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Tibetan Spaniels are a breed of small, highly intelligent dogs originating in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. This breed is not a true Spaniel; its breeding and role differs quite a bit (Spaniels are gun dogs.) Tibbies, as they are often called, make excellent housepets for all people, including families with small children.
General Appearance: Should be small, active and alert.
The outline should give a well balanced appearance, slightly
longer in body than the height at withers. Size Height about
10 inches. Body slightly longer from the point of shoulder to
root of tail than the height at withers. Weight 9-15 pounds
being ideal. All coat colors acceptable.
Temperament: Joyful and assertive, highly
intelligent, aloof with strangers. Happy and assertive, highly intelligent, aloof with strangers. "Tibbies", as they are often called, make excellent housepets for many people, including families with small children. Tibetan Spaniels enjoy attention and involvement with their owners, but have an independent nature and can be wilful. They will bark to warn of strangers and strange occurrences, but generally reserve barking. A fondness for sitting in high places is another feature of the breed.
History: Small monastery dogs, thought to be early
representatives of the Tibetan Spaniel, loyally trailed behind
their Lama masters and came to be regarded as "little
Lions", thus giving them great value and prestige. The
practice of sending the dogs as gifts to the palaces of China
and other Buddhist countries grew significantly, and in
reciprocity more "lion dogs" were presented back to
Tibet, continuing until as late as 1908. Through exchange of
Tibetan Spaniels between palaces and monasteries, the breed is
likely to have common ancestors with a number of the Oriental
breeds, including the Japanese Chin and the Pekingese.
Village-bred Tibetan Spaniels varied greatly in size and
type, and the smaller puppies were usually given as gifts to
the monasteries. In turn, these smaller dogs used in the
monastery breeding programs were probably combined with the
more elegant Tibetan Spaniel-type dogs brought from China.
Those bred closer to the Chinese borders were characterized by
shorter muzzles.
Not only was the Tibetan Spaniel prized as a pet and
companion, it was considered a very useful animal by all
classes of Tibetans. During the day, the dogs would sit on top
of the monastery walls keeping a steady watch over the
countryside below. Their keen eye and ability to see great
distances, as well as their persistent barking, made them
exceptionally good watchdogs. Modern-day Tibbies retain their
ancestors' love of heights.
Tibetan Spaniels were being bred in the United Kingdom by
the 1890s. The first authenticated reference we find to
Tibetan Spaniels in the United States is a litter born out of
two imported dogs from a Tibetan monastery in 1965. In January
1971, the Tibetan Spaniel Club of America was formed with 14
charter members. After a period in the Miscellaneous classes,
the Tibetan Spaniel was accepted for AKC registration and
became eligible to compete as a Non-Sporting breed effective
January 1, 1984.
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