Mastiffs are a common name for a group of breeds that include Neapolitan, Major, South African, English, Spanish, Brazilian, American and other varieties of similar dogs.
The Tibetan Mastiff is the oldest breed of dog in the world, most of whose activity was limited to maintaining order in Tibetan monasteries.
In addition, the dog did not disdain helping nomads in the Himalayan mountains.
The entire history of the formation of the breed is replete with legends and myths; moreover, many authors sincerely sang the strength of these dogs, be it physical or spiritual.
Description of the Tibetan Mastiff breed
The breed has a dense undercoat and long, straight coat . The dogs themselves do not feel constrained, and thanks to their thick hair they can live without a kennel all year round. The body of the animal is rough, but well built.
Due to their size, individuals rarely show interest in active life, and their calm disposition makes them look like Tibetan monks. Just as quiet and peaceful.
Dog health
The weak point of the Amertoys is their legs. Inherited fragility of the skeleton leads to frequent fractures and dislocations. Such injuries cause the development of lameness and bone deformation.
American Toy Foxes are also predisposed to:
- demodicosis and other skin diseases;
- food allergies;
- Perthes syndrome (blood supply to the femur is stopped);
- hypothyroidism (lack of thyroid hormones);
- von Willebrand disease (spontaneous bleeding).
Good or evil?
In appearance, the breed really inspires horror, looks stern and even embittered . Sometimes it seems that they suspect everyone they meet and will do everything possible to ward off a potential troublemaker from the owner.
The mastiff is scary not only with its appearance, but also with its voice.
The animal has a rather specific bark with a special range . This is due to the power of the chest and extensive lungs, which sharply push air into the larynx.
However, this breed only looks angry.
The Tibetan Mastiff is famous for its balanced character, ready to remain calm even in critical situations, provided that the safety of its own family is not at stake, which the dog treats with trepidation. Therefore, it is not surprising that the dog is able to appear both in the role of a protector and in the role of a nanny.
The mastiff has a special relationship with children.
Breeding Toy Fox Terriers
Breeding Toy Fox Terriers is a labor-intensive and responsible process. It requires a lot of physical effort and material costs. However, this is quite a profitable business, because there is a huge demand for miniature toy fox terriers in our country. These little dogs are especially popular among girls. They are attracted by his cute and aesthetically attractive appearance, kind disposition and irrepressible energy.
In order for a female Toy Fox Terrier to successfully reproduce, she must be strong and weigh at least two kilograms. She should have a straight back, a voluminous chest, and strong bones. When choosing a female, her color, height, and character are important. Heredity should also not be overlooked. You need to thoroughly study the pedigree, understand what problems the dog’s closest relatives had.
Next you should look for a manufacturer - a male. The dog must fully meet the breed standards, have good heredity and good health. The male's height should not be large. You need to choose a small manufacturer. Then it will be easier for the bitch to bear and give birth to puppies. If this is not the first mating for a male dog, it is advisable to look at previous puppies and find out what problems arose.
A bitch should not become pregnant or give birth before her 15th month. Until this age, the dog has not yet grown stronger and its body has not been fully formed. Before breeding, both dogs should be taken to a veterinarian for a preventive examination and tests. If everything is in order with the Toy Fox Terriers, you can get down to business. Mating should be carried out in the dog's territory. After the first time, you should definitely arrange a second meeting.
Pet Personality
This is a reserved dog. In relation to other animals, he behaves, if not friendly, then neutrally. Not emotional, she responds to the same aggression dryly, and may even ignore it completely.
He is distinguished by his independent character and stubbornness . This is not a stupid pet; on the contrary, the mastiff has an excellent sense of self-esteem, which is why it will be difficult to achieve anything from him if the dog does not share the owner’s opinion.
Video
* We invite you to watch a video about the Toy Fox Terrier . In fact, in front of you is a playlist in which you can select and watch any of 20 videos about a given dog breed by simply clicking on the button in the upper right corner of the window. In addition, the material contains quite a lot of photos. By looking at them you can find out what a Toy Fox Terrier looks like.
