Tibetan Mastiff
Breed Traits & Characteristics
🌈 COLOR
- Cream Sable - 348
- Blue Gray - 300 - ✅
- Brown & Tan - 262 - ✅
- Red Gold Sable - 502 - ✅
- Blue Gray & Tan - 503 - ✅
- Black - 007 - ✅
- Black & Tan - 018 - ✅
- Brown - 061 - ✅
- Red Gold - 152 - ✅
- Cream - 076
🐶 MARKINGS
- White Markings - ✅ - 014
❤ HEALTH
The Tibetan Mastiff is a relatively healthy breed, and responsible breeders will screen their stock for health conditions such as elbow and hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and eye anomalies including entropion and ectropion. Seizures have been reported, but the issue is not prevalent in the breed.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
- Hip Evaluation
- Ophthalmologist Evaluation
- Thyroid Evaluation
- Elbow Evaluation
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
Patella Evaluation
Cardiac Exam
Ophthalmologist Evaluation
🛁 GROOMING
Tibetan Mastiffs are double coated, with a heavy, wooly undercoat and coarse guard hair. They have a low-maintenance coat that requires minimal grooming during the majority of the year. A weekly brushing with a slicker or a long pin brush to remove surface dirt and the use of a wide-tooth comb on the tail, mane, and breeches to remove tangles are all that is required. TMs 'blow' their undercoat once a year in a massive shedding in late spring or summer. During this time, it is best to use an undercoat rake or de-shedding tool. According to the breed standard, TMs are to be shown naturally; no clipping or trimming is acceptable except to shape the feet and to give a clean appearance to the hocks.
🦮 EXERCISE
Tibetan Mastiffs need daily moderate exercise, but it does not need to be in the form of an organized activity. TMs prefer to focus on work-related tasks, such as patrolling their territory, rather than structured play, such as chasing a flying disc or playing fetch. They are more active in cooler weather. They tend to conserve energy until needed, exhibiting only short bursts of activity, and lack endurance. They make good throw-rugs in winter, and air-conditioner vent covers in summer!
📣 TRAINING
The dog is a very alert little dog of high intelligence. He is eager to please his humans and responds well to positive training practices. Chihuahuas seem well aware of how cute they are and learn how to get their way. From the very beginning you must enforce the fact that you are in charge. Never allow your Chihuahua puppy to do anything that will be unacceptable in an adult. They can have a bit of a 'terrier' temperament, so a firm but gentle hand is necessary when training. They can excel in obedience training and other canine sports.
🍗 NUTRITION
The Tibetan Mastiff should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Tibetan Mastiffs eat much less than expected for their size, as adults may only require two to four cups of a quality food per day. They only eat when they are hungry, and it is not uncommon for a TM to skip a meal altogether. When females are in season, males will often refuse to eat for a week or more and can lose as much as 10 to 15 percent of their body weight. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.The Tibetan Mastiffs do not require any kind of special diet.
Watchful, aloof, imposing, and intimidating: The ancient Tibetan Mastiff is the guardian dog supreme. These densely coated giants are mellow and calm around the house, sweetly devoted to family, and aloof and territorial with strangers.
Male |
Male |
Male |
Female |
Female |
Female |
Coming face to face with this ancient behemoth, an intruder up to no good will likely move on to easier pickings. TMs can stand 26 inches at the shoulder and weigh well over 100 pounds. It's impossible to discuss this breed without leaning on words like 'powerful,' 'muscular,' massive,' and 'substantial.' And yet, TMs are quite light-footed and will meet a perceived threat with surprising agility. The broad head, with its high-set, V-shaped ears and expressive brown eyes, projects a noble, sagacious expression.
What To Expect When Caring For a Tibetan Mastiff
Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.
Affectionate With Family
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
Good With Other Dogs
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.
Shedding Level
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.
Coat Grooming Frequency
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.
Drooling Level
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.
Coat Type
- Smooth
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.
Coat Length
- Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.
Openness To Strangers
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!
Playfulness Level
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.
Watchdog/Protective Nature
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.
Adaptability Level
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.
Trainability Level
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!