Tibetan Mastiff (Detailed Introduction)

　　The Tibetan Mastiff, originally from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a large, fierce, droopy-eared fierce dog. In the feudal society of Tibetan serfdom, only kings and temple abbots had the right and qualification to raise them. Its body length is about 120 centimeters.
　　Appearance Characteristics
　　A purebred adult Tibetan Mastiff weighs 50~60 kilograms, is about 1 meter long, with a shoulder height above 0.6 meters. It is strong and fierce, muscular, with very little loose skin, a curved body shape, covered with erect mane. Even at rest, its fierce appearance makes ordinary people dare not approach. The Tibetan Mastiff is as strong as a tiger and fierce in fighting, hence the many records of biting incidents that earned it the reputation of a divine dog. It is also the only dog breed in the world not afraid of fierce beasts.
　Facial Features
　Coat Colors:
　　1. Black: Entire body pure black without mixed hair; a few white spots may appear under the neck and on the chest.
　　2. Chestnut Red: The coat is like ox hair red or jujube red, some hair tips have slight black fading.
　　3. Iron Wrapped Gold: Black back with yellow legs, two coin-sized yellow spots above the eyes (or black back with red legs, two round brownish-red spots above the eyes typical of Tibetan Mastiff).
　　4. Pure White: Entire body snow white, also known as Snow Mastiff.
　　5. Yellow Mastiff: (also called Red Mastiff) coat colors include grass yellow, brown yellow, golden yellow, and apricot yellow.
　　6. Gray.
　　Eyes: The eyeballs are yellow-brown, mostly triangular shaped. Some have the upper part of the eyeball hidden under the upper eyelid, exposing the red flesh of the lower eyeball called hanging eyes.
　　Ears: Triangular in shape, naturally drooping, relatively large, tightly attached to the face and positioned forward.
　　Muzzle:
　　1. Flat Muzzle: The upper lip does not hang over the lower lip, classified as a flat muzzle.
　　2. Hanging Muzzle: When closed, the upper lip hangs 5 cm below the lower lip; the middle to rear part of the lower lip droops.
　　3. Wrapped Muzzle: When closed, the lips form a wrapping shape.
　　Back: The chest should be broad, and the waist long and wide.
　　4. Teeth: Tibetan Mastiff teeth are carnivorous teeth with a bite force of 186.3 pounds, more than twice that of humans.
　　Body and Trunk:
　　Front body: Shoulders are level, backbone muscles well developed. The front legs are straight and sturdy, slightly inclined inward when standing.
　　Trunk: Robust, with a straight, broad back and well-developed muscles, the whole body slightly squatting. The chest hangs down below the elbows, trunk length slightly greater than height.
　　Back: Chest should be broad, waist long and wide.
　　Paws: The footpads are large and symmetrical, with hair between the toes, extending from the upper part of the claw to the upper rear part of the legs. The claws are tight like tiger claws.
　　Tail: Medium-long, length not exceeding the ankle joint, aligned with the back, naturally curled, commonly called "chrysanthemum tail," which can be divided into slant chrysanthemum and flat chrysanthemum.
　　Slant Chrysanthemum: Long tail hair, tightly curled and slanting over the Tibetan Mastiff’s back.
　　Flat Chrysanthemum: Long tail hair, tail root tightly curled, lying flat over the upper back, resembling a large chrysanthemum.
　　Sickle-shaped: Though the tail is raised, it does not curl tightly, shaped like a curved knife; some tails are raised straight up like a pillar.
　　Shoulder height: Male dogs have a shoulder height not less than 66 cm, females not less than 62 cm. Dogs meeting all these criteria are standard Tibetan Mastiffs; males with shoulder heights under 65 cm and females under 60 cm meeting other criteria are considered small Tibetan Mastiffs.
　　Coat:
　　The coat is thick (dense) and long, denser in winter than summer. Males have longer hair than females, with longer and coarser hair on the neck, shoulders, and back. The rear parts of front and hind legs have longer hair.
　　Gait:
　　The Tibetan Mastiff’s gait is light and elastic, natural and powerful, with a large stride. As speed increases, the tracks form a single line, with limb placements tending toward the body's midline. From the side, the start and stop of movement show the most powerful and extended dynamics, and the sound and power during movement are more important than speed.