Tibetan Mastiff - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The history and origin of Tibetan Mastiff is surrounded by mystery. It is certainly very old, ancient dog breed, that evolved in the vast area of the high Himalayan Mountains and the plains of Central Asia, where it was traditionally used as a guardian of the nomad herders and the guardian of Tibetan monasteries. We do not know what are the ancestors of Tibetan Mastiffs or when they were developed. Some people even believe, that it is one of the oldest dogs in the world and that they are the basic stock from which most modern large working breeds have been developed. For a long time the breed lived in isolation of the high Tibetan mountains, but it was known to the outside world for centuries and we have descriptions of Tibetan Mastiffs by many famous people such as Marco Polo, but it was not until the 19th century, when the first specimen were imported to Europe.

2) Types
It is important to say, that there is not only one type of Tibetan Mastiff. Over the time these dogs spread across vast area with different climate, elevations and traditions, which is why two purebred Tibetan Mastiffs can look pretty differently. These dogs lived in central Tibet, in Northern Mongolia, Nepal or Western Xianjing, all very different regions. And you can clearly see some differences in the fur, as some dogs have very dense and long mane around their neck, while some Tibetan Mastiffs do not have this famous mane. Sometimes these types are called as lion type and tiger type. In the last few decades a new type of Tibetan Mastiff was created, a so called Chinese Tibetan Mastiff, which is often times viewed as less valuable than the original Tibetan Mastiff. It is due to the fact, that there are suspiciouns about purity of the Chinese Mastiffs, because it is believed that they are often times crossed with other breeds, such as Newfoundland or Chow Chow.

3) Utilization
No matter which type, or variety the Tibetan Mastiff is, it should always be naturally good guardian. This is a hard worker with fearless, courageous, brave, territorial and naturally protective temperament. They were specifically bred for this purpose for centuries, so its no wonder that they excell at it. They are especially known to be extremely good nocturnal sentry, keeping predators and intruders at bay, and barking at suspicious sounds throughout the night.

4) Chained dog
The name Tibetan Mastiff is self explaining. It is a large, mastiff type of a dog from Tibetan region, even though i think they would be better fit for mountain dog category than mastiff dog category. The original tibetan name for these dogs is Do Khyi, which literally means chained dog, or dog to tie. It is probably because these dogs used to be chained during the day and let loose at night to guard the property.

5) Adaptable breed
The Tibetan Mastiff is extremely adaptable breed. It can live indoors, but they will without any problems stay all day and all night outdoors. They can also withstand low temperatures without any problems. In the place where the breed was developed, the Tibetan plateau, temperatures normally fall deeply bellow 0°C and the dogs have no problems with it. On the other hand, this region is also known for pretty hot summers, so the dog can adapt to warmer weather as well. But they should always have access to water all day long and they should have some shady spot where they can hide from the sun. Overall, this is truly extremely adaptable dog breed.
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6) Living with
Even though quite intimidating, the Tibetan Mastiff is actually pretty sensitive dog breed, that can read our emotions and is attuned to the emotions. They do not like harsh handling and even conflicts between family members. It is definitely extremely loyal dog breed that would protect its family. They are wary of strangers and it can take a while before they accept a complete stranger as a friend. These dogs also do not have high prey drive, so they can live with other pets in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. These dogs are also very good partners for kids, as they create strong natural bond with them and they consider them as those who need a greater protection. But of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised.

7) Size
Many people are fascinated by the strong body and large size of the Tibetan Mastiff, but it is important to say, that these dogs should not be oversized. The standard say, that the average height for females is 61 cm and for males 66 cm, which is 24 or 26 inch. Today, we can see much larger dogs, especially those from the Chinese bloodline. Those dogs are bred to be overly massive, but it is also causing many health issues such as hip dysplasia. Original Tibetan Mastiff should be large and strong, but also athletic and agile. The size should not be a problem for its utilization → guarding. Overally massive dogs would paradoxically not be as good guardians as classically large Tibetan Mastiffs. The weight is not mentioned in the breed standard, but it is typically somewhere between 40-60 kg, which is 88-133 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.

8) Coat
As i already mentioned before, these dogs can withstand cold temperatures without any problems. The main reason is their extremely dense and thick doublecoat. The doublecoat consists of very thick and wooly undercoat and coarse guard hair. The coat should not be wavy or curly. Some individuals have visible thick mane around the neck and shoulders. The coat is normally also thicker at the tail and upper thighs. The coat comes in variety of colors and color combinations. Most commonly you can find Tibetan Mastiffs in black, black and tan, blue-gray, blue-gray and tan, brown, brown and tan, red-gold, red-gold-sable, cream, and cream-sable with white markings.

9) Maintenance
The Tibetan Mastiff sheds some deal of fur all year long. Depending on the region and climate, they may, or may not shed seasonally. To keep the coat in best possible condition and to minimize the shedding it is recommended to brush Tibetan Mastiff regularly. During the shedding season even daily. Not only that regular brushing will remove any dirt and loose hair from the coat, it will also redistribute natural oils all over it and it will keep the coat mat and tangle free. Just like with any other dog breed, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
The health and lifespan of Tibetan Mastiff really depends on the breed line. Some original Tibetan Mastiffs are very healthy dogs that can have average lifespan even around 14 years. On the other hand, for example the Chinese Mastiff can suffer from many serious health issues and the lifespan would be around 9 or 10 years. Just like every single breed, even the Tibetan Mastiff can suffer from some serious health issues, such as hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, entropion, allergies, Cushings disease or cataracts. Especially the hypothyroidism is fairly common in this breed. But overall, the Tibetan Mastiff is rather healthy and hardy breed, especially for a giant dog.