About the Author

DON MESSERSCHMIDT, author and anth--ro--polo--gist, is a Himal--ayan specialist and an authority on Tibetan mastiffs from the Roof of the World. He has spent over four decades study--ing them in their natural setting and their places of origin (and has scars to show for it). Dr Messer--schmidt has raised, trained, shown, bred and photographed Tibetan mastiffs. His own companion, the Inter--national Champion Saipal Baron of Emo--dus (aka 'Kalu'), is well known in the blood lines of many fine 'TMs' in North America and Europe. His writings about Tibetan dogs have appeared in Dog World, Range--lands and ECS Nepal magazines, and in The Himal--ayan Times and various dog club news--letters. His other writ--ings have appeared in Alaska, Summit and Himal maga--zines. Dr. Messer--schmidt is an accom--plis--hed maga--zine editor, ethno--graph--er, bio--graph--er, and con--sultant on rural development projects. In this book, the author de--scribes his life-long enchantment with the big dogs and his quest and dis--covery of them in old writings, as well as on the Tibetan plateau and in the high pastures of the Himal--ayan border--lands. He has travelled widely in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Tibet.