Tibetan Mastiffs in Yushu

A Tibetan Mastiff-Tanggya When I was a teenager,my family had a baby mastiff.Because a lock natural of white hair decorated the mastiff's chest,he was given the name"Tanggya".I remember Tanggya was a big dog when I was still a little girl. Whenever he stood on his hind legs,he seemed as tall as my father.When guests came to visit,he always jumped on them and barked constantly. Only my father could briefly calm him down,and nobody amongst our siblings dared to get close to him.Tanggya was never released u...

Study on Polymorphisms in the Blood Protein of Tibetan Mastiff

[ Objective] The aim was to study the protein polymorphism in the blood of Tibetan Mastiff, and provide some theoretical basis for resource protection and reasonable development and utilization of Tibetan Mastiff varieties. [ Method] A total of 103 blood samples were taken from four populations of Hequ Tibetan Mastiff, Qinhai Tibetan Mastiff, Tibetan Spaniel and native dogs of Qinghai. Seven blood protein Iocus（Tf, Po, Sα2, Hb, AIb, Pr and Amy）were investigated by using vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with discontinuous buffer system. Then the genetic variation during different populations was analyzed. [ Result] Genetic variations were observed in Tf, Sα2 and Po in four populations, others were not polymorphic. There were three alleles at the locus of Tf and Po, two alleles at the loci of Sα2. Effective number of alleles and Nei＇s average expected heterozygosity were 1. 532 4 and 0.230 3 relatively, all higher in Tibetan Mastiff than other populations. [ Conclusion] Protein locus in blood of Tibetan Mastiff existed in genetic variation.

Effects of Cryopreservation on the Quality and Ultrastructure of Tibetan Mastiff Sperm

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the effects of cryopreservation on the quality and ultrastructure of Tibetan Mastiff sperm. [Method] The effects of cryopreservation on the quality of Tibetan Mastiff sperm were evaluated via motility, membrane integrity rate and acrosome intact rate. On that basis, the effects of cryopreservation on ultrastructure of sperm were observed under SEM and TEM. [Result] In Experiment 1, EG gave the best results not only in post-thaw motility rate （36.3%）, but also in low membrane integrity rate （38.0%） and acrosome intact rate （42.0% ）, but there was no significant difference between EG group and Glycerol group （P0.05）. In Experiment 2, the 5 cm freezing height obtained the best freezing-thawing results, but there was no significant difference between 2 and 5 cm height （P 0.05）, besides in acrosome intact rate. In Experiment 3, SDS and Vc added separately or together into extenders could improve freezing-thawing results, but there was not obvious difference between SDS group and Vc group （P0.05）, besides the lower motility of Vc group （P0.05）. Addition of SDS and Vc obtained the best results in post-thaw motility rate （44.1%）, and also in membrane integrity rate （48.0%） and acrosome intact rate （48.2%）. The ultrastructure of frozen-thawed sperm was also evaluated under SEM and TEM, results showed that cryopreservation caused various degrees of damage to Tibetan Mastiff sperm, more serious damages were observed in the acrosome such as swelling, vesiculation and even disappearance. [Conclusion] This study confirms that EG, horizontal height of 0.25 ml straw above LN 2 surface and additives SDS and Vc together can improve freezing effect. However, cryopreservation has certain damage to ultrastructure of sperm.

Origin and phylogenetic analysis of Tibetan Mastiff based on the mitochondrial DNA sequence

At present, the Tibetan Mastiff is the oldest and most ferocious dog in the world. However, the origin of the Tibetan Mastiff and its phylogenetic relationship with other large breed dogs such as Saint Bernard are unclear. In this study, the primers were designed accord- ing to the mitochondrial genome sequence of the domestic dog, and the 2,525 bp mitochondrial sequence, containing the whole sequence of Cytochrome b, tRNA-Thr, tRNA-Pro, and control region of the Tibetan Mastiff, was obtained. Using grey wolves and coyotes as out- groups, the Tibetan Mastiff and 12 breeds of domestic dogs were analyzed in phylogenesis. Tibetan Mastiff, domestic dog breeds, and grey wolves were clustered into a group and coyotes were clustered in a group separately. This indicated that the Tibetan Mastiff and the other domestic dogs originated from the grey wolf, and the Tibetan Mastiff belonged to Carnivora, Canidae, Canis, Canis lupus, Canis lupus familiaris on the animal taxonomy. In domestic dogs, the middle and small breed dogs were clustered at first; German Sheepdog, Swedish Elkhound, and Black Russian Terrier were clustered into one group, and the Tibetan Mastiff, Old English Sheepdog, Leonberger, and Saint Bernard were clustered in another group. This confirmed the viewpoint that many of the famous large breed dogs worldwide such as Saint Bernard possibly had the blood lineage of the Tibetan Mastiff, based on the molecular data. According to the substitution rate, we concluded that the approximate divergence time between Tibetan Mastiff and grey wolf was 58,000 years before the present （YBP）, and the approximate divergence time between other domestic dogs and grey wolf was 42,000 YBP, demonstrating that the time of origin of the Tibetan Mastiff was earlier than that of the other domestic dogs.

