Tibetan Spaniel

This very old breed, kept mainly in monasteries and cherished by the Dalai Lamas, is believed to share an ancestor with the Pekingese, Tibetan spaniels traditionally watched over villages below monasteries and warned their watchdog partners, the Tibetan mastiffs, about human or animal intruders.

One owner says, “My dog knows to step back and observe the situation. When I come home, he first sits and look at me as if to study me. He never jumps at me blindly like other dogs. Only when I tell him to come, he comes to me. He is always trying to read my lips, and never demands his ways.” These intelligent, cheerful, active dogs require frequent exercise but are quite at home inside and outside; they remain excellent watchdog.

Coat care is simple; to keep hair from entangling, brush the coat two or three times a week.

Origin: Tibet
Size: (male) Height about 10 inches; weight 9-16 pounds
(female) same
Coat: Silky; featherings on ears, legs, and tail. Colors include golden, black, white, sand, and any other solid colors, as well as combinations.