Labrador Retriever is originated from Canada but Himalayan Mastiff is originated from India. Labrador Retriever may grow 9 cm / 3 inches shorter than Himalayan Mastiff. Labrador Retriever may weigh 42 kg / 92 pounds lesser than Himalayan Mastiff. Both Labrador Retriever and Himalayan Mastiff has almost same life span. Both Labrador Retriever and Himalayan Mastiff has same litter size. Labrador Retriever requires Low Maintenance. But Himalayan Mastiff requires Moderate Maintenance
The Labrador Retriever has its origin from Newfoundland which is an island.Dorset Eskimos are the people who settled down first in Newfoundland. Newfoundland was discovered in 1494 by the Bristol traders from England. The people in the Newfoundland used Lab to help them during fishing.They were recognized as a kennel club breed in England.
The Lab has its special talents in fishing, it nicely holds the fish in its mouth and swims well to bring it to the fisherman who was its master. They are also used to hunt game birds and waterfowl.
The Himalayan Mastiff or Tibetan Mastiff is an ancient breed. Bred to be guardians of the flock, they could take care of leopards and wolves or anything else that tied to hurt the flock. The Himalaya Mastiff is found in the Himalayan area of Tibet. They are descendants of the Tibetan dogs that developed almost any Mastiff or Molosser on earth. They may have been in the mountains since the early 1100 BC. and have been fairly isolated. It was in this isolation that the Himalayan Mastiff developed.
Their function at that time was mostly to guard property. In some circumstances an entire village is guarded by one dog. It was also during this period that the breed was taught to be aggressive by tying them up as puppies. They guarded families while the men moved the village flock higher up in the mountains. They stayed in isolation until the mid-1800’s when the Queen of England was given a Himalayan Mastiff. For thousands of years, this dog was a nomad.
Soon the breed was being exported to England. A standard was developed, and the British began to breed them. Next, they were exported to Nepal, Afghanistan, India and the United States. They are rare in Tibet these days but more popular than ever in England and the United States. The first American Himalaya Tibetan Mastiff Association came into being in 1974 and in 2006 it was recognized by the AKC.
Today in the West, the Himalayan is a domesticated, family dog. It hardly fits in an apartment of course. These new western Himalayan Mastiffs are more easy- going than the Tibetan ones, but they are still wary of strangers and somewhat aloof. They are also still very protective and nocturnal. They are smart, independent and stubborn. They are not easy to train but socialization and obedience training is essential.
A study done in 2011 showed that it is very likely that many large breed dogs were descended from this Mastiff. This includes the St. Bernard, the Rottweiler, Bernese Mountain Dog and the Great Pyrenees. Later studies showed that the Mastiff’s ability to survive in the rare air of the Himalayans was due to interbreeding with Tibetan wolves in ancient, prehistoric times. Now they are competing in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Lab is a nice companion and also it helps in doing several works if it is trained. Lab is the America's most popular breed. They help the hunters, works with police and also serves physically challenged people. They are very friendly and it helps people so much by doing many works. They have very good sensitivity and are so affectionate with family members.
They have very high energy level in their young stage. The Lab is a muscular and athletic dog. They are sweet natured and well deserved. Lab needs physical and mental activities regularly as they are very intelligent and energetic. The pure bred Labs have black, chocolate and yellow colours. They are very interested in hunting and roaming. The young Lab should be given training to swim as a child, as they likes it very much. They takes more time to mature hence remaining as teenager for a long time when compared with other breeds.
The Himalayan Mastiff is a giant, massive dog longer than it is tall. The breed has a heavy, broad head and square muzzle. They have black noses, a level bite and almond shaped, slanted, deep set eyes. They are brown, and the ears hang close to the head. They are heavy, muscular and sturdy. They have a feathered tail curving over their back. With a heavy, thick double coat and mane they resemble a lion at times. The coat can be brown, black, and gray-blue with gold or tan markings. These are impressive and noble dogs, athletic, with cat like feet. They are agile and light on their feet.
According to some breeders there are two different kinds or types of Himalayan Mastiff. These are the Tsang-khyi or the monastery mastiff type and the Do-khyi or the nomad mastiff type. The monastery is a heavier, taller dog who face is very wrinkled while the nomad is a leaner dog with less facial wrinkles. In any litter there can be both kinds. The kind of work that was given to each dog was dependent on their type. The Monastery kind is given stationary jobs and the nomad kind got the active jobs.
The Lab has a very good adaptability, it will get adjusted with its environment.
Lab has a good learning ability and it can learn upto 300 human phrases. They are the 7th most intelligent dog breed.
They are very much interested in playing with kids and are a very good companion for them.
Being a large breed of canine, the Himalayan Mastiff has some of the typical health issues of large dogs. However, they also face a serious genetic disorder as well.
Canine Inherited Demyelinative Neuropathy (CIDN) – a fatal disorder seen in puppies by seven weeks of age. Puppies die before they are 5 months old.
The 2 month old puppy should be given 200 to 250gms of food. 3 month old puppy should be given 250 to 300gms of food and 6 months older should be given 350 to 450gms. The varieties of food which are popular is kibbles, Barf, wet food and Home cooked puppy food.
Lab can be fed by dry kibbles and also by raw meat or bones. Now-a-days most of the Lab are being fed with kibbles. Kibbles are the dried pellets of dog food that can be bought in pet shop or even online. Raw meat and bones are very much popular food among dog owners in UK.
For good health, Lab should be fed by a diet controlled food. Because overfeeding will lead to overweight of the dog as it causes weakness of bones.
Lab is a very energetic dog, so it should be given some time to play daily. It will be very happy if it is given a fenced ground to play and burn off his natural energy. Also it will be very good for lab if it is given chance to swim weekly once.
This breed will eat less than you think they should but don’t overfeed. Puppies need a solid dry food for large dogs. You can free feed 1 cup three times per day.
For dogs over a year old you can free feed anywhere from two to four cups of dry food per day. Unlike many other breeds, the Himalaya Mastiff will only eat when hungry and they may not eat more than once a day. They will not overeat. The males might not eat at all when females are in season if they are around them.
They have good strength and athletic ability.
The Himalayan Mastiff needs regular, routine walks. It is important during these walks that the human leads the way, or the dog heals. Do not overwork a young Himalayan Mastiff. They need work related jobs like structured play time, walking the boundary of their territory, playing frisbee or catch. They work and play in short bursts then rest.