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Advantages and disadvantages
Positive sides:
- mind;
- restraint;
- innate guard qualities;
- distrust of strangers;
- devotion.
Negative:
- waywardness;
- stubbornness;
- special coat care;
- large breed size;
- requires patience and perseverance from the owner.
Let us outline the main advantages of the Tibetan mastiff - calm disposition and excellent watchdog qualities..
This is a territorial breed, so often owners do not have to spend time developing guarding skills.
Among the disadvantages, note the rather large size of the animal, which is sometimes cramped in small apartments . There are also difficulties in care. Despite its unpretentiousness, the dog has thick hair and a rather large size.
Interesting facts about Toy Fox Terriers
Despite the fact that Toy Fox Terriers were very rarely used for hunting, these animals did not lose their skills and instincts at all. Such a pet will definitely give chase to a cat, bird or rodent if it sees it on the street. It is better to walk the toy fox terrier on a leash if you do not want to then search for the dog throughout the area. Also, you should not house this pet with small pets.
Most Toy Fox Terriers are easy to train. They love to train, quickly learn commands, and show good results. But there is always an exception - stubborn and lazy puppies. The latter cannot be fought with aggression. The toy fox terrier needs to be interested. For example, create training for him in the form of a game. Then the pet will happily start training.
Toy Fox Terriers are wonderful companions. They can accompany their owner everywhere - on any journey. Due to its small size, such a dog is not prohibited from being taken on a plane or train or placed in a hotel room. The most important thing is to follow one rule - the toy fox terrier in a public place must be in a special carrying bag or in the arms of its owner.
Representatives of the Toy Fox Terrier breed are very susceptible to cold and drafts. Taking this into account, you should not place your dog’s bed near a window or door. Foxes can also catch a cold instantly if they go out for a walk with their owner in windy and rainy weather. You should not walk with this pet in the rain, and in winter it must be dressed in special warm dog clothes. She will be able to protect the toy fox terrier from colds.
Where is it better to keep it, in an apartment or on the street?
On this issue, the opinions of breeders and dog handlers are divided . Some believe that a mastiff does not belong in an apartment, others do not agree with this.
In practice, there were cases when keeping a Tibet in an enclosure did not give him the proper stress, because the owners were sure that they could limit themselves to walking.
In an apartment, the animal is often allocated a part of the living space, where the dog spends most of its time . But if the owner does not pay enough attention to the animal, then Tibet will fall into depression.
The situation is similar with a private house. A mastiff should not be left unattended in the yard, as the dog needs communication. In the worst case, the animal will begin to look for company on the side or acquire the habit of digging.
IMPORTANT!
If the owner has a yard, then it is worth making sure that it is well fenced.
Dogs are rarely limited to one territory, and some even strive to climb through the fence and escape.
History of the origin of toy fox terriers
The Smooth Fox Terrier was first recorded in the 1500s. This breed was developed and bred to help people while hunting. The dogs chased the foxes out of their holes. At that time, this breed did not have clear standards, because its representatives had completely different sizes. Some were tall and weighed about nine kilograms, while others rarely reached three kilograms in weight.
At that time, small, sleek fox terriers were more valuable. These are dogs with an inexhaustible source of energy. They were always ready for any adventure: defending a home, hunting rats or fighting a dog. Large representatives of the breed were less active. However, both small and large fox terriers were registered by the Kennel Club as one breed in 1912. Only twenty-four years later these dogs were separated.
Owners of the former began asking for the separation of small and large fox terriers in 1920. But these requests were not heard immediately. Only in 1936 did small fox terriers become a separate breed and received the name: “toy fox terrier”. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the breed even later - in 2003. Despite this, discussions about the size of such fox terriers took a long time.
Some breeders believed that the Toy Fox Terrier lacked height. Others tried to add the blood of other dogs, for example, Chihuahuas, to the breed. But for most owners of small fox terriers, these ideas were unacceptable. They didn't want to spoil the breed's gene pool. As a result, the OKS agreed with the latter and it was decided that the dogs should remain the same size. In 1960, the breed's stud book was closed.
