China has gone crazy with love for one single breed, making it a kind of symbol of the Celestial Empire. Although, perhaps such a friend is worth it. Tibetan Mastiffs are one of the 14 oldest dog breeds that are closest in genes to wolves. Asians love this breed very much for its powerful and unusual appearance. The Mastiff has come a long way from being a guardian of Nepalese and Tibetan residents to probably the most status dog in Russia and the world.
History of the breed
There is an opinion that the Tibetan dog became the ancestor of all modern Molossians . The University of Nianjin published a study, according to the findings of scientists from this university, most modern dog breeds diverged from wolves 42,000 years ago, and Tibetan mastiffs - 58,000 years ago. However, it is worth noting that there are those who disagree with this report.
But there is a lot of evidence about this breed, it was mentioned by Aristotle , around 350 BC. Then he described in detail both the appearance and the special bark of the mastiff. Marco Polo , who made his famous journey through China in the 15th century, also spoke about this animal The collections contain a considerable number of Chinese miniatures with Tibetan mastiffs depicted on them.
A pair of individuals was presented as a gift to the English King George V in the 19th century. They say that the king was delighted with them and rarely parted with his favorites. Thanks to this fact, mastiffs became popular among the nobility. But the war led to the almost complete disappearance of Tibetan mastiffs in Europe; for example, in England there are only 300 individuals.
In China, the breed developed and gradually became a sign of the highest status of its owner . In ancient times, it was also highly valued for its unsurpassed protective qualities. It is known for certain that a mastiff can repel the attack of a leopard or wolf.
Saint Bernard
The Saint Bernard is the heaviest among the largest and most powerful dog breeds. The usual weight of these giants is 75-90 kg. However, you can meet a St. Bernard weighing 120 kg.
Did you know? In 1978, a representative of this breed became a real record holder, moving a load of three tons to a distance of 4.5 meters. It took him 1.5 minutes to do this.
Distinctive features of St. Bernard representatives:
- wise eyes;
- friendliness;
- stability of character;
- playfulness.
Saint Bernards love winter very much - not a single dog misses the opportunity to play in the snow.
At a young age, St. Bernards are stubborn and refuse to follow commands or requests, which causes inconvenience to their owners. In such cases, you should communicate more with your pet and give him time for quality rest, and spend more time with him outside.
If you and your family are discreet about snoring, drooling and fur, then such a dog will become your best and most loyal friend.
Important! They begin to train the St. Bernard from the time he appears in the house.
Temperament and character of the mastiff
This is a dog that will become an equal partner in the family , it will respect the owner as the leader of the pack, but will not tolerate humiliation and rude treatment. At the same time, they are very attentive to family members, especially the younger ones.
The loud, guttural bark of a mastiff will scare away a thief from the area. They like to sleep during the day, so at night they can be overly active. It is better to let the animal into the house at night and release it into the yard in the morning. They have a very strong sense of ownership, so Tibetans are wary of even frequent family guests.
They have a very sharp mind , but are also stubborn ; most representatives of the breed benefit from obedience courses, but a few will remain independent and stubborn for life. To have a healthy psyche, a pet needs to communicate with its owner every day; dogs of this breed have a strong internal connection with the owner. Socialization is also required for the puppy to develop properly.
Mastiffs are very sensitive to changes: moving, the arrival of a new family member, a change in attitude can affect the behavior of the pet. Therefore, they are not recommended for military and law enforcement service.
Standard sizes
Mastiff (dog): what types of breed are there?
Mastiff is a large dog, height at the withers is from 66 cm (males) and from 61 cm (females). Male weight is 45-74 kg, female – 35-55 kg. The maximum weight of representatives of the breed is 115-130 kg, while the dogs are not fat; their impressive muscle mass gives them impressive weight.
Note! If you plan to participate in exhibitions, you need to watch your diet. The dog has a predisposition to rapid weight gain.
Reliable security guard
The most expensive dogs in the world
Despite the difficulties in raising and maintaining such a large dog, the breed is popular all over the world, and in China the Tibetan Mastiff has become almost a totem animal. The growth in popularity has been greatly facilitated by the fact that puppies of this breed have been sold for record amounts in the past few years.
All the first 3 places in the ranking of the most expensive dogs are occupied by Tibetan mastiffs and all of them were sold in China.
This price race started in 2009, when a Chinese businesswoman purchased a puppy for $500,000 . The male was named Yang Tzu No. 2. Then this price created a sensation; the puppy was purchased at the prestigious annual Chinese exhibition of Tibetan mastiffs.
Every year in China there is an exhibition where the best representatives of the breed are shown, where you can buy a puppy or stand in line for one of the planned litters in the future.
The same exhibition in northern China showed the world the next record value in 2011. A Tibetan mastiff named Hong Dong has already been sold for $1.5 million . The 11-month-old puppy at the time of sale weighed 90 kg, was 80 cm at the withers and continued to grow. From Chinese the name of the animal is translated as “Big Flash”. It was bought by a coal magnate.
In 2013, the puppy Emperor, who was valued at $1.6 million, .
And more recently, in 2014, the most expensive dog on earth went under the hammer: a Tibetan mastiff for $1,950,000 . The puppy was sold by a breeder who had previously exhibited dogs for astronomical sums. The dog was bought by a Chinese developer. Occasionally they write about the dog that he eats exclusively fresh meat, and he has his own servant. It is assumed that the owner will try to get offspring from him. We can assume that this is the wealthiest dog.
