The Tibetan Mastiff (藏獒 Zang'Ao in Mandarin, Do-khyi in Tibetan, meaning 'tied dog' or 'Bhote Kukur' in Nepali which means Tibetan Dog) is a rare breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) originating in Tibet and neighboring countries with similar nomadic cultures (e.g. Mongolia, where it is called "bankhar", meaning "guard dog"). Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) (English, World Canine Organization), is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium. ... © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ... The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting excellence in breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by responsible individuals across Australia. ... The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. ... The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom is a club aiming to improve the relationships between dogs and their owners. ... The New Zealand Kennel Club is an organisation responsible for dog pedigree registration services in New Zealand. ... The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other members of the dog family, see Canidae. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ...

Description

Appearance

The Tibetan Mastiff is among the largest breeds. It is found in a heavier mastiff type and a more moderately sized mountain type. Its sturdy bone structure and large, wide head makes it appear considerably more massive than other dogs of a similar height. It can reach heights up to 31+ inches (80+cm) at the withers, although the standard for the breed is typically in the 25 to 28 inch (61 to 72 cm) range. History records the largest of the breed weighing over 110kg^{[citation needed]} but dogs in America are more typically between 100lb (45kg) to 160lb (72kg). A guard dog, watch dog, or sentry dog is a dog employed to guard against, or watch for, unwanted or unexpected animals or people. ... The withers is the highest point on an animals back, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. ...

Its double coat is long, and found in a wide variety of colors from solid black, to tri-color. Like other types of mastiffs, the larger variety can have greater size, a heavier head and more pronounced wrinkling, while the mountain type has a smoother rather than wrinkled brow with less jowling, giving them a drier mouth than other mastiff breeds. They are also hypoallergenic with a thick double coat that only sheds once per year^{[citation needed]}. Look up hypoallergenic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Tibetan Mastiffs are separated by Chinese breed-standard into two categories^{[citation needed]} - Lion Head (relatively smaller in size, exceptionally long hair from forehead to withers, in which creates a lion mane alike head) and Tiger Head (relatively larger in size, shorter hair)

Temperament

The native strain of dog, which still exists in Tibet, and the Westernized breed can vary in temperament. Elizabeth Schuler states, "The few individuals that remain in Tibet are ferocious and aggressive, unpredictable in their behavior, and very difficult to train. But the dogs bred by the English are obedient and attached to their masters." Others claim that the ferocity of those in Tibet is due to selective breeding and their training as guard dogs, more than companion dogs. Many breeders throughout Asia are now seeking to preserve and breed the larger, original, more protective Tibetan Mastiff while Western breeders have sought to stabilize the temperament, in both size varieties. A guard dog, watch dog, or sentry dog is a dog employed to guard against, or watch for, unwanted or unexpected animals or people. ... Companion dog usually describes a dog that does not work, providing only companionship as a pet, rather than usefulness by doing specific tasks. ...

As a flock guardian dog in Tibet, it is tenacious in its ability to confront predators the size of wolves and leopards. As a socialized, more domestic Western dog, it thrives in a spacious, fenced yard with a canine companion, but it is not an appropriate dog for apartment living. Still, the Western-bred dogs are generally more easy-going, although somewhat aloof with strangers coming to the home. Through hundreds and hundreds of years of selective breeding for a protective flock and family guardian, the breed has been prized for being a nocturnal sentry, keeping would-be predators and intruders at bay, barking at sounds throughout the night. So, leaving a Tibetan Mastiff outside all night with neighbors nearby is not usually recommended. Kazakh shepherd, his and his dogs primary job is to guard the sheep from predators Livestock Guarding Dogs (LGDs) is the name used by biologists for dogs bred to guard livestock such as sheep. ... Wolf Wolf Man Mount Wolf Wolf Prizes Wolf Spider Wolf 424 Wolf 359 Wolf Point Wolf-herring Frank Wolf Friedrich Wolf Friedrich August Wolf Hugo Wolf Johannes Wolf Julius Wolf Max Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf Maximilian Wolf Rudolf Wolf Thomas Wolf As Name Wolf Breidenbach Wolf Hirshorn Other The call... This article is about the big cat. ...

Like all flock guardian breeds, they are intelligent and stubborn to a fault, so obedience classes are recommended since this is a strong-willed, powerful breed with great size potential. Socialization is also critical with this breed because of their reserved nature with strangers and guarding instincts. They are, however, excellent family dogs and are unlikely to eat your babies. A family posing for a group photo socializes together. ...

