About Tibetan Mastiffs at Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions
Tibetan Mastiffs: Tibetan Mastiffs are massive, giant dogs with sturdy bone structure. Their bodies are slightly longer than tall. Their somewhat wrinkled heads are broad, heavy and strong. Their broad muzzles are square when viewed from all sides. Their large noses are black. Their teeth meet in a scissors or level bite. Their upper lips usually cover their lowerlips. Their slightly slanting eyes are almond shaped, deep-set and medium in size. Eye color comes in shades of brown. Their ears are V-shaped, hanging forward close to their heads. Their necks are muscular and arched with a moderate dewlap. Their feathered tails are curled over the back. Their front legs are straight with feathering. Their feet are cat-like and may have feathering between the toes. Their double coats are immense and thick with heavy manes around their necks and shorter hair on their heads. Their coat colors comes in black, brown, and blue-gray, all with or without tan markings, and various shades of gold. They can also have whitemarkings.
Tibetan Mastiffs are courageous, fearless, even-tempered, calm and thoughtful. Very loyal to their own families, Tibetan Mastiffs are outstanding flock guardians and are ferocious against wolves, leopards or any prey that tries to approach their flocks. They are easy to housebreak, but matures at about 4 years of age. Tibetan Mastiffs have a strong desire to please their owners. They are loving with children, but can distrust and be reserved with strangers, if not properly socialized. It comes naturally to these Mastiffs to guard their families and their property. Tibetan Mastiffs are generally good with other dogs and non-canine pets if properly introduced. Tibetan Mastiffs can be very good family companions.
Tibetan Mastiffs descended from the famous Tibetan dogs that were the source of the majority of Molossuses and Mastiffs throughout the world. The ancient Tibetan Mastiffs may have been in existence as early as 1100 BC. These mastiffs developed into Tibetan Mastiffs we know today during the time period when they were isolated in the Himalayan mountains in Tibet for centuries. They were often left behind to guard the families and tents when the men left to move the flocks to higher pasture. It was not until Queen Victoria of England was given one of these dogs in the mid 1800s did they come out of isolation. Then, more Tibetan Mastiffs were imported to England. The British wrote up a standard and began to breed them. Marco Polo described Tibetan Mastiffs as "tall as donkeys with a voice as powerful as a lion." Tibetan Mastiffs were imported from India, Nepal, Ladakh and Afghanistan to the United States in the 1970s and were used as foundation stock for the breed. Now rare in Tibet, Tibetan Mastiffs gaining popularity in both the United States and England. The American Tibetan Mastiff Association was formed in 1974 and serves as the breed's official registry and network in the United States. Tibetan Mastiffs were first recognized by the AKC in 2006.
The Tibetan Mastiff Size:
Height: 25-28 inches
Weight: 140-220 lbs |
About Tibetan Mastiffs at Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions
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