- tibetan mastiff
- History of the Tibetan Mastiff Dog
- External appearance of the Tibetan mastiff
- Colors of the tibetan mastiff dog
- Is the Tibetan mastiff dangerous?
- tibetan mastiff vs wolf
- Care of the Tibetan Mastiff
- How much does a Tibetan mastiff cost?
- Training costs
- Training tibetan mastiff puppies costs
- Food costs
- Other costs
- Diseases affecting tibetan mastiff dogs
tibetan mastiff
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| tibetan mastiff |
We talked in previous articles in my pet twin site about the types of dogs and the largest in size, but today we are talking about the Tibetan mastiff dog, which is one of the largest and fiercest types of dogs as well.
A person who encounters a Tibetan mastiff for the first time experiences both admiration and fear at the same time. The dog impresses the layman with its dimensions and appearance, but at the same time, few people thought that a friendly creature could be hiding behind a formidable appearance. The material of this article will introduce the reader to the history of the appearance of dogs of this breed, its characteristics, the secrets of raising and caring for it.
History of the Tibetan Mastiff Dog
It appeared in the ancient Tibetan plateau, Nepal and India, but it was associated with the Tibetan plateau,So this dog may be called Chinese Tibetan mastiff.
The Tibetan mastiff (chinese tibetan mastiff) is one of the rarest breeds of large dogs, the population of which today is practically no different from the primary one. This is partly due to the isolation of China, and the ancestors of dogs, whose homeland is considered to be Tibet, originally served as guards for nomads, shepherds and monks.
History has proven that these dogs existed before our era. This is evidenced by the writings in the ancient Chinese manuscript Shu-King (1122 BC). Dogs were sung in his historical writings by Marco Polo, they were called pets of Genghis Khan and Buddha. At one time, animals were credited with the ability to see demons, associating it with pigmented spots under the eyes, which were found in certain representatives of the breed.
chinese tibetan mastiff
The progenitors of the Tibetans are considered to be Chinese native dogs or Tibetan wolves. During the era of the Indian campaigns of Tsar Alexander, Tibetan dogs were brought to Greece and Rome. The harsh climatic conditions of the early evolution of dogs were reflected in their character, as a result of which some representatives of the breed often showed ferocity.
With the help of the Tibetan mastiff, the monks defended their monasteries and fought alongside them.
External appearance of the Tibetan mastiff
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| tibetan mastiff dog |
The Tibetan Mastiff is considered the largest member of the canine family. He has a heavy and strong skeleton, a developed skeleton and a proportional physique. The appearance of the dog is unusual: from a distance it seems as if he is wearing a long-haired fur coat with a hood or a voluminous wig. The collar also resembles a thick mane, which makes the dog look like a lion.It is also called the lion of dogs.
From birth, endowed with a densely growing harsh fur coat and dense undercoat, the Tibetan Mastiff is not afraid of the cold, and therefore can live in highlands and harsh climatic conditions.
males differ from females not only in size, but also in the power of the body. However, the physique of both them and the females is strong.
Dogs of this breed have a large nose and drooping lips. Their jaws are quite powerful, in the mouth there is a full set of teeth, a scissor bite and quite rarely a straight bite.
The size of the ears is medium, their shape is triangular, towards the end they are slightly rounded. When the animal is calm, its ears hang on the cartilage; at the moment of danger or excitement, they rise. Small eyes seem slanted, depending on the color of the animal, the iris of the eyes can be either brown or hazel. The neck is prominent, has a noticeable dewlap and sufficiently developed muscles.
The back of the Tibetan is straight, characterized by a developed muscle mass. The loin is convex, wide, the croup seems to be sloping. The chest is deep, the ribs flatten to the sides, the stomach is somewhat tucked up. The movement of the dogs seems slow because of their huge size, although in reality the steps of the Tibetans are sweeping.
Colors of the tibetan mastiff dog
anthracite black
black with reddish-brown markings
gray with light tan marks
smoky gray (gray-blue)
brown and chocolate
golden (from fiery red to red)
sable with dark markings
red tibetan mastiff
white tibetan mastiff.
Is the Tibetan mastiff dangerous?
The majestic and intimidating nature of the Tibetan Mastiff means that most people immediately get nervous when they are around these bushy giants. Is this justified? Are these dogs dangerous, or is it just a misunderstanding?
Tibetan Mastiffs usually become dangerous or aggressive without proper socialization. They are generally territorial and stubborn, but allowing them regular encounters with people and other pets throughout their lives will reduce the likelihood that they will become a danger to people or other animals.
