The Tibetan Mastiff (Do-khyi) is a very ancient breed and type of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) originating with nomadic cultures of Central Asia. The Tibetan Mastiff also known as Do-khyi meaning ‘home guard’, reflects its use as a home guard. “Bhote Kukur” in Nepali means Tibetan Dog. In Mandarin Chinese, the name is 藏獒 (Zang’Ao), which literally means Tibetan Mastiff or Tibetan “big ferocious dog”.

A lot of legends revolve around the Tibetan Mastiffs. Judging from its priciness (a purebred Tibetan Mastiff can cost up to 70,000 U.S. dollars), the level of interest in them is not surprising.

The most widespread legend about Tibetan mastiffs is as follows: A long, long time ago, there was an outbreak of a mountain torrent one year and the land was covered with ice and snow in the winter. With a rampant plague, people were suffering from various types of hardships, and a heavenly god riding a Tibetan mastiff came from the heavens. Ice and snow thawed and the earth came back to life and the people were saved.

The legend reflects the attention that Tibetan people have placed on Tibetan mastiffs. There were only a small number of Tibetan mastiffs during the times of serfdom in Tibet, and expensive Tibetan mastiffs were luxuries. Their numbers were small and owners were limited to the nobles.

Since Tibetan mastiffs were not allowed to be bred in serfdom, they gradually became a breed of sacred dogs both in legends and in reality.

Today, Tibetan mastiffs have become the favorite pets of Tibetan people. They treat Tibetan mastiffs like a family member and are said to have three major treasures: Tibetan mastiffs, excellent horses and sharp knives.