The Tibetan Mastiff is an intelligent hunting dog breed that appeared 5,000 years ago and has the oldest gene pool in the world.
The Tibetan Mastiff is a breed raised and trained by the Tibetans to protect livestock and safeguard the lives of the indigenous people in the Himalayan region from wild animals such as wolves, tigers, and bears, as well as to guard monasteries in Tibet.
The Tibetan Mastiff is known as the “Lord of the Prairie” and is described as “larger than a wolf, stronger than a leopard, and faster than a deer.” It is believed that the Tibetan Mastiff is an ancestor of some modern Mastiff breeds.
This breed was accidentally discovered by two Italian explorers in the village of Jhangihe, located at an altitude of 5,200 meters above sea level in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
In the 18th century, after exploring the Himalayan region, explorers often brought Tibetan Mastiffs back to their countries as precious gifts for royalty.
The Tibetan Mastiff is quite large, standing at least 71 cm tall for males and weighing between 64-82 kg. Its coat consists of two layers: a soft, long outer layer and a wool-like inner layer, allowing it to adapt to the harshest weather conditions. The Tibetan Mastiff has a distinctive mane-like fur around its neck, resembling a lion’s mane. Colors include black, black-brown, black-yellow, gray, or gold. The tail is always curled high over the back, and the head is flat with no wrinkles, giving it a balanced and majestic appearance.
The Tibetan Mastiff is stubborn and particularly loyal to just one owner.
In 2014, a Chinese businessman caused a stir when he purchased a one-year-old Tibetan Mastiff for $1.9 million, equivalent to about 43.2 billion VND. The businessman bought two Tibetan Mastiffs at a “luxury pet” fair, one of which had a record price of $1.9 million, while the other was priced at $968,209, approximately 22 billion VND. “They have lion blood and are top hunting dogs. Purebreds are very rare, hence their high prices,” said Zhang Gengyun, a dog breeder, at that time.
In 2011, a real estate businessman from Qingdao, China, splurged on a Tibetan Mastiff named “Big Splash,” purchasing it for $1.5 million, around 34 billion VND.
