About the Tibetan Mastiff

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Ten Prized Dogs series, Tibetan Mastiff. Artwork depicting a Tibetan Mastiff from the Qing Dynasty.

The Tibetan Mastiff known as 'Dogs-Khyi (འདོགས་ཁྱི) in Tibetan, reflects its use as a guardian of herds, flocks, tents, villages, monasteries, and palaces, much as the Old English Bandog (also meaning tied dog) was a dog tied outside the home as a guardian. However, in nomad camps and in villages, the 'Dogs-Khyi is traditionally allowed to run loose at night. This dog is known for its loyalty and has been used as a nomad dog for thousands of years.

The guardian type from which the modern Tibetan Mastiff breed has been derived was known across the ancient world by many names. Bhote Kukur in Nepali as bhote means someone from Tibet and kukur means dog. The Chinese name for the breed is 藏獒 (Chinese: Zàng áo; Cantonese: Tzong ngou), meaning "Tibetan Mastiff-dog". In Mongolia, a similar-looking dog is called банхар (bankhar), but this dog is genetically distinct (a different Traditional Native Landrace Breed) and is of a more ancient lineage.

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The name Tibetan Mastiff is a misnomer; the Tibetan Mastiff is not a true Mastiff. The term "mastiff" was assigned by the Europeans who first came to Tibet because it was used to refer to nearly all large dog breeds in the West. Early Western visitors to Tibet misnamed several of its breeds: The "Tibetan Terrier" is not a terrier and the "Tibetan Spaniel" is not a spaniel. A better name for the breed might be the Tibetan Mountain Dog or, to encompass the landrace breed throughout its range, the Himalayan mountain dog.

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Noble and impressive: a large, but not a giant breed. An athletic and substantial dog, of solemn but kindly appearance. Although having an impressive coat, they acclimate and adjust to just about any environment. The Tibetan Mastiff stands well up on the pasterns, with strong, tight, cat feet, giving an alert appearance. The body is slightly longer than tall. The hallmarks of the breed are the head and the tail. The head is broad and impressive, with substantial back skull, the eyes deep-set and almond shaped, slightly slanted, the muzzle broad and well-padded, giving a square appearance. The typical expression of the breed is one of watchfulness. The tail and britches are well feathered and the tail is carried over the back in a single curl falling over the loin, balancing the head. The coat and heavy mane is thick, with coarse guard hair and a wooly undercoat.

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Breed Types

Tibetan Mastiff at an international dog show in Poland

Some breeders differentiate between two "types" of Tibetan Mastiff, the Do-khyi (-gs is not pronounced in Lhasa Tibetan) and the Tsang-khyi. The Tsang-khyi (which, to a Tibetan, means only "dog from Tsang") is also referred to as the "monastery" type, described as generally taller, heavier, and more heavily boned, with more facial wrinkling and haw than the Do-khyi or "nomad" type. Both types are often produced in the same litter with the larger, heavier pups being placed in more stationary jobs versus more active jobs for the Tibetan Mastiffs that are better structured and well-muscled.

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Size

Males can reach heights up to 86 cm (36 in). The original Tibetan Mastiff breed from its native range usually weighed 55–90 kg (121–198 lb). The enormous dogs being produced in some Western and Chinese kennels, which sometimes weigh in excess of 115 kg (254 lb) would have cost too much to keep fed to have been useful to nomads; and their questionable structure would have made them less useful as livestock or property guardians.

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Color and Coat 

The Tibetan Mastiff is considered a primitive breed. It typically retains the hardiness which would be required for it to survive in Tibet and the high-altitude Himalayan range, including the northern part of Nepal, India and Bhutan.

Instinctive behaviors including canine pack behavior contributed to the survival of the breed in harsh environments. It is one of the few primitive dog breeds that retains a single estrus per year instead of two, even at much lower altitudes and in much more temperate climates than its native climate. This characteristic is also found in wild canids such as the wolf and other wild animals. Since its estrus usually takes place during late fall, most Tibetan Mastiff puppies are born between December and January.[6]

Its double coat is long, subject to climate, and found in a wide variety of colors, 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 (as of 2014) marketing white Tibetan Mastiffs. These dogs are actually very pale gold, not truly white. 
 

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The coat of a Tibetan Mastiff lacks the unpleasant big-dog smell that affects many large breeds. The coat, whatever its length or color(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.)

Tibetan Mastiffs are shown under one standard in the West, but separated by the Indian breed standard into two varieties: Lion Head (smaller; exceptionally long hair from forehead to withers, creating a ruff or mane) and Tiger Head (larger; shorter hair).​