Health

Unlike most very large breeds, its life expectancy is relatively long, some 10-14 years. The breed has relatively lower comparative incidence of genetic health problems, but cases can be found of hypothyroidism, entropion or ectropion, skin problems including allergies, missing teeth, malocclusion (overbite or underbite), cardiac problems, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), and small ear canals with a tendency for infection. As with most giant breeds, some will suffer with elbow or hip dysplasia, although this has not been a major problem in the Tibetan Mastiff. Another concern includes canine inherited demyelinative neuropathy (CIDN), a rare inherited neural disease that appeared in one bloodline in the early 1980s. However, it is believed that this problem has been all but eliminated in contemporary breeding lines. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Entropion is a medical condition in which the eyelids fold inward. ... Ectropion is a condition of loose eyelids. ... Allergy is an abnormal reaction to a substance foreign to the body that is acquired, predictable and rapid. ... A malocclusion refers to the misalignment of teeth and/or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches. ... A malocclusion refers to the misalignment of teeth. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a genetic disease of the retina that occurs bilaterally and is seen in certain breeds of dogs. ... This article is about hip dysplasia, a condition affecting the hip joint, which occurs in humans but is more commonly associated with animals, especially dogs (Canine hip dysplasia). ... Polyneuropathy in dogs and cats is a collection of peripheral nerve disorders that often are breed-related in these animals. ... The nervous system of an animal coordinates the activity of the muscles, monitors the organs, constructs and processes input from the senses, and initiates actions. ...

History

This is an ancient breed, descended from very early large Tibetan dogs from which many of today's Molossuses are descended. The first known record of a Tibetan mastiff was in 1121 BC, when a dog trained for hunting was gifted to a Chinese emperor.^[1] Marco Polo encountered the large Tibetan dogs in his travels and described them as "tall as a donkey with a voice as powerful as that of a lion." They were used as guard dogs outside the sacred city of Lhasa. The Molossus is an ancient, extinct breed of dog that is commonly considered to be the ancestor of todays Mastiff-type dogs and of many other modern breeds. ... Marco Polo (September 15, 1254[1] – January 9, 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325[2]) was a Venetian trader and explorer who gained fame for his worldwide travels, recorded in the book Il Milione (The Million or The Travels of Marco Polo). ... For other uses, see Lhasa (disambiguation). ...

In the early 19th century, King George IV owned a pair, and there were enough of the breed in England in 1906 to be shown at the 1906 Crystal Palace show. However, during the war years, the breed lost favor and focus and nearly died out in England. Gaining in popularity worldwide, there are more and more active breeders, although the breed is still considered somewhat uncommon. Initially the breed suffered because of the limited genepool from the original stock, but today's reputable breeders work hard at reducing the genetic problems through selective breeding and the international exchange of new bloodlines. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... George IV redirects here. ... For other uses, see Crystal Palace. ...

In 2008, the Tibetan Mastiff competed for the first time in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day benched conformation show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. ...

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References

• Alderton, David (1984). The Dog.
• Fogle, Bruce, DVM (2000). The new Encyclopedia of the Dog. Doring Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
• Palmer, Joan (1994). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. ISBN 0-7858-0030-1.
• Schuler, Elizabeth Meriwether (Ed.) (1980). Simon & Shuster's Guide to Dogs. ISBN 0-671-25527-4.
• 倪正，(2000). "真实的藏獒(The Real Tibetan Mastiff)". ISBN 7-80173-535-8

External links

• The RareBreed Network - info on the Tibetan Mastiff and other breeds
• Tibetan Mastiff breeder in Oregon
• Australian Breeder of Rare Tibetan Mastiff
• Belgium Breeder of Tibetan Mastiff
• z Kaskay kennel of Tibetan Mastiff
• TibetanMastiff.com
• Tibetan Mastiff Breed Information
• Tibetan Mastiff Club of America
• American Tibetan Mastiff Association
• i molossi del tibet
• Zodd- The Tibetan Mastiff
• TibetanMastiff.net
• A Tibetan Mastiff Fanlisting
• General health information:
  • PRA info
  • Animal Eyecare PRA info
  • Animal Eyecare entropian info
  • Canine Inherited Disorders Database on ectropian
  • CIDN info