Tibetan mastiffs were first imported into England over 150 years ago, and only three decades ago to North America. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution these remarkable high altitude livestock guardian dogs were nearly annihilated, but they have recovered and are now in high demand, some for very high prices among the nouveau riche of modern China. Today, thousands of these dogs are found around the world, promoted by many breeders, raised as pets, guardians and faithful companions. Some have scored high marks at international dog shows. Interest in Tibetan mastiffs and related dogs-their history, breeding, temperament, function and future-has never been as high. This is a book of discovery of the exotic and relatively rare breeds of big dogs from Tibet and the Himalayas: the Tibetan mastiff, the rare KyiApso (the 'bearded' or 'shaggy' Tibetan mastiff), the Himalayan mountain dog, and the least known Sha-kyi (Tibetan hunting dog). Research on Tibetan dogs is contentious. This book challenges some of the conventional wisdom about the big dogs with evidence showing how some big dog fanciers have gotten it wrong. It questions the notion that there were gigantic dogs in history, an idea that has inspired some modern breeders to create enormous critters, mistakenly evoking a mythical past-and much more.