Complete Care Guide for Your Tibetan Mastiff: Training, Living, Exercise, Grooming, and More

Grooming

The Tibetan Mastiff has no doggy smell and requires little or no bathing (unless he gets into something disgusting). An occasional brushing through of the thick double coat to remove dead hairs is recommended. Those allergic to dog hair often find they are not affected. The dogs do not shed much-except during the spring when they moult their undercoat profusely (and need a daily brushing) and retain their sleek summer coat of guard hairs. Dogs brought up in a house with central heating and/or air conditioning will notice this may affect their coat development.

The best time to start a grooming routine is as soon as you acquire your pup.

If made a routine since puppy hood, the TM and owner will find that grooming time is a wonderfully relaxing time that is just as enjoyable for the owner as it is for the TM. Grooming should be done in a non-stressful environment without time constraints if possible.

Grooming also is an excellent step in preventative medicine. It is during this time that you can assess any questionable problems that may be found before they become big (and often expensive) problems. Checking for hot spots, tooth decay, eye infections, parasites, lumps, cuts, embedded or impaled grasses-sticks-etc. in ears, skin, eyes, foot pads etc. are all essential to keep your TM comfortable, happy, and in good health. If in the city, you will ant to check for things like asphalt, tar, gum, glass and the like in their pads. If you are in the country, you will want to double check for burrs, sticks, seeds, moulds, thorns or anything else in their environment that may endanger the comfort or health of your TM.

In males, you will want to check their penis and sheath for signs of inflammation or infection. In females, you will want to check the vaginal opening for signs of infection (especially if your female is in heat) especially foul smelling discharge.

Note: TM's are extremely sensitive to fleas and skin irritations caused by the bites. Due to the high altitude in Tibet from where the TM comes from, where fleas do not live, no immunity was formed against the saliva of the flea.

The TM is a double-coated breed consisting of longer-straight, coarse hairs (especially along the spine, hackles and 'mane') and a thick undercoat that may range from cottony to wooly consistency. Some TM's carry a much denser coat then others and are more prone than other TM's to matting. Once per year (usually in the spring) the TM will 'blow coat'. This is when the undercoat will come out profusely in large clumps. Daily brushing/combing during this time is recommended.

Clipping or shearing of the TM's coat to keep it cool in the summer is not recommended as their coats act as an insulator in the summer as well as the winter months. Small mats may be taken out with a de-matting comb.

A show dogs' coat should never have any cutting done to it except to clean up the feet.

Basic grooming tools for your TM are large nail clippers, large pin brush, and medium to fine metal comb, de-matting rake, a large pin brush and possibly a slicker brush for finishing touches. When brushing or combing, start at the bottom and work upwards and from back to front. Ensuring that you are getting down to the skin and moving outwards. When finished, your TM will shake and his fur will naturally fall into place beautifully.