Tibetan Terrier

The Tibetan Terrier was bred to work in the high, cold, difficult terrain of Tibet. It is not a terrier at all, but is descended from ancient working breeds of Asia. It has a long history as the "Holy Dog of Tibet"�, and has been used as a companion, watchdog and a herder. The Tibetan Terrier is a powerful-looking, medium-sized dog of square shape. Its body is compact and well-muscled. It stands an average 14 to 16 inches tall and when grown and in full coat looks much like a miniature Old English Sheepdog. It has a moderate head with a medium-length muzzle. The nose is always black. The eyes are large, dark and wide-set and are rimmed in black. The ears are high-set, triangular and drop. The tail is left long and carried curved over the back. This breed possesses very large, wide, broad flat feet with profuse fur around and over the pads; this foot functions as a sort of a built-in snowshoe and makes it easy for this dog to maneuver over snowy, icy, rocky mountain terrain. The coat of this dog is ever-growing and needs regular trimming, but is often left long and natural. It is a double coat; the top layer is very similar to human hair, it is fine and silky and wavy. The bottom coat is dense, soft and shorter. The ears and tail are heavily feathered, and the hair at the top on the head is heavy and falls over the face, but the long eyelashes of the dog keep it from obstructing the eyes. The coat is seen in all colors except liver and chocolate. It may be solid, or brindle, tricolor, bicolor or piebald. In the famed "Lost Valley"� of Tibet, monks bred the Tibetan Terrier at least beginning at least 2,000 years ago. These dogs were considered the "holy dogs"� and good luck charms. They served as companions to the monks, watched for intruders, and even scrambled down the steep mountainside to retrieve lost items for their masters. Commoners were allowed to own them, and in such households they were treated as a member of the family, on an equal par with the children. Like the children, these hardy, happy dogs chipped in with the chores guarding, herding and minding the little ones, although they were never expected to work. They were never sold, because that might bring bad luck to the family. Nor were they mated with non-Tibetan Terriers, as that was so disrespectful to the dogs that bad luck might befall the entire village. And receiving a gift of a Tibetan Terrier was a great honor and good luck indeed. Sometimes a well-liked visitor to the isolated mountains was given a Tibetan Terrier to make the journey back through the mountains less lonely, the return trip filled with good luck. In the 1920's a British physician named A.R.H. Greig visited a remote village to work with the Women's Medical Service of India. Dr. Greig treated a sick woman so that she survived her illness. The woman's husband was grateful, and gave the doctor a Tibetan Terrier in gratitude; later the Dalai Lama gave the doctor another Tibetan Terrier and when the doctor returned to England she resolved to use the dogs to start a breeding kennel. Thus was the Tibetan Terrier introduced to the western world. In 1956 a Tibetan Terrier from that same English kennel was sent to the United States, and since then its popularity has grown all over the United States and Canada. It was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1973. The Tibetan Terrier is a fun, lively family companion. It is surprisingly strong and agile, and needs an outlet for its physical energy. It has a ready bark which is described by fanciers as being "like a siren"�, and makes a great watchdog, however it must be taught to stop barking when commanded or the bark can become quite uncontrollable and obsessive. This dog needs a moderate amount of exercise and should be taken for at least one good long walk daily. The coat of the Tibetan Terrier requires regular and extensive attention to prevent matting and tangling which can become quite painful for the dog and encourage the accumulation of parasites and debris, as well as skin infections. The coat should be brushed every other day at a minimum. Do not brush a dry coat or the fragile hair will tear; rather, mist it first with water. This breed should be bathed every week. The Tibetan Terrier is a good choice for allergy sufferers when it is kept groomed and clean. It is a very minimal shedder as a rule, but when the puppy is around nine months old it will "slough"� its entire coat, as it is replaced by the adult coat. Many owners choose to have their Tibetan clipped short during the summer months, or in warmer climates. The Tibetan Terrier can be sensitive to flea bites and prone to skin allergies. It is also prone to joint disorders such as hip dysplasia and luxating patellas, and to eye diseases such as catacts, lens luxation, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). The personality of this breed is one of its best attributes. It is generally good with other dogs and with small household pets, but this breed must be socialized to other pets early in life because some individuals of this breed are prone to jealousy; if not properly socialized they may be reluctant to accept another pet in the house. The Tibetan Terrier is gentle and affectionate with older, respectful children. It should be supervised with smaller children because of its innate exuberance and its assertive nature. This breed can be a little shy and reserved with strangers.The Tibetan Terrier is intelligent, clever and easy to train but can be stubborn if bored. It will need a firm leader; if it does not respect the handler it will tend to be pushy. The Tibetan Terrier excels in agility competitions.

Back to iAnimals.com home page Copyright Notice: This website is © . All Rights Reserved.  Click Here to contact us. Link Partners: Animals Go to Heaven | Adopt Me | Salt And Pepper | Singing Animals | Animal Noises