Temperament
The Tibetan Mastiff is one of the most powerful breeds in the world. Very proud and confident, he will need an owner who will respect and understand him, without giving up anything and even less getting angry.
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«If you are not able to handle yourself, how could you handle myself?» This is his guideline.
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This is one of the essential conditions for a good cohabitation, because it will be difficult to live with this dog if we consider it as the many breeds shaped to be subjected to the human.
If your dog is to be available at your pleasure, bring the ball back, do a thousand and one tricks, be grateful for your abuse and be the only one to consider you a "God", this is not the right breed for you. A Tibetan Mastiff is not your equal, not your superior,not your inferior.
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In fact, it is not a breed to put in all hands. This type of dog is not chosen for its appearance or for its "exotic" origins and a more advanced knowledge of this breed is absolutely necessary.
Never forget that is a LGD (livestock guard dog). Night and day, even if he looks like a sleeping bear, his senses are awake and any suspicious noise will be immediately signaled by his serious barking.
The tibetan mastiff is suspicious of strangers. He will stay away from them, for observing. TM loves his family members, but he is independant. He will never be like your shadow.
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Strictly speaking, the Tibetan mastiff is not a dog that is disciplined. He is taught the rules of the house, the basics, but is very stubborn and works on instincts. Socialization and exposure to the outside world of your puppy are, however, very important for a life in harmony with the environment around it. Your Tibetan will be an incredible guardian at home, but will become indifferent outside his territory if his socialization is adequate.
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Before you ask if the Tibetan Mastiff is the right dog for you, ask yourself if you are the right person for him. What do you know about him? How are you going to live it? How will you consider it when, after the stage of "big baby" your dog will let you see his personality? (In this regard, I must tell you that it will have been about 2 years since the date of its acquisition, and that all education errors will be accounted for at that time).
Chinese mastiff or Market type, what is this?
I am often asked why my dogs are smaller and / or less hairy than certain types that can be seen.
It is important to understand that there is a variant of the breed that was created in the early 2000s in China, which the real Tibetan breeders commonly call Chinese Mastiff or Market Type.
It is the result of several crosses with chow-chow, Newfoundland etc. The goal was to create ever larger and hairier dogs, regardless of health and temperament.
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This new type is no longer related to the true functional breed from Tibet. Passionate breeders try to avoid falling into this type of lineage and also try to dissociate the two types, so that the Chinese have their own standard, thus keeping the true breed.
It should be noted that some Chinese are less extreme than the photo, which makes them difficult to recognize for normal people. However, they retain the same characteristics that make them not true tibetan mastiff.
