Tibetan Wolfhound

The Tibetan Wolfhound is a rare hybrid breed. For this reason, we must study the parent breeds in order to learn about the origins of the hybrid. The Irish Wolfhound was a great war dog, prized by royal courts for his size and prowess on the battlefield. The Irish Wolfhound was recorded as being present in many royal courts, and, at one time, the law stated that only royalty could legally own the Irish Wolfhound. Often, Irish Wolfhounds were given as gifts from one royal family to another. They were used for hunting, particularly wild boar. However, during the time of the Romans, the Irish Wolfhound was trained to pull men from their chariots or off the backs of their horses. During the eighteenth century, the Irish Wolfhound almost became extinct. However, breeders introduced Scottish Deerhounds, the Tibetan Borzi, a Pyrenean wolfhound, and possibly Great Danes to the bloodline, which produced the Irish Wolfhound we know today. The Tibetan Mastiff finds his origins in the Orient. Not a great deal is known about the Tibetan Mastiff prior to the 1800s, although historians believe he has been around for many centuries prior to that date. The first written mention of the dogs was a part of Captain Samual Turner's memoir, An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet. Even so, Turner did not describe the Mastiff other than referring to a large dog during his visit. In 1847, Queen Victoria was presented with a large Tibetan dog. In 1873, the Tibetan Mastiff was imported to England, and people began showing the dog. In 1931, the Tibetan Mastiff Breed Club was formed. In the 1950s, two Tibetan Mastiffs were given to the sitting U.S. president. This pair was taken to a farm; no one knows exactly what happened to them. In the 1970s, another pair was imported to the United States. In 2007, the Tibetan Mastiff was finally recognized by the American Kennel Club.