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Tibetan Mastiff

The Tibetan Mastiff is a Himalayan livestock guardian breed, working nomadic flocks on the Tibetan plateau at elevation.

Calculate Tibetan Mastiff age
Lifespan13.3 yrrange 10–14
SizeGiantWorking Group
Weight70–150 lb31.8–68 kg
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8

Gallery (3)

About

About the Tibetan Mastiff

The Tibetan Mastiff is a Himalayan livestock guardian breed, working nomadic flocks on the Tibetan plateau at elevation. The breed is typed distinctly from European molossers despite shared guardian function; Indian and Nepalese lines diverge from modern Chinese show lines.

Aging

How Tibetan Mastiffs age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 13.3 years (n=139, small UK sample). Canine inherited demyelinating neuropathy (CIDN) is the defining breed-specific inherited concern — DNA-testable — with hip dysplasia and hypothyroidism secondary late-life issues.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.3 yr · range 10–14Senior careSenior at 5 · geriatric at 8Common health issues3 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
70–150 lb(31.8–68 kg)
Height
24–26 in(61–66 cm)
Coat type
Double
Colors
Cream SableBlue GrayBrown & TanRed Gold SableBlue Gray & TanBlackBlack & TanBrownRed GoldCream
Temperament

Temperament

How Tibetan Mastiffs tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

reservedintelligentstubbornaloof
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Tibetan Mastiffs are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.