All Dog Breeds >>Tibetan Mastiff
The Tibetan Mastiff is intelligent, highly independent, self-confident, self-aware, curious, and courageous. This is an aloof and watchful guardian breed. He is highly protective of family and property, so it may be difficult to bring people into your home. This is important to consider if you have children. A TM might view your child's playmates' actions (screeching, running, waving their arms) as aggression. And they may not listen to you when you tell them that someone is not a threat, as they believe that they know more about the situation than you do.
This is a dominant and territorial breed and socialization from an early age is crucial. They often get along well with other animals when properly introduced, though they can display dominance over unfamiliar dogs, and aggression towards dogs of the same sex. Like most breeds, the TM does best with animals he is raised with. Because of the size, strength, and stubbornness of the Tibetan Mastiff, early obedience training is a good idea. Obedience training can be challenging with this breed, but they are trainable. Just don't expect to wallpaper your house with ribbons from obedience trials. The Tibetan Mastiff has been making his own decisions for thousands of years and will have his own agenda today. Luckily, they are easy to housetrain.
They are gentle and patient which respectful children, but when a TM has had enough play, he needs to be allowed to walk away from children, without being pursued. The Tibetan Mastiff will want to be part of the family and will bond closely with you, but is often reserved with his affections. These dogs mature slowly, and do not reach full maturity till they are 3-5 years old. They can be amazingly destructive, especially if bored, and they get bored easily. They have strong jaws and have eaten through doors and chain-link fences. They also love to dig.
They are active outside and need moderate levels of exercise. They do best with room to romp around in, but they need to be kept contained, as they will roam if not fenced in. (Some TM's can climb fences!) And they are not reliable on the recall! They bark, and have a loud, deep voice, which they often employ at night. Many Tibetan Mastiffs are difficult eaters and will go 4-5 days without eating. But if all this sounds like a fun challenge to you, then a Tibetan Mastiff makes a loyal companion who will certainly protect you and yours, though the mere sight of him will probably prevent him from ever having to.
Character
The Tibetan Mastiff is a calm family oriented breed. They want to protect their family and home, so they can be wary of strangers but will do fine with good socialization. The breed is intelligent and easy to train. Their owner needs to not be too harsh because that makes the Tibetan Mastiff disobedient. To live with another animal, they should be raised with them from puppyhood. Although devoted to their families, they can try to be dominant with their owners. They are usually calm in the house and are not big on playing games.
Weight
140-170 pounds
General Health
Tibetan Mastiffs have genetic inclinations for CHD (canine hip dysplasia), CIDN (canine inherited demyelinative neuropathy), and hypothyroidism. This breed is also prone to ear infections. The Tibetan Mastiff has a life expectancy of about 15 years.
History
The Tibetan Mastiff, like most Mastiffs, is believed to have originated from the Mollosian dogs of Tibet who traveled with Alexander the Great to Europe. As his dogs interacted with local breeds, the entire Mastiff group was born. The Tibetan version obviously came from Tibet and was relatively unknown while the country was closed to Westerners. In the 1800s, a Tibetan Mastiff was presented as a gift to Queen Victoria.Afterward, many were imported to England where the breed standard formed. They are now rare in Tibet but popular in England and the United Sates.
The Tibetan Mastiff is not a real mastiff, just as the Tibetan Terrier is not a terrier and the Tibetan Spaniel is not a spaniel. Those names were settled on the Tibetan dogs by early British explorers and have been causing confusion ever since. This breed is rare in the USA but is fairly common in Tibet. With in the past few years, breeders have been gathering this breed from the countryside and taking them to Lhasa and further east into China for commercial breeding.
Maintenance
The Tibetan Mastiff needs to be brushed often because their coat is so thick. They need special grooming during a four week period every spring or summer when they should be brushed every day. The dogs need exercise, so they should be walked once a day. However, they are prone to joint and bone problems which mean they should not do extremely vigorous exercise. If they are left outside often, they need a very secure fence because they will try to escape. Tibetan Mastiffs allowed to sleep outside can cause problems because they have been known to bark all night long. However, in the house they are usually quiet.
Ideal Environment
The Tibetan Mastiff is a sweet dog that is definitely not for all families. They love their owners and are great with children. However, they are very reserved with strangers, so they need a family with lots of time to socialize them with many people and animals. They are not good in apartments, because they need a yard with a tall fence that is hard to dig out of or they will escape. They need to be able to sleep in the house at night, or they will bark. Additionally, they need to be walked every day but the exercise cannot be too intense because their bones and joints are sensitive. Tibetan Mastiffs also need special care as puppies so they are not overworked.
Tibetan Mastiff Training
The Tibetan Mastiff is harder to train than most other dog breeds. He learns new commands more slowly than the majority of other breeds. You will need to be extra patient when Training him.