Influence of Different Sources and Levels of Fat on Palatability of Tibetan Mastiff

In order to compare the palatability of Tibetan mastiff to different fat sources and fat levels, four kinds of raw lipid materials （ soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, chicken fat and butter） were selected to prepare five candidate diets with different fat source combinations and three different fat level combinations （6%, 10% and 14% ）. Ten healthy Tibetan mastiff adults were randomly divided into two groups. The intematianally useful double-pot cultivation design was employed to record the daily feed intake and preferred diet of each Tibetan mastiff, and further to calculate the intake rate. The butter group assumed higher feed intake and intake rate than the chicken fat group （P 〈0.01）, and the preferred diet as well （83%）. The feed intake and intake rate of chicken fat group was significantly higher than chicken fat and butter （ 1：1 ） combined group （ P 〈 0.01 ）. No significant difference was observed in the diet palatability of butter diet to Tibetan mastiff to different plant oil sources （ P 〉 0.05）. For various fat level combinations, the diet with highest fat content diet H23 assumed higher feed intake and intake rate than low fat diet H22 and H21 （P 〈0.05）. It is concluded that the palatability of butter diet to Tibetan mastiff is higher than chicken fat and its combined diet （ butter：chicken fat = 1：1 ） ; with fat level of 6% - 15%, high fat diet provides Tibetan mastiff a better palatability in comparison with low fat diet.

Genetic Structure and Genetic Differentiation of Tibetan Mastiff Populations

[ Objective] To analyze the genetic structure and genetic differentiation of Tibetan Mastiff populations and provide a theoretical basis for the protection and rational development and utilization of the Tibetan Mastiff breed resources. [ Method] A total of 86 blood samples were collected from two populations of Hequ Tibetan Mastiff （HTM） and Qinghai Tibetan Mastiff （QTM）. The genetic structure and genetic differentiation of nine blood protein loci of ＂If, Po, Es-1, Es-2, S（alpha）2, Hb, AIb, Pr and Amy between these two populations were examined by vertical polyacrylam- ide gel electrophoresis with discontinuous buffer system. [ Result] The effective number of alleles （Ne）, Shannon genetic diversity index （I） and Nei average expected gene heterozygosity （H） of the HTM were respectively 1.690 7, 0.485 5 and 0.295 9, and these were higher than those of QTM. The Nei＇s standard genetic distance （D） between HTM and QTM was 0.012 3, and the degree of genetic similarity was 0.987 8. The gene flow （Nm） of these two Tibetan Mastiff populations was 14.543 7. [ Conclusion] The genetic variability of intra-population of HTM was higher than that of QTM, and the genetic differentiation of inter-population was very low （ GsT = 0.018 7）. Thereby, the great gene flow （ Nm = 14.543 7） is the main factor leading to the low genetic differentiation of the inter-population in different geographical groups.

Conservation and breeding for Hequ Tibet Mastiff in China

This paper gave the standards to evaluate Hequ Tibetan Mastiff on body type, appearance, body measures and temperament. A nucleus group of breeding consisted of high-grade individual according this standards, and it was for enhancing the proceeding of selecting and breeding of Hequ Tibetan Mastiff. By this way, after working on three generations it had been gained that effective population size of the nucleus group of breeding was 96, increasing numbers of inbreeding coefficient was 0.005, male and female body height were 72.1 cm and 70.2 cm, their cannon circumference were 16.3 cm and 15.2 cm, respectively.