When you see the Tibetan mastiff dog at first glance, you may feel terror and fear. That fear is what gave the idea of the danger of this type of dog, but the seriousness of this dog is due to several factors, including being raised with other pets or raised in an isolated environment far from contact with humans and other animals, but in general the tibetan mastiff is not dangerous if you follow the training rules followed and the correct instructions with it, which we will talk about later, but I do not deny the occurrence of some serious accidents that arose from the attacks of the Tibetan mastiff dog on some people, as they were dangerous and destructive attacks that led to serious consequences and may have led to death.
tibetan mastiff vs wolf
We have seen many fights between the Tibetan mastiff dog and wolves, but the result was not the same, whether by winning or losing, and neither side favored each time, and it depends on the extent of the dog’s ferocity, the physical strength it enjoys, and the number of dogs. We will attach a video of a fight between a dog and a wolf.
Care of the Tibetan Mastiff
The coat of a Tibetan Mastiff is long and has a thick undercoat in winter. The shedding is at the beginning of the summer and then takes half an hour of combing and brushing every few days. What is special about this breed is that this dog has absolutely no 'dog smell' with it, not even when it is wet. However, this applies if the Tibetan Mastiff often stays indoors. The Tibetan Mastiff, who often stays outside, 'smells' the fur slightly, but less than with other dogs.
How much does a Tibetan mastiff cost?
The price of a Tibetan Mastiff raised as a companion dog
The Tibetan Mastiff raised as companion dogs often have low breed purity, as breeders usually cross the Tibetan Mastiff with different dog breeds to reduce their fierceness and wild instinct. These puppies are sterilized before they can go home. Sterilization is the important way to make the Tibetan obedient and fit to raise in a family. The price of a Tibetan Mastiff as a companion dog is currently between €1000 and €1500.
The price of a fully registered Tibetan Mastiff
Fully registered Tibetan Mastiff puppies have a higher breed purity. They are relatively fierce because they have not been spayed, making them unsuitable for being raised as companion dogs. They are usually raised by breeders for breeding purposes. Fully registered Tibetan Mastiff prices mainly depend on their pedigree.
A Tibetan Mastiff with more than 95 percent pureness and normal pedigree costs only $1500 to $2500. Pups with good pedigree, standard, beautiful parents and 99% pureness cost $2500 to $4000.
Training costs
The Tibetan Mastiff is the dog breed with a high level of wild instinct, so training should be the number one priority if you want to raise one in your family. It should be trained from an early age, 2 months old. However, for people who have little experience, you should take them to a professional training center.
Training tibetan mastiff puppies costs
around $300-$500, depending on the time and level of training required. It is quite expensive, but necessary so that they are more gentle and less dangerous to the community.
Food costs
The food cost of Tibetan mastiff puppies is very high due to their huge size, Therefore, it was also called the giant tibetan mastiff,These costs are often no less than € 800 per year , which is higher than for almost all other dog breeds. Tibetans eat a lot, they can eat anywhere at any time, they can eat anything they get. Therefore, you need to control their diet by feeding them on time and only 3 times a day. This is also an effective way to train them.
Other costs
Other costs include vet, dog shampoo, groomer, periodic vaccination, etc., these costs total about €300 per month . In addition, you will need to spend an additional $500-$800 in the first year to buy essential items such as crates, muzzles, etc. Because these items need to be very large and strong, they are more expensive than items for other dog breeds.
Diseases affecting tibetan mastiff dogs
This breed, due to its origin as a working shepherd dog, is not very prone to diseases, they are tough and resistant dogs, but we must pay attention to some ailments that could affect our pet:
They are prone to cataracts in their eyes, so you should watch them from a young age and do proper hygiene to avoid malformations.
Because of their size, they are prone, like other giant breeds, to suffer from hip dysplasia , a hereditary disease that can seriously affect the specimens that suffer from it because it is also degenerative. You must make sure when buying a puppy that its parents are free of this disease.
Hypothyroidism , also very common in large breeds, which can be treated with a thyroid supplement.
In order to prevent many diseases that affect dogs, the necessary vaccinations must be followed in a timely manner, and to learn about the most important vaccinations for pet dogs, see this article.
In view of the thick hair and dander of this breed of dogs and in climatic and living conditions, especially if this dog is raised indoors and in a slightly hot climatic environment, it may contract scabies. We have talked about scabies in dogs previously in a separate article. You can refer to it whenever you wish. They are the causes and how to treat it. Scabies may arise in pets dogs by not taking care of the dog’s hair and drying it well.
These dogs are of a mountainous nature, but when they mix with wild animals, they can become infected with canine parvovirus, and we have talked about its causes and how to treat it previously.