Description: The Tibetan Mastiff is a big dog that is large boned and sturdy. This breed stands at 25-28 inches and the weight is 140-170 pounds. The head is broad, heavy, and has good strength. The muzzle is broad and square in shape. The teeth meet in a scissor or level bite. The nose is black and large. This dog has slightly slanting eyes, which are almond shaped, deep set and all shades of brown. This dog has pendent V shaped ears that hang close to the head. The Tibetan Mastiff has a muscular neck that is slightly arched; the neck has a lot of mane. The front legs are straight and the feet are cat like, and sometimes they have feathering between the toes. The double coat is vast and very thick. The coat comes in brown, black, blue- grey and can have tan markings and a range of shades of gold. They can also have white markings. Their life expectancy is 15 plus years.

History: Like all other Mastiff's and Molossuses, throughout the world, the Tibetan Mastiff is descended from the famous Tibetan dogs. It is believed that the ancient Tibetan Mastiff was around as early as 1100BC. This went on to develop into the dog we call the Tibetan Mastiff today. This breed, for centuries, was cut off from the rest of the world in the Himalayan Mountains, of Tibet. The dog was used for guarding the villages and in some cases only one dog was guarding a whole village. This dog was locked up in the day and at night would patrol the village keeping it safe, as the men would need to work away for days at a time. It was Queen Victoria of England that had the dog first in the mid 1800's and this set the dog status, and the gates opened to the west bring the dog from its isolation. The English wrote the standards, and breeding began in the west. The dog was imported from Nepal, India, Afghanistan and Ladakh to the USA this was in 1970's. The Tibetan Mastiff sadly has become rare in its native country, Tibet. This dog has gained in popularity in the US. The Tibetan Mastiff was first recognized by the ACK in 2006.