For many decades, the Tibetan Mastiff has never failed several owners and families regarding how he takes his duty as a home protector or even a livestock guardian. He is naturally intimidating due to his sheer size and close resemblance to the lion. His mane is what adds up more splendor to his overall look and his great guarding skills match this up very well.
This is why it’s important to keep him fit and healthy. Ideally, this breed of Mastiff weighs 70 to 150 pounds and has a minimum height of 24 to 26 inches. Due to his predetermined large size, it will take quite some time before he reaches his final adult weight and height.
If you want to learn more and find out how to aid him in achieving the right measurements, keep reading below!
Proportions of an Adult Tibetan Mastiff: Male vs Female
True to other dog breeds and even to other organisms, size is generally factored by gender. Males seem to have the edge as they gain a few inches and a few pounds more compared to female Tibetan Mastiffs.
To have a clearer detail on how large both genders are, see the table below:
| Gender | Weight | Height |
| Male | 90 to 150 pounds | 26 inches (minimum) |
| Female | 70 to 120 pounds | 24 inches (minimum) |
If you have a Tibetan Mastiff puppy, it would be fascinating to watch him grow. To make sure he’s rightly developing in size, having a guide on how much he should weigh will help you determine if there are areas of concern that need to be addressed. Here’s the estimated growth pace of the Tibetan Mastiff according to gender and age:
| Age in Months | Female Tibetan Mastiff (lbs) | Male Tibetan Mastiff (lbs) |
| 1 month | 5-10 | 5-10 |
| 2 months | 15-30 | 10-25 |
| 3 months | 30-45 | 25-40 |
| 4 months | 45-65 | 30-45 |
| 5 months | 50-75 | 35-60 |
| 6 months | 55-85 | 40-60 |
| 7 months | 60-90 | 45-65 |
| 8 months | 65-95 | 50-70 |
| 9 months | 70-105 | 55-80 |
| 10 months | 70-115 | 55-90 |
| 11 months | 75-125 | 60-100 |
| 12 months | 80-135 | 60-110 |
| 24 months | 90-150 | 70-120 |
How Long Before a Tibetan Mastiff Reaches Its Full Size
Just like the English Mastiff and other similarly large dog breeds, the Tibetan Mastiff would take a longer time to fully reach his full size. Generally, at least 3 years is needed for him to achieve his adult weight.
If we take gender into consideration, the female matures faster than the male. While it takes her 3 to 4 years to be fully grown, the male would take about 4 to 6 years!
On another note, this dog becomes an adult once he reaches the 2-year mark. It is just that, growth doesn’t stop with this particular age. Subtly, his body will continue growing and adding more weight. You may not notice his developmental process during this stage but you can see the difference if you compare an old photo with his recent one after a few years.
Oversized & Obese Tibetan Mastiffs
The large size of the Tibetan Mastiff makes him extremely prone to obesity. Thankfully, this breed tends to just eat whenever he’s hungry and would oftentimes have certain episodes of skipping meals for a few days. Still, the possibility of becoming oversized remains on this breed.
This happens a lot when people believe in the misconception that a massive dog would require loads of food to consume per day. Well, this should not be the case for our Tibetan dog. About 2 to 4 cups of high-quality dog food or home-prepped meals would be enough for him.
Another behavior we have to get rid of is throwing food from the table. Always stick to your dog’s feeding schedule and avoid falling into his demands no matter how pitiful and soul-piercing his gaze is toward you.
The Tibetan Mastiff only gets to live 10-12 years. By encouraging him to be fit, he might live this long or even exceed this average life span.
Help Him Reach His Ideal Weight
Being a responsible owner means doing several things that are beneficial for your dog. This would require a certain amount of commitment and dedication to guarantee that he’s on his right weight. Here’s what you can do:
Healthy Diet
Thoroughly research the best dog food brands should you opt for commercial products. There’s a lot to choose from online, but only a few are promising for your buddy.
Never try to compromise by thinking it is much better to save and purchase low-quality food than investing in what your Tibetan Mastiff should eat. What he consumes will affect his health in the long run. Purina One Smartblend is one of the brands most dog owners go for!
If you prefer home-cooked meals, consult your vet so he can recommend what ingredients to include in his meal. Anyhow, the breed doesn’t require a special diet.
Controlled Amount of Food
If your Tibetan Mastiff doesn’t show restraint when it comes to mealtime, that’s when you know that free-access feeding is not right for him. Or, if you prepare him his meals, just pour in the right amount that won’t make him end up looking like a full-blown balloon. If he gains too much weight, this will eventually impede him from doing his everyday tasks.
Regular Physical Activity
Obese or not, getting your Tibetan Mastiff sweating is necessary. This will keep him in good shape and away from various medical conditions related to prolonged immobility. Exercising will also improve his joints, bones, and muscles, which are all essential every time he wants to play games or scout his territory without any pain or discomfort.
Regular Vet Visits
Bring your Tibetan Mastiff regularly for vet check-ups. One of the common diseases that could strike your four-legged fluff-ball would be hypothyroidism. This condition can affect his metabolic rate making it much harder to burn calories and lessen his weight.
In case he already has it, the vet can prescribe medications that would restore the needed amount of hormones produced in the body.
Deworming
More common to puppies, parasites are just pure nasty! They take away the needed nutrition essential for your dog’s development. No matter how much or how often you feed him, if the hookworms or roundworms are not eliminated, he could lose a lot of weight.
Be consistent in bringing your buddy to the vet for his deworming schedule. It is needed every 3 months or depending on his lifestyle. This care regimen is preventative and helps improve your dog’s overall health. Moreover, this avoids him from passing it to other dogs or your family members!
Does Spaying or Neutering Your Tibetan Mastiff Affect His Growth?
Not necessarily. This mostly depends on the age and breed of the dog. If ever you have no plans of breeding your dog, make sure the surgery is done at the right age by a board-certified vet. Be informed that resorting to having your dog either spayed or neutered at the age recommended by your vet can result in several health advantages such as a low risk of cancer.
