Tibetan Dogs

Not a Loin it is Tibetan Dogs

I recently talked to a group of my Tibetan friends about Tibetan dogs. I told them that I was going to write an article on them and needed some of their expert opinions. What you are about to read is coming from my personal experience with Tibetan dogs and from 20 of my closest Tibetan friends.

Nearly every family in Tibet has a dog. From Lhasa to Amdo, Kham to Ngari most Tibetan families will have at least one Tibetan Mastiff. These are huge dogs. It is not uncommon for them to weigh between 60 and 70 kg (132 to 154 lbs) or more. The dog pictured above weighed about 40 kg (88 lbs) and was only 7 months old! A pure bred Tibetan Mastiff is not cheap. I have seen 1 year old dogs selling for over $50,000! About the cheapest you will see them is for around $1200.

Tibetan Mastiffs are used by nomads to protect their sheep, horses and yaks. Wolves prowl around Tibet trying to steal sheep. Tibetan Mastiffs are fearless and will fight with wolves in order to protect the livestock and family. These dogs also scare away thieves who come trying to steal yaks. Some nomads keep their dogs chained to a pole that is hammered into the ground, but many nomads let their dogs roam free. If you ever come up to a nomad family, you must be careful of the dog. The dog will attack anyone that it is not familair with. The dog will not stop attacking until the owner calls it off.

Tibetans love their dogs. It is basically a member of the family. Tibetan children love playing with their dog like in many other cultures. Tibetan dogs are familiar with everyone in the family. If anyone who the dog doesn't know comes to a nomad tent or to a Tibetan house, the dog will bark loudly and try to attack them. The owner only needs to say one word and the dog will back down. Tibetan dogs are very smart and obedient. If a family member leaves for a long period of time, the dog will never forget them.

Tibetan Mastiffs are usually fed beef and tsamba (roasted barley flour that is made into a dough). They also eat whatever leftovers need to be thrown out. It is not uncommon to see Tibetan dogs eating noodles or butter. Tibetan dogs have thick fur to protect from the extreme cold of Tibet. Most dogs sleep outside. Tibetans who live in houses will build a small dog house for their dog, but dogs belonging to nomads sleep on the open Plateau. Most dogs are given a name, but the names are different than the names given to people. Often the name will be a description of what the dog looks like. Many Tibetan Mastiffs are black with patches of brown around the neck and feet. We don't have a dog now, but we hope to buy one in the future.