Welcome to Doris and Dodger's Tibetan mastiff website!!

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Hi and welcome to Amanda's Tibetan mastiff owner site about our two Tibetan mastiffs, Doris and Dodger! Tony and I live in Chislehurst, Kent in the UK. We are not breeders although we hope to get Dodger hip scored in the next year.

This web site can’t explain the entire history of the Tibetan Mastiff (TM) nor do I want to repeat what is on other websites... This is really a basic grounding and information about the breed. I have now been to enough 'Discover dogs' with our two to have an idea of the questions prospective owners of the breed have. It is my intention to answer those questions here.

 I also aim to tell you what TM's are not, mainly because of a certain Times article published a few years ago which made some really outrageous claims about the breed, as in, they are not 18 stone, they are rare, but not as rare as only 100 dogs in existence and, as much as I would love for my two dogs to see their 21st birthday, it is sadly not the case, more like 12-14 years if you are lucky. (See the abysmally researched Times article above, to read further!

It is well reported that Tibetan Mastiffs are one of the oldest of the large breeds and came from the Himalayan Plateau to guard the nomadic campsites rather than the monasteries as is sometimes reported. They are still also a rare breed, and I understand there are only 400 in the UK, and on the last count, 12 breeders. To add to the rarity, only 2-5 litters are whelped in the UK annually, between December to February. The bitches only have one oestrus a year, around early October.

So what are they like? Aloof, slow to mature, especially the males, utterly beautiful, they tend to do everything in their own sweet time. They are not like your average manic springer or Retriever though they are full of beans as pups. This gives an image of a wilful dog although it is clear that this is a breed that can think for themselves and not just assess risks but manage them too!!

They love company, are fond of barking in the early hours and can dig large holes for you to discover at inopportune times, such as just before a big family barbecue!! They even manage to look immensely proud of theirselves!!

That said, the TM have beautiful temperaments. They should not be regarded as guard dogs but can be regarded as guardians and are lovely with children who are educated to respect this awesome dog.

For the breed standard, a copy can be found at the Tibetan Mastiff Club of Great Britain website (click link below)