One report holds that Genghis Khan used Tibetan mastiffs in his conquests, bringing the dog to the Middle East, while another says that the dog was given by Asians to Alexander the Great.
也有傳說，它曾被東方人獻給亞歷山大大帝。羅馬時代在鬥技場中，以和熊、獅、虎等猛獸搏鬥而馳名。