Tibetan Mastiffs – Nature vs. Nurture

We are a special group of people because we care about the preservation of a very special breed of dog, the Tibetan Mastiff. As a group, we are drawn to Tibetan Mastiffs because of their nature; how they look, how they protect, and how they love.

What we need to remember, being a part of this special group of people, is that our “fur babies” have centuries of breeding engrained into their very nature and we need to accept that from the get-go.

Tibetan Mastiffs are independent thinkers, so assuming that just because they have been well-trained and loved with the brilliance of a thousand suns they will automatically do what WE want them to do is unreasonable. While we can nurture the training into their repertoire, at the end of the day, they will do what their nature demands.

We should know better than to put too much on our Tibetan Mastiffs. It sets them up for failure. While they can be trained, it is too much pressure for a centuries-old breed that has been bred to be a “not Labrador.” We specifically chose these animals for their particular traits. We cannot expect them to be something that was not as advertised.

Sure, some Tibetan Mastiffs are extremely social, and some might have no problem with sharing food/toys/humans, and some might not want to stand on our dining room tables for the best view of their territory, but those qualities that make our lives easier as dog owners are not a given in a TM’s nature. We can nurture all we want, but remember what brought us to this breed in the first place. They will not be pushed around and they demand the respect they believe is afforded them due to their birthright.

Tibetan Mastiffs protect not because we trained them to; they protect because they view us, our families, our homes, our food, our dog toys, etc. as theirs. They protect what is theirs. So, please remember that while we can train these beautiful animals to do tricks and (occasionally) follow our wishes, they are only doing so because they have deemed our requests as acceptable at that moment in time.

We need to honor what drew us to this breed in the first place and let them be Tibetan Mastiffs. We cannot “love” them into becoming Labradors. The Labrador way of life is not their nature. They are Tibetan Mastiffs, after all. As such, we need to decide to handle them by not putting them in situations that could likely hurt them, us, or our relationships with them.

Bottom Line: It is up to us to protect them by not putting them in situations where they are likely to fail. They deserve the freedom to be what they were meant to be: Our Beloved Tibetan Mastiffs.

Tibetan Mastiff Breed Magazine

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Read and learn more about the Tibetan Mastiff dog breed with articles and information in our Tibetan Mastiff Breed Magazine.

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