All the dogs sold for such sums were males with red coat color , this is the color that is considered elite. Breeders even resort to inbreeding to achieve color intensity. The special expression of the muzzle with slightly protruding brow ridges, as if hanging over the eyes, is also very much appreciated. In China, there are known cases where puppies even tried to undergo plastic surgery on their faces. Unfortunately, despite the fact that such an operation costs from 50 to 100 thousand dollars, in 70% of cases it ends in death.
In addition to the dog’s exterior and parents, a lot of additional factors that are incomprehensible to Westerners play a big role, for example, the puppy’s zodiac sign and year of birth according to the Eastern calendar.
The Chinese say:
“Gold has a price, but the Tibetan mastiff is priceless.”
Zeus - god of canine Olympus
In 2013, another fact was added to the Guinness Book of Records - the Great Dane Zeus was noted as the tallest dog that ever lived.
The height of the largest dog in the world is 111.8 cm, it weighs more than 70 kg, it was born in the USA in the state of Michigan, the town of Otego.
Next to this simply incredible size dog, the owners seem like teenage children.
According to them, you need to be very careful so that Zeus does not accidentally step on your foot, otherwise there will be a bruise.
And if the dog suddenly wants to stand on its hind legs, its height, to the envy of basketball coaches, will be 2.24 meters.
So it was impossible for Zeus to hide the goodies on the top shelves of the cabinets.
The giant Great Dane's daily diet consisted of 14 kilograms of dog food.
Moreover, if the owners wanted to go on a picnic with their pet, a simple passenger car was not suitable for this.
A truck was purchased specifically to make transporting Zeus possible.
A “little” dog who eats in a day as much as some people eat in a week
The huge Great Dane evoked mixed feelings among passers-by. The owner, Denis Dorlag, shares that she sometimes heard questions like: “Is this a dog or a horse?”
And there is nothing to be offended by here, because the dog really could easily compete with a pony in size.
Those who were especially brave asked to take a photo with this dog, who, however, didn’t mind.
Maintenance and care
For obvious reasons, none of the buyers were ever identified by name in the press. Journalists were only given their occupation and pseudonym. But it is clear that these people have the opportunity to keep a dog in a country house, since they are absolutely not apartment dwellers. This breed requires space and some freedom, so an expensive home with a large yard is best for them.
The dog can be fed steamed veal or lamb , as well as vegetables and oils, carefully balanced in the diet. But most dog owners outside the Middle Kingdom feed their Tibetan mastiffs with high-quality premium dry food. The dog should always have plenty of fresh water. a canopy in the yard so that the dog can hide from the sun in the shade, as they are sensitive to heat.
Special care is required for the coat , which must be combed very carefully with different types of brushes. Washing is required once every 6 weeks. You also need to wipe the folds on the face with wet wipes every day.
A bored mastiff can chew and break things, dig a hole in the yard, howl and bark loudly. If offended by the owner, it can run away.
This breed lives for about 14 years and matures relatively late. They reach full bloom at the age of 6-7 years .
Relay of Greatness
Before Zeus, the title of “biggest dog in the world” was held by a Great Dane named George.
His height at the withers was about 110 cm, and he weighed 111 kg and did not look fat at all.
Like Zeus, George was a socially active dog, regularly participating in charity events and attending various television shows.
Well built and beautifully silver in color, George was incredibly photogenic.
The owner of the huge Great Dane George seems like a midget compared to his pet
George took over the baton of greatness from his great predecessor, the Great Dane Gibson.
This dog was 108 cm tall at the withers, and standing on its hind legs, it reached 2.13 m. Moreover, for his owner, Sandy Hall, Gibson became a real find.
According to her, she, being keen on breeding Great Danes since 1982, dreamed of raising the tallest dog. Well, dreams come true!
Despite his truly gigantic size, Gibson is a very friendly and calm dog.
Before Gibson, the 70-kilogram Great Dane Nova, who, like the rest of her followers, lived in the USA, was recognized as the tallest dog in the world.
Standing on her hind legs, Madame Nova reached 1.8 m in height. It's funny, but this beautifully built noble dog was very afraid of small dogs.
But she herself often liked to behave like a puppy. She rolled on the floor, stole goodies from the table, and ran around the house like a madwoman.
But when the owner’s daughter came with her three-year-old son, Nova behaved like the most gentle nanny in the world.
Despite her size, Nova is afraid of small dogs barking on the street.
Anonymous Chinese buyer.
The owner of the dog, with a record value of 1.5 million (10 million yuan or £945,000), was a multimillionaire industrialist involved in coal mining in southern China. The transaction was recorded on March 12, 2011 in the city of Qingdao.
The name of the new owner is kept secret for security reasons, since he will be an excellent target for both journalists and criminals. Hong Dong (this is the dog's Chinese name) went to his new home, accompanied by several guards, but his owner was very pleased with his pet. Not surprising, because one mating of any female with a Big Splash will cost her owners $15,000 . And the amount of income from this dog’s puppies is generally difficult to predict, but some people are already ready to pay at least $100,000 for a puppy from this dog...
Tibetan mastiff. Just look at this fluffy giant! (10 photos)
People's tastes in choosing dogs are very diverse. Recently, some voters have expressed a preference for vicious fighting dogs. Currently, small dogs that look like toys from a store have come into fashion.
However, even among such animals you can find dogs whose cost exceeds the annual living expenses of the entire family. You will never see such an expensive dog on the avenues of your city. But in our country it is not easy to find.
These days, the most expensive dog is a dog named Hong Dong. The dog was purchased by a multimillionaire and Chinese coal shark for 10 million yuan or $1.5 million. The highest price for this dog was set at the auction. After the purchase was completed, the dog, together with the multimillionaire’s security, went to his house.
