Bred and owned by Kristina Sherling, Sierras Tibetan Mastiffs.
The Tibetan Mastiff, by many considered as the progenitor of all Molosser breeds of the world.
There is some controversy about what kind of dog the Tibetan Mastiff really is/was. Some say it not is a Mastiff breed, and should
be called Himalayan Mountain Dog instead of its current name. Others says that the history clearly shows that this is of real
Mastiff type. Other claim that the original Mastiff of Tibet is extinct, and that the current version of the breed is a cross of several types of dogs coming from Tibet.
It is a difficult issue to decide who of the parties that gives the correct information. But, we must consider a couple of things: the standard of the Tibetan Mastiff is
not written in Tibet, and not by Tibetans. It is written by westerners in the early 1900's, based on their opinion of how the breed should look like. I will return to this issue further down the page.
Bhotean, imported during the 1904 Younghusband expedition to Tibet.
Picture from a book written in 1930.
The illustrations of "Siring", owned by The Prince of Wales, from the 1880's clearly shows a dog of heavy Mastiff-type. Samuel Turner wrote in a 1800 article
about his travel to Tibet that he was very impressed by the Tibetan Mastiff and he described them as "large enough to fight a lion if the dog's courage was
equalled by its size. In the pub "The Dog and the Muffler", near the Walish border in England, there can be seen a stuffed Tibetan Mastiff head. The dog was
taken back to England alive by a english army doctor in 1908. The dog lived to be 14 years old and is of Mastiff type. The colour of the dog is a
reddish brindle with a longish coat and having a thick undercoat.
This is the chocolate/tan young male Delli at 9 months.
Bred and owned by Kristina Sherling, Sierras Tibetan Mastiffs.
Count Czernin of Wien did own a couple of Tibetan Mastiffs who was examined and described by Ernst Beckmann of Germany (1853-1923), and this
description clearly tells us that this was a animal of destinct Mastiff type.
Picture from 1908, showing Takkar.
The Tibetan Mastiff primary task was to defend and guard the livestock,
the village and the caravans from predators, bandits and hostile tribes. One of the Tibetan names for the dog is Do Khyi, who means "a dog who is tied up". The dog
was usally released from its chain only when there where work to be done, like in the night, for guarding the village.
The dog were handled by their owner only, this was done to make them wild and fierce, for better guard and protection qualities.
The Tibetan Mastiff often wore a protective collar, made of the finest stiff hair from the yak's tail and dyed red.
The first imports of Tibetan Mastiffs to the western countries was as early as in the late 1800's and a British standard for the breed was written in the 1930's.
Different Tibetan Mastiff heads.
From left; Ahong, owned by Mr. Liu Qi, Chinese Tibetan Mastiffs' Paradise, China.
Timberline's Kalu, owned by David and Margi, bred by Charlie Radcliffe, USA.
Bred by Kristina Sherling, Sierras Tibetan Mastiffs, USA.
And at right an European bred & owned TM.
The above pictured TM heads gives us a slightly idea of the difference in the modern
Tibetan Mastiff. The dog at left is Ahong, owned by Mr. Liu Qi, China. Ahong was brought to China from Tibet in 1999.
The next two pictures show two American bred TM's of typical Mastiff type. The picture of right show an European bred TM of
the smaller variety. Which one of these is the correct Tibetan Mastiff? Well, problary all. When the Tibetan Mastiff standard was
written it was not taken in consideration that Tibet and Himalaya have several sub-spieces and variants of the mountain dogs.
Dog breeding in Tibet have never been bred after a standard like the western show dogs, but instead for function. The dogs imported
from Tibet, Himalaya, northern India etc. have all been added to the Tibetan Mastiff gene-pool, regardless of local sub-varieties and
wheater it was of Mastiff type or shepherd type.
In the Himalayan region there are many different variants of the breed; Dzi-Kyi, Naj Khji, Tsang Khyi (Sang Khyi), Do Khyi and Sgo Khyi. There is in addition
the Bangara & Bhotia, by some regarded as breeds of their own and by others as Tibetan Mastiff sub varieties. Today the modern Tibetan Mastiff can in
the west be classified as either a the Mastiff typed Tsang Khyi or the shepherd typed Do Khyi, and because of interbreeding there are a large variety between these two types.
The conclution is that the Tibetan Mastiff is a modern, western made breed, functioning like an umbrella for sub-types which rightfully should have been bred as
a breed of their own.
The Tibetan Mastiff is a independent and strong willed dog. He is regarded as extremly intelligent, aloof of strangers, devoted to their
human family and he will protect them with his life, witch make them exellent home protectors.
The bitches have only one single estrus per year, witch shows that this still is a primitive breed.
The Tibetan Mastiff is slowly matured, the females reach maturety at 2-3 years old, while the male needs 4-5 years before he is fully mature.
The Tibetan Mastiff is a powerful dog, well built and with good bone. He should have a broad and heavy head, massive skull, broad and square muzzle, well defined
occiput and stop, his lips well developed with moderated flews. On the head there shall be some wrinkles.
The coat of the Tibetan Mastiff is thick and of medium lenght, and they keep their double coat all year, shedding in usally takes place in the spring and when
this is taking place they require heavy brushing. The male have considerably heavyer coat than the female. The coat must never be wavy or curly The most common colour is black and
tan, other colours is solid black, gold, brown, various shades of gold and grey, sable and others. White patch in chest is allowed, also small white patches on the feet.
The size of the Tibetan Mastiff; many breeders strive to reach the size given in the standard, and even when full grown there are many dogs who not make the minimum. The standard requires a minimum for the male
of 66 cm. (25,9 in) at the withers, the females 61 cm. (23,9 in). The weight is not given in the standard, but for the larger Mastiff type of TM the male should weight over 60 kg. (132 lbs) and the female, who always is considerably smaller,
should be minimum 50 kg. (110 lbs).
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