Appearance

The Tibetan Spaniels have a double coat with lots of colors and mixtures. The soft undercoat is used for warming them, and the long, silky outer coat, which just lies flat. They have feathered ears that are set high on their heads, a richly plumped tail that conveniently rolls back, and their eyes are dark brown. A typical mature Tibbie may reach up to 10 inches tall at the shoulders, and they could weigh approximately 9 to 15 pounds.

History

The Tibetan Spaniel, also known as “Tibbies” were originally bred from the Himalayan mountains of Tibet some 2,000 years ago. Bred to be as monastery dogs, they are loyally trailed behind their Lama Masters, who regard them as “Little Lions” due to the breed’s resemblance with the Chinese guardian lions. Before 1908, it was common practice for different monasteries to send dogs as gifts. As a result, the Tibetan Spaniel could likely have a common ancestry with other Oriental breeds such as the Japanese Chin and Pekingese. By 1890s, the Tibbies reached the European continent and were being bread in the UK. The first Tibbies in the US came from a litter born out of two imported dogs from a Tibetan monastery in 1965. The Tibetan Spaniel was officially registered by the American Kennel Club to compete as a Non-Sporting breed effective January 1, 1984.