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I Am
A Tibetan Mastiff |
SnowSpirits
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Home Page About Tibetan Mastiffs Chodak Available Adults Contact Us |
I am a unique breed. I am a natural guardian of my home, my property and my people. I do not require training to perform this task. I do benefit from formal obedience classes. These classes provide a socialization opportunity for me as well as learning some basics and increasing my person's communication with me. I can learn about you. You can learn about me. The traits that make me a great natural guardian are: My ability to bond closely with my people Possessiveness Territorialism My sensitivity to my people's as well as strangers' "mood". My ability to think for myself Watchfulness These traits can be a challenge to live with, however if you understand me and accept my unique combination of personality traits, and you take the time to build a loving and trusting relationship with me, I will not only be manageable but I will provide you with great delight! I would like to please you, but I get bored and I don't want to do repetitive obedience requests. After all, I showed you I could do it. I like brief training sessions, but I prefer they happen frequently and you keep it varied to make it interesting. I might not be able to hear you if I think there is a real threat because I am focusing on my job, being ready to protect you/ our property/our pack and I will ignore any input you may have. I often know better than you! I am loyal and loving with my family and aloof with strangers. I bond so closely with my people, I might mourn if we are separated for a length of time. I will not lick you all over your face on a regular basis, but I will offer soft licks sometimes to show you I truly love you. I give the best "kisses" in all of the dog world! I will meet you at the door and check you out to see where you have been, but I won't jump around excitedly. However, if I have been separated from you for a long time or I worried about your whereabouts, I can become quite demonstrative when I greet you! I can be quite playful and sometimes mischievous (I like to tease!) with you and with my other TM or dog friends. I am possessive with "my" things and just about everything I see is "mine". You will want to make it clear to me everything is "yours" and I get to use it. Sometimes it is hard for me to learn about "sharing". Even when I am a young puppy, I can show you how possessive I can be. I will find an area and mark it and put "MY" things in "MY" area. I am very territorial and it is important for you to have an escape proof fence to keep me safe. Some of my TM friends are real escape artists. My fence helps me establish my boundaries. I will continue to alert and "guard" areas I can see outside of my fence, but I can understand the difference between inside and outside my fence. Without a fence I will expand my territory and this can cause you and our neighbors great distress. I am sensitive to people's moods, especially yours. I will try to smell your breath to gather information about your mood. I might also doing this with people I meet. My sensitivity extends beyond assessing people's moods. It is important not to harshly correct me. I might lose my trust in you or I might not be able to learn what you are trying to teach me because I am upset because you are upset. All you really need to do to communicate with me that I am doing something wrong is to say "ah ah ah" in a normal tone of voice and a direct me to something I can do that is okay with you. It is important I know when I am doing things correctly. I know you are happy with me when you smile and say "yes"! I am very, very intelligent and I will think for myself. If I determine there is a threat, you will have difficulty convincing me there is not. I can also puzzle out problems and learn from watching you and others. This means I can learn to unlatch gates, open doors and escape from crates. I can also learn many positive things if I am kept active. I like to learn new things. I can even learn words and names. It is of great benefit to me (and you!) if you can keep my mind active. I can become destructive if I am bored or stressed. I am not mad at you but I feel anxious and want to chew something up or tear something up. Don't you feel that way when you are anxious? I am watchful. I always keep an eye on my surroundings. In new situations you may have trouble getting my attention because I am watching everything. This can be overwhelming to me when I am a young dog. It is important that you socialize me when I am a puppy by exposing me to different environments and people, taking care not to frighten me or overwhelm me. When I am in "watch mode" I often will not accept food rewards. Although I think I am beautiful and delightful, I am not a breed for the first time dog owner. I would prefer you have experience with owning a dog or a guardian breed and training a dog before you try to understand me and live with me. Please take lots of time to find out about me if you think you want me to be in your life. It is hard for me to change homes once I have bonded to you. Please spend some time researching my breed. I have not included all there is to know about me because it would be a book! I am more than a dog.... I am a Tibetan Mastiff. Marcha Garn SnowSpiritsTMs@Yahoo.com (269) 317-2382 © SnowSpirits Tibetan Mastiffs & OK! Get IT! |