The Tibetan Mastiff (Tibetan: འདོགས་ཁྱི, Wylie: Dogs khyi; Chinese: 藏獒, Pinyin: Zàng áo) is a large Tibetan dog breed belonging to the mastiff family. The Tibetan Mastiff (Tibetan: འདོགས་ཁྱི, Wylie: Dogs khyi; Chinese: 藏獒, Pinyin: Zàng áo) is a large Tibetan dog breed belonging to the mastiff family. Originating with the nomadic cultures of Tibet, China, Mongolia, India and Nepal, it is used by local tribes of Tibetans ,Nepalis and Indians to protect sheep from wolves, leopards, bears, large mustelids and tigers. Many breeders claim a life expectancy of 10–16 years, but these claims are unsubstantiated. Some lines do produce long-lived dogs. Other, more closely inbred lines, produce short-lived, unhealthy dogs. After 1980, the breed began to gain in popularity worldwide. 'Tibetan Mastiff, 'Big Splash,' Becomes World's Most Expensive Dog'.