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Breed Characteristics
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Tibetan Mastiff
| Other Names | Do-Khyi, Tsang-khyi |
| Country of Origin | Tibet |
| Weight | 140 - 170 lbs. (64 - 78 kg) Some European owners claim the dogs can weigh up to 220 lbs. (99 kg), but the vast majority of these dogs have a weight that falls in the range stated above. |
| Height (at withers) | 25 - 28 in. (61- 71 cm) |
| Coat | Its double coat is long, subject to climate. The coat of a Tibetan Mastiff lacks the unpleasant "big-dog" smell that affects many large breeds. The coat, whatever its length or colour(s), should shed dirt and odors. Although the dogs shed somewhat throughout the year, there is generally one great "molt" in late winter or early spring and sometimes another, lesser molt in the late summer or early fall. (Sterilization of the dog may dramatically affect the coat as to texture, density, and shedding pattern.) |
| Colour | They are found in a wide variety of colours, including solid black, black and tan, various shades of "red" (from pale gold to deep red) and bluish-gray (dilute black), often with white markings. Some breeders are now (2014) marketing "white" Tibetan Mastiffs. These dogs are actually very pale "gold" (like the Great Pyrenees), not truly white. Photoshop is often used to make dogs of normal colour(s) appear "white" in advertisements. |
| Litter Size | 6 - 8 puppies |
| Life Span | 13 - 16 years |
| Origin & History | This is an ancient breed. It has been theorized that an early Tibetan dog is the ancestor to all Molossus breeds, although this is disputed by most experts. A highly questionable study at Nanjing Agricultural University's Laboratory of Animal Reproductive Genetics and Molecular Evolution in Nanjing, China, found that while most common dog breeds genetically diverged from the wolf approximately 42,000 years ago, the Tibetan Mastiff genetically diverged from the wolf approximately 58,000 years ago. In the early 19th century, King George IV owned a pair of Tibetan Mastiffs, and enough of the breed were available in England in 1906 to be shown at the Crystal Palace show. However, during the war years, the breed lost favor and focus and nearly died out in England. After 1980, the breed began to gain in popularity worldwide. Although the breed is still considered somewhat uncommon, as more active breeders arose and produced adequate numbers of dogs, various registries and show organizations (FCI, AKC) began to recognize the breed. Since AKC recognition, the number of active breeders has skyrocketed, leading to over-production of puppies, many of which are highly inbred and of questionable quality. Initially, the breed suffered because of the limited gene pool from the original stock, but today's reputable breeders work hard at reducing the genetic problems through selective breeding and the international exchange of new bloodlines. However, some few breeders cling to the practice of inbreeding, do not perform health tests on their breeding stock, and do not support buyers of the puppies they produce. Many puppies and adult dogs end up in shelters and in rescue situations. In 2008, the Tibetan Mastiff competed for the first time in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. A Chinese woman was reported[9] to have spent more than 4 million yuan to buy an 18-month-old purebred male Tibetan Mastiff, which she named Yangtze No. 2. In March 2011, a red Tibetan mastiff was reported to have been sold to a 'coal baron' from northern China for 10 million yuan. There have been other similar reports of dogs sold for astronomical prices; however, most of these appear to be breeders' attempts to drive up the prices of their dogs. Photos of dogs shown on web sites are frequently photoshopped to exaggerate color intensity, size, and "bone". By 2015, due to copious production by breeders and unsuitability of the breed as a pet in urban situations, prices in China for the best dogs had fallen to about $2,000 and lower quality and cross-breed dogs were being abandoned. |
Care Requirements
| Health | Unlike most large breeds, its life expectancy is long, some 10–14 years—at least in some lines. Other, more closely inbred lines, produce short-lived, unhealthy dogs. The breed has fewer genetic health problems than many breeds, but cases can be found of hypothyroidism, entropion, ectropion, distichiasis, skin problems including allergies, autoimmune problems including demodex, Addison's Disease, Cushing's Disease, missing teeth, malocclusion (overbite, underbite, wry mouth), cardiac problems, seizures, epilepsy, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataract, and small ear canals with a tendency for infection. As with most large breeds, some will suffer with elbow or hip dysplasia. Canine inherited demyelinative neuropathy (CIDN), an inherited condition, appeared in one of the prominent lines of Tibetan Mastiffs in the early 1980s. Unfortunately, known carriers were bred extensively and are behind many lines still being actively bred. Because the mode of inheritance appears to be as a simple recessive, continued inbreeding can still produce affected puppies. Hypothyroidism is fairly common in Tibetan Mastiffs, as it is in many large "northern" breeds. They should be tested periodically throughout their lives using a complete thyroid "panel". (Simple T3/T4 testing is virtually useless.) However, because the standard thyroid levels were established using domestic dog breeds, test results must be considered in the context of what is "normal" for the breed, not what is normal across all breeds. Many dogs of this breed will have "low" thyroid values but no clinical symptoms. Vets and owners differ on the relative merits of medicating dogs which test "low", but are completely asymptomatic. Some researchers think that asymptomatic hypothyroidism may have been adaptive in the regions of origin for many breeds, since less nutrition is required for the dog to stay in good condition. Therefore, attempts to eliminate "low thyroid" dogs from the Tibetan Mastiff gene pool may have unintended consequences for the breed. |
| Grooming | The Tibetan Mastiff should be brushed regularly. In the winter the coat has an abundance of very thick hair, which sheds once a year for the duration of a month, when the weather gets warmer. During this time your dog should be brushed and combed every day. The Tibetan Mastiff is good for allergy sufferers. |
| Exercise | The Tibetan Mastiff needs to be taken on daily walks. While out on the walk the dog must be made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead, as in a dog's mind the leader leads the way, and that leader needs to be the human. Be careful that the bones, muscles and joints of the young dog are not overworked during the growing stage by not overdoing the physical side of its life. However, they will still need to walk each day to satisfy their migration instinct. |
| Other Considerations | The Tibetan Mastiff can live in an apartment life if it is very well exercised. These dogs are not very active indoors. |
