The Tibetan Mastiff is considered to be the original dog from which most of the "Molosser breeds" of today have descended. The high and forbidding mountains of Tibet is the environment which produced this fierce and protective guarding dog. The unforgiving climate and mountainous terrain demanded an animal with endurance, a coat that possessed natural protection against the elements and courage and fearlessness to fight off predator animals. The Tibetan Mastiff was used by the wandering shepherds and nomadic tribes and later by the Monks of Tibet as a protective dog which would effectively give warning of strangers and would guard the sheep. Mention of the large black dog with a fearsome bark can be found in Chinese documents as early as 1100 B.C.