Re: [PyrNet-L] giant breed?

[JGentzel@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/30/99 12:26:05 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
banjoart@nidlink.com writes:

<< and
 probably going back to a breed such as the Tibetan Mastiff. >>

The Pyr as well as the Tibetan Mastiff are likely descended from the original 
large white dog of Kurdistan and probably the most ancient dog that guarded 
livestock.  It is likely that all the Great White Guardians came to us in 
some fashion from this original dog.  Since 5 K years is such a long time, 
anything is possible.  The Tibetan Mastiff theory has been bandied around for 
decades since some English writer who probably had no idea proposed it.  
Everyone who has considered it and tried to make it fit always (in my 
opinion) failed (square peg in the round hole syndrome) relative how the 
breed could become so white from such a heavily colored dog.  This gets even 
more tenuous with the all white guardian breeds.  The old Kurd dog is the 
much more likely candidate (and they are all just candidates until some DNA 
evidence is available).  I think the roots of the question may lie in Turkey 
with the all white Akbash and darkly colored Kangal dog.  The two ends of the 
color theory that are freely bred together or at least have been historically.

Joe