The 11th century scholar, Mahmud ibn Hussayn ibn Muhammed al-Kashgari, spoke of strange legend found in the Diwan which concerns the baraq, or shaggy dog.  Turks claimed that when a vulture grows old, it lays two eggs. When hatched, one of the eggs produces a dog called Baraq, the swiftest of all running dogs, and the most reliable in a hunt. From the other egg emerges a chick, the last of its babies.

This legend is oddly similar to a Tibetan myth about the “Go Khyi,” the jewel among Tibetan dog breeds.

Roughly one per cent of vultures in Tibet are Tibetan bearded vultures which lay three eggs. The first egg produces a snake, the second produces a dog, and the third, a bird. It’s said that if one hears a dog barking high up in the mountains near a bearded vulture’s nest, a very small dog will be found there, and this dog is called, “Go Khyi,” the most respected dog in Tibet. For obvious reasons, this dog (seen at the right) is not recognized by any kennel club on earth, but it does give new meaning to the term, “bird dog,” doesn’t it?

“Haba” is the Mongolian word for small dog – any small dog, but a “Simkhyi,” which means house dog, room dog or even bedroom dog, is the breed we know as the Tibetan Spaniel.  According to the Venerable Gonsar Rinpoche, these are dogs of highest order, and as such, are kept as Lama dogs, or with aristocrats.“Gya Khyi” is what a Pekingese is called, another breed very popular with monks and aristocrats.

Two much larger breeds of Tibet are the “Do Khyi” which means, “chained dog” or “dogs which may be tied,” and the Tsang Khyi (meaning “dog from Tsang, a place south of Lhasa). Both the Do Khyi and Tsang Khyi are Tibetan Mastiffs with the same ancestors, but each has a slightly different role.

The Do-Khyi accompanies Tibetan nomads and villagers;  his job is to guard the flock of his village or master, and as such, these are very protective dogs. It’s a really bad idea to enter this dog’s property or territory without the permission of its owner.

The Tsang-Khyi is exclusively the companion of Buddhist monks and lamas, and is largely a monastery dog. The bones of this dog are typically heavier than that of a Do-Khyi, and it has more wrinkles than its kin.  Because of its particular role, the Tsang-Khyi is far from being suitable for outdoor guardian dog work. Nomadic shepherds prefer a leaner dog, anyway, because it doesn’t eat as much as a Do-Khyi.  That said, the Tsang-Khyi is still a guard dog who will fiercely defend its master, a monk or lama.