A Tibetan Mastiff ( called do – khyi in their home country ) is a primal breed of guarding dogs. They come from Tibet, where they originally guarded households and properties of their owners. The breed is believed to have mystical origins and skills. It is supposedly a descendent of a hybrid of a prehistorical dog and a Himalayan tiger. Patches of brown coat above its eyes are said to be a second pair of eyes, used when a dog is sleeping....
A Tibetan feels great living in a house with spacious backyards and gardens, where they can practise their great guarding skills.
Nowadays, the breed is not that popular in Europe. It might be the result of a pretty specific personality of do - khyi. These are dogs with a very complex and fragile psyche. Loyal and devoted to their owner, at the same time independent and stubborn. A lot of strictness and consistency is required in their raising. The earliest period of life - puppy and young years - is most crucial , it is the time for a Tibetan Mastiff to learn the wonders of the world. If you happen to mistreat them or ruin the feeling of safety then, it might harm a delicate dog’s psyche for life. Raising a small Tibetan is most effective when conducted by consistent and patient people. Owner’s aggressive behaviour or chain training aimed at dominating a dog are completely out of the question. Only patience and consistency work !
Do – khyi is a great guardian. Nothing escapes their notice ! They themselves decide upon the size of a territory to protect. A space they choose might not necessarily be only your domestic premises. It happens that everything a dog sees on the horizon is considered to be a territory to guard. Even an elderly woman carrying her shopping bags in the distance could be perceived as an aggressor! And all that can be heard by the whole neighbourhood will be a constant stream of loud barking coming from the throat of our beloved pet. A Tibetan Mastiff’s voice is a powerful weapon, but also a bone of contention with neighbours. How can we prevent this unpleasant situation ? The answer is to teach our puppy how to behave properly. Praising and rewarding your dog for a good behaviour is one of the most appropriate methods to achieve the goal and train our pet.
A TM’s personality is a mixture of many traits. Faithful as a dog, independent as a cat, stubborn as a donkey, mischevious as a monkey. They might be timid, too ! Can it be possible ? Might a fearless do - khyi be timid ? Yes, they might - provided the situation is unfamiliar and out of control. Therefore, it is really important to teach a puppy how to live in a society; to provide it with as many sensations as we can and to introduce new situations and objects. It is an unforgivable mistake to imprison small TMs on either tiny or gigantic premises just to make them guard it. Such a treatment will only produce wild and unhappy dogs.
Tibetan Mastiffs become adults at the age of 2-4. It is the time for them to become more communicative; to start to demand love and affection and to look bravely and loyally into their owners’ eyes. That is the moment when our dogs have grown up; got to know the world with no fear and trauma. The moment they know who they are and which position in a pack they take. And that is this particular and special moment, when they will entirely give themselves to us, thus expressing their gratitude for patient and good treatment...
...And it is also a high time you had your house redecorated!
