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President Eisenhower and The Mixed-Up Mastiffs
Something Was Lost in the Translation
One day President Eisenhower got a memo that the Foreign Ministry of Nepal was gifting the White House with two Tibetan Terriers. Check out this cutie-patootie below.
The above is what Westerners who visited Nepal named a Tibetan Terrier—misnamed because while they are Tibetan, they aren’t a terrier. They looked like a terrier, so for Westerners, the name stuck.
These 20–24 pounds medium-sized dogs were used in Nepal as alarms for intruders. In addition, Tibetan Terriers were also considered good luck charms, herding dogs, and companions. Often they were trained to retrieve objects people accidentally dropped down a mountain. If you tripped on a trek and watched your cell phone sailing into the valley below, a Tibetan Terrier would risk life and limb to retrieve it.
This was the breed that The Eisenhowers expected—a dog to bring them the newspaper, fetch a dropped dossier on the Cold War, and bring them luck and companionship.
The day of the new dogs' arrival finally came. The dogs they were gifted with were straight from Nepal, and they did have the word “Tibetan” in their name. But Tibetan wasn’t followed by “Terrier” but rather by “Mastiff.”
If you are familiar with dogs, mastiffs are large working dogs, sometimes called “giants.” The word “terrier” was lost in the translation and turned into “Mastiff.” As in Tibetan Mastiff. As in topping out at 150 pounds for males.
That mane is tremendous, don’t you think? The mane and their heavy coat were ideal in Tibet’s climate. It also helped protect a Tibetan Mastiff’s neck in a skirmish with bears, tigers, or wolves.
The Tibetan name for this protective and intelligent beast is Do-Kyi which translates to “tied dog.” During the day, the Do-Kyi was tied to the temple or house it was meant to guard and then often let loose to patrol at night. If you heard the deep bark of a Do-Kyi and saw this beast charging at you with some buddies, you’d probably hope you were close enough to the fence you just scaled to launch yourself back over the wall while reconsidering your life choices.
But are they as aggressive as they look in the above photo? They certainly can be. These dogs are independent thinkers and, as such, need to be leashed on walks. If an approaching person or animal looks threatening, a strong human and an even stronger leash are necessary.
As with any dog, from a Teacup Chihuahua to dogs bred to be Guardians, everything depends on the person who is training the dog with positive reinforcement and reward. Any breed can be dangerous if raised by uneducated humans.
When you see a person who cannot control their dog or can only hold them back with brute force, you see a person who needs to change their energy. If a dog feels you are weak, it makes them think they need to take charge and protect you. (I was a stupid human with my last dog, but I vow to be better with the next!). A weak or uneducated person will raise an insecure dog no matter how much that dog is loved. An insecure dog is an unstable dog.
President Eisenhower and Mamie felt the pair of Tibetan Mastiffs were better suited to a farm due to their ability to guard livestock. So a farm was where they went.
It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention that these remarkable animals can be great family dogs. They are gentle, loving, and devoted with the proper training and socialization. You can rest assured that your kids or your collection of rare baseball cards will be well-protected. But if your despised mooching cousin bursts into the house unannounced…
Tibetan Mastiffs are NOT for the beginner dog owner because firm and experienced pack leader is necessary.
The Tibetan Mastiff is in the group of dogs called molossers, as are the breeds below.
What is a “molosser”? If you said, “A dog of various large, solidly-built breeds, typically having heavy bones, pendant ears, and a relatively short and well-muscled neck with a short, broad muzzle,” you’d be right! https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/molosser
President Eisenhower and Mamie were content with their parakeet and a Weimaraner named Heidi. I’m sure they had plenty of security guards and didn’t feel the need for a patrolling pair of Tibetan Mastiffs.
Do you think you’d have the constitution to ensure your Tibetan Mastiffs didn’t leave a trail of bodies in their wake?
If you love dogs, watch The Westminster Dog Show in early May. Tibetan Mastiffs were finally recognized by the American Kennel Club and allowed to compete at Westminster beginning in 2008.
The below articles helped in my research.
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/sports/09dogs.html
