(Tibetan Mastiff)
ORIGIN : Tibet.
PATRONAGE
: FCI.
DATE
OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD
: 24.03.2004.
UTILIZATION
: A companion,
watch and guard dog.
CLASSIFICATION
F.C.I.
: Group
2
Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossoid breeds- Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs
and other breeds.
Section
2.2
Molossoid breeds, Mountain type.
Without
working trial.
BRIEF
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
: The Tibetan Mastiff (Do Khyi) is an ancient working breed of the nomad herders
of the Himalaya and a traditional guardian of the Tibetan monasteries.
It has been surrounded by great myth since its first discovery in
antiquity. From
the mentioning by Aristoteles (384-322 b.C.) to the famous writings of Marco
Polo, who went to Asia in 1271, all historical reports praise the natural
strength and impressiveness of the Tibetan Mastiff- both physically and mentally.
Even its bark has been described as a unique and highly treasured feature
of the breed. Leading
European cynologists of the past, like Martin and Youatt, Megnin, Beckmann,
Siber as well as Strebel and Bylandt have intensively covered the Tibetan
Mastiff, as they had been fascinated by its origin and function in the Tibetan
culture. Some
even considered the breed to be the very forefather of all large mountain and
mastiff breeds.
One of the first known Tibetan Mastiffs to reach Western shores was a
male sent to Queen Victoria by Lord Hardinge (then Viceroy of India) in 1847.
Later in the 1880s, Edward VII (then Prince of Wales) took two dogs back
to England. An
early recorded litter of Tibetan Mastiffs was born in 1898 in the Berlin Zoo.
GENERAL
APPEARANCE
: Powerful, heavy, well built, with good bone.
Impressive; of solemn and earnest appearance.
Combines majestic strength, robustness and endurance; fit to work in all
climate conditions.
Slow to mature, only reaching its best at 2-3 years in females and at
least 4 years in males.
IMPORTANT
PROPORTIONS
:
Skull
measured from occiput to stop equal to muzzle from stop to end of nose but
muzzle may be a little shorter.
Body
slightly longer than height at withers.
BEHAVIOUR
/ TEMPERAMENT
: Independent.
Protective.
Commands
respect. Most
loyal to his family and territory.
HEAD
: Broad, heavy and strong.
In adults a wrinkle may extend from above the eyes down to the corner of
mouth.
CRANIAL
REGION
:
Skull
: Large, very slightly rounded, with strongly pronounced occiput.
Stop
: Well
defined.
FACIAL
REGION
:
Nose
: Broad, as dark as possible depending on coat colour, well opened nostrils.
Muzzle
: Fairly
broad, well filled and deep.
End of muzzle square. Lips : Well developed and covering the
underjaw.
Jaws/Teeth
: Jaws
strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper incisors
closely overlapping the lower incisors and set square to the jaws.
Level bite acceptable.
Dentition fits tightly.
Eyes
: Medium size, any shade of brown and in accordance with coat colour, the darker
the better. Set
well apart, oval and slightly slanting. Eyelids tightly fitting the eyeball.
Expression of dignity.
Ears
: Medium size, triangular, pendant, set between the level of the skull and the
eye, dropping forward and hanging close to head; carried forward when alert.
Ear leathers covered with soft, short hair.
NECK
: Strong, well muscled, arched.
Not too much dewlap.
Covered
by thick upstanding mane, not so pronounced in bitches.
BODY
: Strong.
Back
:
Straight, muscular.
Croup
: Broad and rather flat.
Chest
: Rather deep, of moderate breadth, with good spring of rib, to give
heart-shaped ribcage.
Brisket reaching to below elbows.
TAIL
: Medium length.
Set high on line with top of back, carried high, loosely curled over
back, when dog alert or in motion; well feathered.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS
: Straight, well angulated, well covered all over with strong hair.
Shoulders
: Well
laid, muscular.
Elbows
: Neither turned in nor out.
Forearms
: Straight. Strong
bone.
Metacarpus
(Pasterns)
: Strong, slightly sloping.
HINDQUARTERS
: Powerful, muscular, with good angulation.
Seen from behind, hindlegs parallel.
Upper
thigh
: Rather long; strong, with good hard muscles, but not bulging.
Stifle
: Well bent
Hock
: Strong, low set.
Dewclaws
optional.
FEET
: Fairly large, strong, round and compact, with good feathering between
well-arched toes.
GAIT
/ MOVEMENT
:
Powerful, but always light and elastic: with good reach and drive.
When speed increases tends to single track.
When walking appears very deliberate.
Capable of functioning over a varied terrain with stamina and suppleness.
COAT
HAIR
: Quality of greater importance than quantity.
Coat harsh, thick, top coat not too long, with dense and rather wolly
undercoat in cold weather which becomes rather sparse in warmer months. Males
carry noticeably more coat than females. Hair fine but harsh, straight and
off-standing. Never
silky, curly or wavy.
Neck and shoulders heavily coated, giving mane-like appearance.
Tail bushy and well feathered; hindlegs well feathered on upper rear
parts.
COLOUR
: Rich black, with or without tan marking; blue, with or without tan markings;
gold, from rich fawn to deep red, sable.
All colours to be as pure as possible.
Tan ranges from a rich chestnut to a lighter colour. White star on breast
permissible. Minimal
white markings on feet acceptable. Tan markings appear above eyes, on lower part
of legs and underside of tail.
Tan markings on muzzle; spectacle markings tolerated around eyes.
SIZE
:
Height
at the withers
: Dogs
:
66 cm (26 ins) minimum,.
Bitches
:
61 cm (24 ins) minimum..
FAULTS
:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the
seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact
proportion to its degree.
SEVERE
FAULTS
:
Lacking
physical condition and fitness.
Head
light or heavily wrinkled.
Pendulous
flews.
Pronounced
dewlap.
Large
and/or low set ears.
Light
eyes or staring expression.
Weak
pigmentation, particularly of nose.
Barrelled
ribs.
Tightly
curled tail over hips.
Over
angulated or straight hindquarters.
Heavy
constrained movement.
Under
minimum height, tolerance 2 cm.
ELIMINATING
FAULTS
:
Aggressive
or overly shy.
Undershot
or overshot mouth.
All
other colours than above mentioned e.g. white, cream, grey, brown (liver),
lilac, brindle, particolours.
Any
dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B.
: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into
the scrotum.
