gemma has also enjoyed success in International Canine Kennel Club (ICKC) conformation competition, earning multiple Winner and Reserve Winner placements. Although those wins were not converted into official titles, they demonstrate that Gemma possesses not only the drive and intelligence to excel in performance events, but also the structure and breed type to compete successfully in the conformation ring.

Looking through Gemma's photographs tells an incredible story:

Tables covered with colorful ribbons.

Purple championship rosettes.

Blue first-place ribbons.

Judge's Choice medals.

Qualifying ribbons earned one run at a time.

Every weekend seems to bring another impressive haul of awards, each one representing another milestone in Gemma's remarkable journey. One particularly proud moment came when one of Gemma's scent work videos was selected to be featured on the United Kennel Club's media page, introducing even more people to the extraordinary abilities of the Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgeback. But perhaps Gemma's greatest accomplishment cannot be found on a certificate or ribbon. It is found in the lesson she teaches.

The same puppy who was surrendered because she had "too much energy" has become living proof that drive is not a flaw—it is a gift when placed in the right hands. Her story reminds us that many high-drive dogs are not "problem dogs." They simply need purpose, structure, patience, and an owner willing to embrace what makes them special.

Melissa didn't change who Gemma was. She simply gave Gemma the opportunity to become who she had always been capable of becoming. Every title, every qualifying score, every ribbon, and every medal tells the story of a partnership built on trust, patience, consistency, and mutual respect.

The Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgeback community also owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Melissa Boschwitz. Through her dedication, sportsmanship, and willingness to showcase Gemma across multiple venues, she has introduced countless judges, exhibitors, and spectators to a breed many had never encountered before. Her commitment has helped elevate the reputation of the Phu Quoc Ridgeback throughout the dog sport community.

But for all of her accomplishments, Gemma has never forgotten how to simply be a dog.

When she isn't busy dazzling judges, collecting ribbons, and winning the hearts of everyone she meets at competitions, Gemma enjoys one of her favorite pastimes—taking luxurious mud baths to beat the Texas heat. While most of us might cringe at the thought, Gemma happily transforms herself into a muddy masterpiece before proudly showing off her latest "spa treatment." It's a reminder that beneath the titles, medals, and championship rosettes is still the same fun-loving, spirited Quocadile who embraces life with enthusiasm and keeps everyone around her smiling. That playful personality is part of what makes Gemma so special. She is proof that a world-class performance dog can also be goofy, joyful, and unapologetically herself.

Every ribbon in these photographs represents something far greater than a placement.

It represents another judge who witnessed the intelligence of a Phu Quoc Ridgeback.

Another competitor who discovered the breed's incredible versatility. Another spectator who walked away with a newfound appreciation for one of the world's rarest dogs.

For those of us dedicated to preserving this remarkable breed, Gemma represents something even greater than competition success: She represents possibility.

She has helped rewrite expectations for the Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgeback, proving that these remarkable dogs can excel in Rally, Agility, Fast CAT, Nose Work, Trick Dog, Canine Good Citizen, and countless other performance sports while remaining wonderful companions.

From an owner surrender at just seven months old to one of the most accomplished Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgebacks in North America. That is the power of a second chance.

That is the power of patience. That is the power of partnership. And that is the power of believing in a dog when others have given up.

Congratulations, Gemma and Melissa.

Thank you for inspiring our community, for proudly representing the Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgeback across multiple organizations and venues, and for showing the world exactly what this extraordinary breed is capable of achieving. Your legacy is already woven into the history of the Vietnamese Phu Quoc Ridgeback, and we know the best chapters are still to come.