Expression on a Tibetan Mastiff is noble, solemn, and watchful, so much so that it seems at times as if they are able to see the past and present all at once. Deep set, almond shaped and set apart, the TM’s eyes are slightly slanting, an aspect that helped them avoid injury and infections living 16,000 feet above sea level on the Changtang Plateau.  The breed standard underscores this by stipulating that any other eye shape such as a round eye detracts from the typical and unique expression of the breed, and that is an expression of constant thought and watchfulness (some refer to this as “wide-set Asian eyes”). Tan eyespot markings are highly desired because Tibetan folklore suggests these eyespots are eyes to the spirit world.

What isn’t mentioned in the standard is how the Tibetan Mastiff sees, and we think Dan Nechemias, owner of the 2018 National Specialty Best of Breed winner, summed it up best during an interview with Laura Reeves of PureDogTalk. He said, “Tibetan mastiffs need to see everything twice. Just because they [see] a red basketball doesn’t mean that they’ll accept a yellow basketball. They were bred for 2,000 years to be suspicious of absolutely everything but their family. So, everything that they see in their space — which is their entire visual field — is a threat until they decide it’s otherwise.”

You can hear the entire interview here.

Image: Postage stamp from China 2006