www.herman.sinegraf.se

Afterwards, having learned to know our dog, we're even more convinced of our choice, and we're extremely thankful for Herman!

Me, Daniel, have had two dogs before: a samojed with the name Tassa ( S FIN CH Shatazah of Antares). She was the kindest dog you could imagine. After her I had the fortune of being the one to take care of an Akita Inu, that needed a new home. Her name was Akela, and she was with me wherever I went; she functioned in any situations just perfectly. I was however single at the time, and I'm not sure how living with a partner would have affected our relation. My wife Maija has never had a dog, but she loves animals and has always had a dream of getting one. Both Maija and I get allergic reaction of horses and cats.

We "stumbled across" TMs on the web, which resulted in a manic reseach to find all there was to know of this mystical breed, fascinatingly impossible and loyal.. I can imagine that there is a similarity between Akita and the TM when it comes to loyalty and stubbornness. But because of Akita's basic attitude towards other dogs, because of it not being generally spoken 100% childsafe, and because of me ranking it as a "one-man's-dog", I didn't find it a good alternative for us. The samojed is quite fantastic as a breed, but I kind of like the discussions you get to have with a stronger-minded dog.

We moved out from our flat in Stockholm and bought a house in Småland (southern Sweden), so I didn't mind getting a BIG lump of a dog; I didn't really mind even if it would sometimes be a pain in the neck. My "research" lead me to find the kennel Me Jomo, just a couple of miles from us in the middle of the forest. We drove over to meet the dogs and fell for them head over heels. We met among the other dogs "Nalle", who weighs appr. 65 kg and reaches up to your waist, and has a lovely "aura" about him. The rest of the dogs were wonderful, too. After this visit we ended up to Outi Myllylä on the Liagärde farm (outside of Halmstad, west coast of Sweden). Her beautiful TM Santtu had puppies; no males to sale, though. Knowing of this we still wanted to meet them, to gather as many encounters with the breed as possible. Just adorable little four-week-old bundles.

I got in contact around the same time with Asta Martinsaari Åberg, who has the kennel Mimayin in Järna, south of Stockholm. She had a whole bunch of newborn little boy- and girl-puppies, and off we drove to her to meet the lot. Herman, or Chang Po Dom as is his real name, was the first-one to tumble over and say "hi" to us- then right back into the creepy-crawly heap again. We had our eyes on temperament and attitude, and it appeared to be Herman indeed we stuck to. But we don't mind the little feeling saying it was Herman who actually chose us..

I wish that everyone considering a TM would read a lot, meet people and get thorough knowledge of the breed and its background, it gives a good idea of the new family member that i about to move in. We will do our best to tell what we've learned, to help making a decision. As I see it, dog is not just "a shadow" that gets fed and takes care of the rest itself; a dog is a member of the family. If a dog gets lots of respect and loyalty, it will definitely give you back the same. A dog needs all help and knowledge to know how to behave (just as a child). A dog that gets to be in the company of the others learns, what is expected of it, and will grow up to fill the measure: it will do its very best to adjust. But.. it needs lots of understanding, respect and space for "trial and error" on the way.

Because one's blindly positive about one's "own" breed I'd like to give a link to a page that made me to think twice..
"Why the Tibetan Mastiff May Not Be The Right Breed For You..."

1) My life will probably strech over 10 to 15 years. A separation from you is very painful. Think about it before you adopt me.

2) Give me some time to get what you mean.

3) I need your respect and trust. It is vital for me to feel well, and I promise I'll do my best not to disappoint you in return.

4) Don't stay mad at me for long time, don't punish me by shutting me out of the flock. You have your job, hobbies and friends, I have only you.

5) Talk to me from time to time. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice and often your meaning.

6) Think twice about how you treat me. I never forget.

7) Think twice before you hit me. I have jaws that could crush the bones in your hand, but I make a choice of not doing so.

8) Before you call me lazy, stubborn or impossible, ask yourself if there is anything that might be disturbing me. Perhaps the food I get isn't best possible for me, perhaps I've layed too long in the sun, or perhaps I'm just starting to get old, my heart getting weaker.

9) When I get old, treat me as you would like to be treated yourself.

10) Take me with you to everyday adventures: your days are full of excitement I can't even dream of!

(This text is of an anonymous american writer, re-written by me.)