Persian Mastiff

The Persian Mastiff () also known as Sarabi Mastiff , Sarabi Shepherd Dog and Iranian Mastiff is a breed of livestock guardian dog indigenous to Sarab, a city in north west of Iran.
It has been used for centuries by Iranian shepherds to guard sheep from wolves, bears, jackals and other animals. The Sarabi Dogs are some of the most powerful dogs in the world.
Name
Sarabi derives from the name of the Sarab County in East Azerbaijan Province in Iran.
Appearance
The Sarabi dog (Sarabi Mastiff or Sarabi Shepherd) has a solid and muscular build, with thick necks, broad heads, and sturdy bodies. The breed height at the withers is between 75-90 cm (29 - 35 in) for males and 70-85 cm (27-33 in) for females. The weight is between 60-90 kilograms (130 - 200lb.) for males and 55-80 kilograms (120-190 lb.) for females in good condition.
They're bred to tolerate harsh conditions, food shortage, and bad weather. The Sarabi Mastiff is rather long-lived, averaging 12-17 years. The under-layer provides insulation against both severe winters and the fierce summer sun, while the outer-layer repels water and snow. This combination of coat allows it to regulate its core temperature more efficiently, while the coat is dense enough to provide protection from wolf and bear bites. The coat is pale fawn or grey or tan color with varying amounts of sable guard hairs. This dog has a black facial mask, and black or shaded ears. It is large, with good bones, and has a well-muscled torso with a strong head. The neck is slightly arched, powerful, and muscular, moderate in length with more skin and fur than elsewhere on the body. The body is well proportioned, functional, without exaggeration, never fat or soft.
The eyes are medium size, set apart, almond shaped and dark brown to light amber in color.
The Sarabi Mastiff has two coat lengths, long hair and short hair. The Sarabi dog's appearance is close to the Kangal's because the origins of these dogs are close but there are some differences between these two breeds of dog. Rarely, Sarabis can have all black coats.

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