An Introduction To Tibetan Mastiffs
The Tibetan mastiff is a large heavy coated breed which has lived on and around the Himalayan plateau for many centuries, and remains largely unchanged to this day.
They were almost unknown in the west until the early 19th century, when they were considered a curiosity, one even being kept at the London zoo.
Since the 1980s, interest has grown, but Tibetan mastiffs are still numbered in hundreds rather than thousands in western European countries, including the uk. The breed has been championed here by the Tibetan Mastiff Club of Great Britain, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2007.
Potential owners of Tibetan mastiffs have to consider carefully if this is the breed for them, as they have very independent natures, are self reliant, and lack the average dogs need for your constant approval and attention.. They will love you, but never worship you. Their affection will extend to your family and close friends, but strangers will be viewed with caution at a distance, some never allowing people they don?t know to approach or touch them. Children are usually allowed automatic family status, and TMs will show great patience with them, but your dogs decision that he?s had enough will be shown by his walking away, which he must be allowed to do.
This is a guarding breed, but will generally alert you to danger with their loud barking rather then actually tackling an intruder.
Barking can be a real issue, and many feel that the time to guard is during the night, when any untoward sound can set them off.
Some TMs are veritable 'Houdinis', so a well fenced garden is a must, particularly as many will wish to spend most, if not all their time outside. My boy Kai slept outside from the moment he arrived at 8 weeks. Having a dog door enabled him to come and go from the house as he wished, and he would take himself outside as I went to bed, and he would curl up under the stars. Only the heaviest of rain showers would penetrate his thick coat and make him come indoors again, snow didn't bother him at all.
The tibetan mastiff as a youngster, will not take well to being left for long periods, although as a part of an extended canine family, this is less of a problem, than one left alone.
Damage done due to boredom can be considerable, as they have very powerful jaws, and will find a way to reach all but the very highest surfaces to find a new 'toy'.
Obedience is not high on a TMs agenda, although a good level of co-operation can be achieved if the puppy is taken to training classes, which I would strongly advise. Don't expect to be top of the class though, as your puppy will not see any point in the process, feeling that doing what you want, rather than what he wants is a very stupid concept. Imagine a blend of cat and adolescent human wrapped up in a large hairy dog suit, and you have a young tibetan mastiff.
If you wait for your puppy to mature at 2-3 years for bitches, and 3-4 years for dogs, you will find that you have a calm, affectionate wonderful friend, who will be there as companion and protector, for anything up to 14 or 15 years.
Grooming is less then you might imagine, and a weekly brush, increasing to twice a week during the spring moult, is generally all that is needed. Most bitches have a single season each year, sometime between September and December.