All Dog Breeds >>Temprament of Tibetan Mastiff
The Tibetan Mastiff is intelligent, highly independent, self-confident, self-aware, curious, and courageous. This is an aloof and watchful guardian breed. He is highly protective of family and property, so it may be difficult to bring people into your home. This is important to consider if you have children. A TM might view your child's playmates' actions (screeching, running, waving their arms) as aggression. And they may not listen to you when you tell them that someone is not a threat, as they believe that they know more about the situation than you do. This is a dominant and territorial breed and socialization from an early age is crucial. They often get along well with other animals when properly introduced, though they can display dominance over unfamiliar dogs, and aggression towards dogs of the same sex. Like most breeds, the TM does best with animals he is raised with.
Because of the size, strength, and stubbornness of the Tibetan Mastiff, early obedience training is a good idea. Obedience training can be challenging with this breed, but they are trainable. Just don't expect to wallpaper your house with ribbons from obedience trials. The Tibetan Mastiff has been making his own decisions for thousands of years and will have his own agenda today. Luckily, they are easy to housetrain. They are gentle and patient which respectful children, but when a TM has had enough play, he needs to be allowed to walk away from children, without being pursued. The Tibetan Mastiff will want to be part of the family and will bond closely with you, but is often reserved with his affections. These dogs mature slowly, and do not reach full maturity till they are 3-5 years old. They can be amazingly destructive, especially if bored, and they get bored easily. They have strong jaws and have eaten through doors and chain-link fences.
They also love to dig. They are active outside and need moderate levels of exercise. They do best with room to romp around in, but they need to be kept contained, as they will roam if not fenced in. (Some TM's can climb fences!) And they are not reliable on the recall! They bark, and have a loud, deep voice, which they often employ at night. Many Tibetan Mastiffs are difficult eaters and will go 4-5 days without eating. But if all this sounds like a fun challenge to you, then a Tibetan Mastiff makes a loyal companion who will certainly protect you and yours, though the mere sight of him will probably prevent him from ever having to.