[quote=Igmuska"][quote="bright]thanks! established in what sense? .... by the way i forgot to mention! gaddi mastifs are also registered as tibetan mastiffs and even shown by that name.. gaddi mastiffs defeat many tibetan mastiffs in dog shows which get bred for shows too! they have even won CC's when they were competing with dogs bred by saras tibetan mastiffs! saras tibetan mastiffs are often subjected to mockery in punjab.[/quote] Very neat. Sorry, I should have clarified. I was curious about the type in relation to the greater Tibetan population. These dogs seem to have a very specific type in comparison to other Tibetans. I also meant about their population status; about how many are there? Is there a risk of these dogs either being integrated and lost in the TM breed or just disappearing all together? Are you trying to get them separate recognition from the TM to protect them? From what I have seen, I really like these dogs. Very fascinating. :D[/quote] well, about their population status, we can rarely see some pure specimens as some of the enthusiasts have retained them.. but they won;t give their dogs outside the friend circle.. these dogs face a risk of losing themselves into TMs and also the other way.. people say that these dogs are too powerful and strong willed and only highly experienced people can handle... it is now our responsibility to thoroughly check the dog's health and temperament and etc rigorously and place the puppies in the best homes which proves to be a heaven for the puppy and its characteristics for which we strive. however, i am lucky that i could get it! even big shots of the country weren't given a puppy when they asked for it.. they are so dedicated and i am happy that we could get them! in order to keep our type out of standardized TMs (especially from so-called 'tsang khyis' and chinese zangaos with exaggerated features), we'll place them in only such homes which prove to be competent enough to own one and respect this type. keeping our dgs out from standardized TMs is a good thing for both us and show people.. but i do show them.. but they'll be working dogs being shown as long as they are in the ring.. thats it. however, judges here seldom test the dog's bite by themselves.. :lol: