The Tibetan Spaniel

The Tibetan Spaniel is the smallest of the Tibetan dogs, but it has all features of a comrade one is looking for: great intelligence, attachment, sportiness, vigilance - he is no yapper-, easy-care coat, adaptability and easy transportability, even in public means of transport.

The nature of this ancient breed is quite interesting. His home is Tibet, he was mainly bred in the Himalayan monasteries. He sat on the walls of the monasteries and didn't miss anything in the valley, whether human beings were arduously climbing up the mule tracks or wolves who attacked the flocks of sheep.

This fact explains why the Tibetan Spaniels still like to sit on window sills or tables. The very small ones even sat on the abbots' sleeves being like hot-water bottles and were shocking visitors. Down in the villages they were bred as well and became bigger there. Then, as well as today, small dogs were preferred in Tibet.

As already mentioned, the Tibet spaniel is an ancient breed and one cannot exclude that he owes his existence to a crossing of the Lo-sze Hudn (an ancestor of the Chinese pug) and the Hah-Pah dog (an ancestor of the Peking-Palace-dog).

Today there are still two types, the old-fashioned one with a sharper, longer fang, exactly looking like the original ones when they were imported from Tibet to England in 1905 and the more modern type with a shorter, wider fang.

Tibet only had contact to China until 1645. In this time little Tibet spaniels were already sent to Chinese courts as valuable presents. Later they also came to other Oriental courts as little precious objects.

This small Tibetan is not difficult to be owned, but he needs a lot of movement. Wind and weather don't bother him at all. Due to his medium sized fang he doesn't have difficulties having pups and he also adapts to every climate.

With a size of 24-28 cm and a weight of about 4-7 kg he is an ideal domestic and social dog, as there are hardly two dogs to be found which are exactly the same.

 

index Tibetan Spaniel

top