Caucasian Ovcharka

THE MASTIFF TYPE. Captain Turner wrote: "Entering a Thibet village and being indolently disposed and prompted by mere curiosity I strolled along among the houses ; and seeing everything still and quiet, I turned into one of the enclosures, which serve as folds for cattle, the instant I entered the gate to my astonish- ment up started a large dog, big enough, if his courage had been equal to his size, to fight a lion, and I was a good deal startled at first, but recollecting their cowardly disposition I stood still ; for having once had one in my possession I knew they were fierce only when they perceived themselves feared. Some people came out of the houses, and he was soon silenced."Mr. Moorcroft in the account of his journey to Lake Manasarovana, in the i8th century notices the Thibet dogs as guards to the flocks of the Uniyas and bore testimony to their fierceness and disposition to attack strangers. Some 30 years ago a Mr. Jolland of Buxshall near Lindfield, Sussex, had a fine specimen presented to him by Mr. Cooper, who endeavouring to penetrate Thibet from Assam was prevented on entering the boundaries, by a message from the Thibetan authorities, accompanied by a Thibet mastiff and a dagger for his acceptance, with the intimation that if he advanced it would be at the risk of encountering many such dogs and weapons. Mr. Cooper had two English bulldogs with him which nearly killed the Thibet mastiff, before they could be choked off, nearly shaking the life out of him. Read the rest