Tibetan Mastiff Puppies Blog

Tibetan Mastiffs are an ancient breed of large domesticated dogs. They originated from Central Asia and are bred to be excellent guardians. For this reason, they are priced at around US$1500 to US$3500. So with this high price for a dog, what are things to be considered before purchasing it?

Family

As mentioned earlier, Tibetan Mastiffs are guardian dogs. They have tendencies of bonding with their owners but with reserved affection. It is difficult introducing other people to the dog as they are dominant and territorial. They are gentle and patient with children but actions such as screaming and running are easily mistaken as aggression by the dog.

Exercise/Activity

Tibetan Mastiffs require moderate level of exercise and are active outside the house. They love to dig and roam if left unsupervised. These dogs have affinity to chewing with their strong jaws especially when bored that may cause damage to property.

Trainability

Obedience training is a challenge for this breed compared to most dog breeds. Extra patience is needed because Tibetan Mastiffs learns commands slowly. This may be attributed to the fact that their instinct is centered on guarding more than anything else. They are, however, very easy to house train.

Socialization

Mingling with other dogs should be introduced in an early age, as they are aggressive to other dogs if they are not exposed during this time. They do, however, get along with other animals if introduced properly. They may exhibit signs of dominance and aggression over other pets.

Size

The Tibetan Mastiff is large in size and may occupy a lot of space in your home. They require a lot of room to romp.

Grooming

This guardian dog unfortunately sheds heavy amounts of hair. They do not require meticulous care for their coat but regular brushing is recommended to get rid of loose hair.

I would say yes, the Tibetan Mastiff is the best breed for you if you would like to have a strong willed, affectionate and very clever dog. Moreover this breed is also loyal and can become an excellent guardian of the family. Because of their strong, guardian instincts it is not recommended to leave them alone with smaller children, although they like kids. The breed likes other dogs around them as well, but be careful not to have smaller pets together with this powerful dog. They need a large yard and daily playing sessions to prevent them from getting bored and destructive. The Tibetan Mastiff is not suitable for novice dog owners because they are highly dominant.

The coat of the Tibetan Mastiff is a coarse, long and thick double coat that must be brushed regularly, at least weekly to protect the coat from matting. These dogs are seasonal shedders, at that time daily brushing is required. The breed is prone to health issues like hip dysplasia, epilepsy, allergies or cataracts.

Training the Tibetan Mastiff is somewhat hard, as the dog is very dominant and tends to be stubborn if the trainer is not good enough. They require consistency, firmness and patience during the training. When bored, they can become destructive at home, so early socialization and obedience training is recommended.

All in all, the Tibetan Mastiff is good for smaller families who will be able to provide enough love, exercise and variety to these dogs to keep them happy and content.

I hope this short article will be able to help you decide whether the Tibetan Mastiff is the right breed for you.

When seeing a Tibetan Mastiff pounce into action when defending its flock, one may conclude that the dog has developed a bond between the livestock under its watch. Sound very heroic. But the truth is that the Tibetan Mastiff guards the livestock because they belong to their owner. There isn’t much bonding that goes around.

The livestock would also need to be in a fenced area for the instinct of this breed is to be more of a property guardian and less of a livestock one.  These dogs would rather spend their time laying down on the porch or patio and even the couch as it would simply respond to any intrusion or threats as it comes in the restricted area. So you expect these dogs to be ever so watchful and staying on guard as the livestock sleeps, then guess again. But if its property you need guarded, then these dogs are perfect.

The Tibetan Mastiff is an ancient breed native to Tibet. They were bred with the primal instinct to survive the freezing cold in the mountains. Being humungous in size, it would take a whole lot of food to sustain their nutritional needs. The Tibetan Mastiff goes by several names. One name is the “Do-khyi” which translates to “tied dog”. This refers to the breed that is placed on guard duty to protect the home from intruders.

They are not necessarily “tied” or leashed but are let loose to roam the grounds in the evenings. In Nepali they are called “Bhote Kukur” and in Madarin, “Zang ‘Ao”. Both are direct translations of Tibetan Mastiff. Known as the “Bankhar” in Mongolia, they are prized for their ferocious guard dog abilities. There is also the name “Tsang-khyi” meaning that the particular breed is from Tsang. This breed is considered to be the true Tibetan Mastiff.

This dog is not for everyone. You may appreciate its teddy-bear appearance, but that holds little ground for you being the best possible owner of this independent breed. Yes, that’s right. Although a Tibetan Mastiff is considered to be calm and thoughtful, he is reserved towards strangers, and can be both stubborn and of its own mind. It is also domi?nant and self-confident. It comes naturally to a Mastiff to guard its family and the property. Therefore it is not surprising that its dignified nature holds a very loyal character for its family. When it comes to social behavior, the Tibetan Mastiff is quite good with children but he will be very aloof with strangers. If it has gained confidence in contact with other animals when young, it will accept them. Contact with other dogs is also usually hassle-free.

The latent aggressiveness has been taken out of this breed in the Western world. The few individuals that remain in Tibet are ferocious and aggressive, unpredictable in their behavior, and very difficult to train. But the dogs bred by the English are obedient and attached to their masters. Like all flock guardian breeds, the Tibetan Mastiff is also intelligent and stubborn to a fault. Therefore, obedience classes are recommended since this is a strong-willed, powerful breed with great size potential. Socialization is critical with this breed because of their reserved nature with strangers as well as their guarding instincts.