German Shepherd vs Tibetan Mastiff

Compare the German Shepherd to the Tibetan Mastiff. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between German Shepherds and Tibetan Mastiffs.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - The German Shepherd is a good choice for new owners. The Tibetan Mastiff is strongly discouraged for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both breeds are child friendly, but the Tibetan Mastiff is the most friendly between the breeds.
Grooming - The Tibetan Mastiff is very easy to groom. The German Shepherd has high grooming requirements.
Barking - The German Shepherd bark/howls frequently. The Tibetan Mastiff has an average level of barking.

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German Shepherd vs Tibetan Mastiff

Breed Name	German Shepherd	Tibetan Mastiff
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	No
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	10-14 yrs.
Height	22-26 in.	24-26 in.
Weight	75-95 lb	100-170 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History
Origin Country	Germany	China (Tibet)
Origin Year	1899 AD	1100 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Below Average	Below Average
Personality
	Affectionate Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please	Aggressive Enjoys Attention Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Stubborn Willing To Please
Living Environment
Apartment	Yes	No
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	Yes	No
Medium Yard	Yes	No
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	40°F to 85°F	5°F to 75°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Below Average
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High	Medium
Exercise Required	High	Medium
Top Running Speed	30 mph	20 mph
Strength	High	Very High
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium-High	Medium
Shedding	High	Low
Dander	High	Low
Drool Amount	Medium	Medium

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	German Shepherd	Tibetan Mastiff
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	No
Independent	No	Yes
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	Yes
Average	No	No
Focused & Patient	Yes	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Average	Average
Burrow/Digging	Below Average	Very Low
Chasing	Below Average	Very Low
Follow Commands	High	Very Low
Fighting	Below Average	Average
Guarding	High	High
Herding	High	Very Low
Hunting	High	Very Low
Protection	High	High
Remove Vermin	Below Average	Very Low
Sledding	Below Average	Below Average
Watch	High	High

Health Comparison
Breed Name	German Shepherd	Tibetan Mastiff
Lifespan
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	10-14 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Allergies	Yes	No
Autoimmune Hypothyroidism	No	Yes
Blindness	Yes	No
Bloat	Yes	No
Cancer	Yes	No
Canine Inherited Demyelinative Neuropathy	No	Yes
Cataracts	Yes	No
Cherry Eye	Yes	No
Chronic Diarrhea	Yes	No
Cruciate Ligament Rupture	Yes	No
Cushing's Syndrome	Yes	No
Degenerative Myelopathy	Yes	No
Demodectic Mange	Yes	No
Diabetes	Yes	No
Digestive Problems	Yes	No
Elbow Dysplasia	Yes	Yes
Epilepsy	Yes	No
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency	Yes	No
Heart Disease	Yes	No
Hemophilia A	Yes	No
Hemophilia B	Yes	No
Hip Dysplasia	Yes	Yes
Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy	Yes	No
Lens Luxation	Yes	No
Lupus	Yes	No
Megaesophagus	Yes	No
Myasthenia Gravis	Yes	No
Nail Bed Disease	Yes	No
Osteochondrosis	Yes	No
Osteochondrosis Dissecans	No	Yes
Pannus	Yes	No
Panosteitis	Yes	Yes
Paralysis	Yes	No
Perianal Fistula	Yes	No
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	Yes	No
Retinal Dysplasia	Yes	No
Seborrhea	Yes	No
Vitiligo	Yes	No
Von Willebrand's Disease	Yes	No
Wobbler's Syndrome	Yes	No

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	German Shepherd	Tibetan Mastiff
Coat
Fur	Yes	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	Yes
Coat Texture
Straight	Yes	No
Scruffy	No	Yes
Shaggy	No	Yes
Wavy	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Short	Yes	No
Medium	Yes	No
Long	No	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Bi-color	Yes	No
Black	Yes	Yes
Black & Tan	Yes	Yes
Black & Cream	Yes	No
Black & Red	Yes	No
Black & Silver	Yes	No
Blue	Yes	No
Gray	Yes	No
Liver	Yes	No
Sable	Yes	No
White	Yes	No
Blue Gray	No	Yes
Blue Gray & Tan	No	Yes
Bown	No	Yes
Brown & Tan	No	Yes
Cream	No	Yes
Cream Sable	No	Yes
Red Gold	No	Yes
Red Gold Sable	No	Yes