The name Tibetan Mastiff is a misnomer; the Tibetan Mastiff is not a true Mastiff. The term 'mastiff' was assigned by the Europeans who first came to Tibet because it was used to refer to nearly all large dog breeds in the West. Early Western visitors to Tibet misnamed several of its breeds: The 'Tibetan Terrier' is not a terrier and the 'Tibetan Spaniel' is not a spaniel. A better name for the breed might be the Tibetan Mountain Dog or, to encompass the landrace breed throughout its range, the Himalayan mountain dog.