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Tibetan Mastiff

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1. General Description of the Tibetan Mastiff

   The Tibetan Mastiff is a large, heavily built dog whose bearing should convey seriousness, strength and power. The head is heavy and broad with some wrinkling, a strong stop, and high set v-shaped ears. The eyes are almond shaped, brown, and convey a look of intelligence, nobility, alertness and aloofness. The muzzle is square and broad, and houses strong teeth that meet in a scissors bite. The neck is powerful and covered with a heavy, upstanding mane. The chest is deep and the back muscular; the tail is set high, well feathered, and curls over the back. The Tibetan Mastiff has large, cat feet, with a single dewclaw on the front feet and single or double dewclaws on the rear feet. The dog has a double coat, with the outer coat made up of coarse, thick hair and the undercoat being heavy and soft. Coloring is either black, blue, gray or brown, often with tan markings and shades of gold throughout. The Tibetan Mastiff often has white markings on the chest and feet.

2. Tibetan Mastiff Temperament

   The Tibetan Mastiff has a particular way of being powerful and intimidating, yet kind and gentle. These dogs have served as night watchmen and protectors since time immemorial, and this work has left a permanent stamp on their personality. The Tibetan Mastiff is territorial, independent and observant, regarding strangers with wary aloofness and always on the lookout for threats to its family. Socialization of a Tibetan must begin as early as possible, as this giant breed is capable of inflicting much damage if it is not taught to behave harmoniously with people. That being said, the Tibetan Mastiff can hardly be described as a killer, and many find the dog to be exceptionally calm and gentle, especially with children. The Tibetan Mastiff is content to be the constant guardian of its family, and is adept at discerning real danger from false alarms; in the absence of a threat to its people, this dog is a real sweetheart.

3. Caring for a Tibetan Mastiff

   The Tibetan Mastiff tends to be fairly laid back and inactive around the house. This dog does not require the same strenuous exercise that others in the Working Group do, and does well with a long walk every day. Keep in mind that a Tibetan Mastiff’s daily walk is as much for its mental as its physical well being; these dogs become extremely unhappy and even destructive when confined for too long. The Tibetan Mastiff’s thick coat needs brushing twice a week during most of the year; during the dog’s seasonal shedding, extra attention to the coat is needed. The dog does very well in cold climates and moderately well in warm, dry climates – it detests humidity. Regardless of the climate, however, the dog should not be made to live outdoors, as this breed thrives on the love and attention of its family. The Tibetan Mastiff has been largely spared from careless breeding on the part of humans, and the breed is very healthy: occasionally one will see canine hip dysplasia, entropion and hypothyroidism in the breed.

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We include the following list of misspellings so our internal search tools can send you to the right place. People often misspell Tibetan Mastiff as Tibeten Mastiff, Tibetan Mastif, or Tebetan Mastiff.