How active are they? What kind of people is it suitable for?
Compared to puppies, the adult is not very active.
Tibetan Mastiffs are calm and reserved, but this does not mean that the breed does not need long walks to stay in shape..
As practice has shown, dogs can fit into any family. These are sociable animals that can easily find a common language with both adults and children. Another thing is the owner.
Mastiffs are demanding and the issue of leadership is not one of the last for dogs . To gain the respect of a Tibetan mastiff, the owner needs to have perseverance and patience.
How does he treat children? Animals?
In families with small children, Tibet takes the cubs under its protection. In games he is careful and consistent. The dog has a clear awareness of its own size, so it doesn’t experiment much with children.
He treats pranks with patience, and if he grumbles, it is only as a warning . Exceptions are cases when a dog witnesses a violent game between his charges and someone else's children.
Tibet is quite capable of taking the screams and hubbub of children as a sign of aggression. In this case, he will prevent his students from communicating with their peers. In the worst case, he will show retaliatory aggression.
However, dog experts say that it is not so much the character of the Tibetan mastiff that can pose a danger to a child, but rather its size.
On average, a dog grows to 60-75 cm and weighs 60-90 kg. In comparison, the height of a five-year-old child ranges from 80 to 100 cm, and body weight – 15-20 kg. It follows that even an accidental movement can cause injury.
The mastiff remains neutral with animals . It looks calm, and therefore does not pose a danger, not to mention the fact that most of the time Tibet sleeps in its place.
Popular colors of Toy Fox Terriers
The body of the American Toy Fox Terrier is densely covered with hair. The coat of this dog looks like satin - it is very shiny and smooth to the touch. This dog's coat is short, which helps it easily penetrate narrow fox holes when hunting. The coat is slightly longer only in the neck and shoulders. The thick cover reliably protects the animal’s thin but elastic skin from scratches and various injuries.
By the condition of the coat and skin, you can recognize a faulty breed. If a puppy has sagging skin, lack of elasticity or dull fur, then these are significant shortcomings of the breed. An unacceptable factor is wool with a wave. Such a puppy cannot belong to the Toy Fox Terrier breed and in the future he will not be allowed to participate in official shows or any competitions.
Toy Fox Terriers have a naturally harmonious coat color. The predominant color in it must be white. Several options are allowed for combining white with brown, black, black and tan, black and red at the same time. The most popular today are tri-colored puppies. In this case, the body is painted white with black spots and red markings on the face.
In second place in popularity is white and black and tan. These puppies have predominantly black hair on their heads. A prerequisite is the presence of tan spots in the area of the jaws, eyebrows and cheekbones. White may be present as spots on the lower part of the muzzle. Puppies with a white-brown coat color are bought a little less often. Brown hair should predominate on their head.
Are you picky about feeding?
Tibetan Mastiffs do not follow whims and eat relatively little, unlike the Boxer or Labrador.
On average, Tibetans eat 2 times a day, but when compiling a diet, it is advised to pay attention to the following components :
- lean meat, raw or cooked (beef, turkey, rabbit, veal);
- fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir, with the exception of milk);
- cereals (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal);
- boiled eggs;
- offal (liver, heart and lungs);
- boiled or fresh vegetables (cabbage, carrots).
- greens and fresh fruits.
Prohibited Products:
- sweet, salty food;
- fried, spicy;
- river and sea fish;
- sausages;
- legumes;
- potato;
- seasonings;
- tomatoes.
An excess of soft foods leads to the formation of tartar and plaque, so the diet should consist of a predominance of hard foods.
In addition, due to their large size, Tibetans suffer from joint diseases. To avoid this disease, owners are advised not to disdain vitamins.
Unlike natural food, where responsibility falls on the owner, dry food is already rich in various components necessary for the breed. The main thing is to choose the right option.
NOTE!
When selecting decent food, age and breed are taken into account.
Mixing ready-made food with natural food can spoil the dog's health.
