Sarabi dog - Persian Mastiff - Facts and Information

Appearance
On the first sight, it is obvious that this is a large dog with powerful, but also agile and athletic body. hese dogs just must be strong, because their main utilization is protecting the livestock from very dangerous predators and indeed the Sarabi Mastiff is very muscular dog with broad head, strong neck, powerful jaws, heavy boned legs, straight back and long thick tail. ​

The average height of the Sarabi dog is somewhere between 70-95 cm, which is 28-38 inch and weight is ideally between 60-90 kg, which is 130-200 pounds. The females are naturally slightly smaller than males.

The Persian Mastiff can be found in shorter, but quite dense double coat that is most often in one of these three colors – fawn, sable or black.

Temperament
As you might expect from a dog whose main purpose is guarding, the Sarabi dog is attentive, protective, independent, brave and courageous. And indeed, these dogs are just excellent protectors.

On the other hand, they are also quite loyal and faithful to its owners and they are relatively calm and controlled dogs. These dogs personality just have two sides, one is the alert and protective when they are around the strangers, the other is loving and loyal when they are with its owner and family.

Of course, this is not a dog for novices, because withou proper early training and socialization, these dogs might become overly protective, overly territorial and just unmanageable. The Sarabi Mastiff definitely needs an experienced owner who knows how to patiently, firmly and consistently raise and train a dog.

Another thing imporatnt to mention is their high stamina and energy level. These dogs are working dogs, which means they just love to have some kind of a job in their life. These dogs will definitely prefer to live in a home with big garden or yard, where they can naturally protect its territorry and exercise naturally. Of course, daily longer walks, playtime or training sessions are essential to fullfill the dogs mental and physical exercrise needs.

As i already mentioned, these dogs are very loyal to its owners and family and they truly love its family. They are knwon to be even quite patient and gentle with kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised.

History
The Sarabi dog hails from northern Iran, especially from the East Azerbaijan province, where they are used for protecting livestock and homes against extremely strong predators such as wolves, jackals or even bears for many many centuries. The Sarabi dog got its name from one of the Iranian counties, the Sarab county.
It is believed, that the Sarabi dog is one of the oldest indigenous dog breed in Iran. Because the history is so old, it is nearly impossible to track down the exact date of origin or ancestry of this dog. One theory suggest that they evolved from war dogs of ancient persia or from some other large Assyrian dogs.


Health and grooming
The short and dense coat does shed some deal, but the grooming needs are not big. Even without any grooming, the coat of Sarabi dog will stay in good condition. If you want to keep the coat in best possible condition and minimize the shedding, than regular brushing is beneficial. These dogs can keep themlselves relatively clean. Just like with any other breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

Another great fact is, that this is usually pretty healthy dog breed and they have quite long lifespan for a giant dog, which is typically between 12-15 years. Another good fact is, that these dogs stay active and healthy even when they are older. Of course, just like any other breed, even the Persian Mastiff may suffer from some health issues, which may include hip and elbow dysplasia or bloating, but none of those is extremely common in this breed.