Key traits:
| 📏 Size | small |
| 🐕 Temperament | friendly, calm |
| 🏃 Activity | low |
| ✂️ Coat | medium |
| 👶 With children | yes |
| 🛡️ Guarding | good |
| 🎓 Trainability | medium |
Description
This breed is a confident, cheerful, courageous, and intelligent dog with a personality much larger than its size. It is playful and active, yet also alert and fearless.
It typically gets along well with people and children and is tolerant of familiar pets. Initial wariness toward strangers is common.
Hailing from the harsh climate of Tibet, the Tibetan Spaniel is a hardy and resilient dog. Grooming is straightforward—regular brushing and combing of its beautiful, largely self-cleaning coat are all that's needed.
It has no extreme exercise demands and is content with a couple of walks a day, though it certainly won't say no to more activity. For over a thousand years in its homeland, it was bred in monasteries, where it served as a vigilant little guardian.
Anyone considering a unique, charming, and less common companion should definitely get to know the Tibetan Spaniel.
This website is an independent and free project. I would like to gradually replace illustrative photos with real dogs from breeders.
If you send me a photo of your dog, I can include:
- the dog’s name or your kennel name
- a link to your website
What I need:
- a good-quality photo (ideally landscape)
- confirmation that you own the photo
- permission to publish it on this site
- a link on your website pointing to www.choosedog.info (I will also include a link to your website on this breed page)
Please email me at
info@vyberpsa.cz
(the breed name will be added to the subject line)
Or contact me via Facebook Messenger: m.me/choosetherightdog
FCI standard
FCI-Standard N° 231 / 11. 05. 1998 / GB
TIBETAN SPANIEL
ORIGIN : Tibet.
PATRONAGE : Great Britain.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987.
UTILIZATION : Companion Dog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs.
Section 5 Tibetan breeds.
Without working trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Small, active and alert. Well balanced in general outline, slightly longer in body than height at withers.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Gay and assertive, highly intelligent, aloof with strangers. Alert, loyal but independant.
HEAD : Small in proportion to body, carried proudly. Masculine in dogs but free from coarseness.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Slightly domed, moderate width and length.
Stop : Slight but defined.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Black preferred.
Muzzle : Medium in length. Blunt with cushioning, free from wrinkle. Chin showing some depth and width.
Jaws/Teeth : Slightly undershot. Teeth evenly placed and the lower jaw wide between the canine teeth. Full dentition desirable. Teeth and tongue not showing when mouth closed.
Eyes : Dark brown, oval, bright and expressive, medium size, set fairly well apart but forward looking. Rims black.
Ears : Medium size, pendant, well feathered in adults, set fairly high. Slight lift from the skull desirable but must not fly. Large, heavy, low set ears un-typical.
NECK : Moderately short, strong and well set on. Covered with a mane or « shawl » of longer hair, more pronounced in dogs than bitches.
BODY : Slightly longer from withers to root of tail than the height at withers.
Back : Level.
Ribs : Good spring of rib.
TAIL : Set high, richly plumed and carried in a gay curl or over back when moving. (Not to be penalised for drooping tail when standing).
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Moderate bone; forelegs slightly bowed but firm at shoulder.
Shoulders : Well laid.
HINDQUARTERS : Well made and strong.
Stifle : Moderate turn.
Hocks : Well let down, straight when viewed from behind.
FEET : Harefoot. Small and neat with feathering between toes often extending beyond the feet. Round cat-feet undesirable.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Quick-moving, straight, free, positive.
COAT
HAIR : Topcoat silky in texture, smooth on face and front of legs, of moderate length on body, but lying rather flat. Undercoat fine and dense. Ears and back of forelegs nicely feathered, tail and buttocks well furnished with longer hair. Not overcoated, bitches tend to carry less coat and mane than dogs.
COLOUR : All colours and mixture of colours permissible.
SIZE AND WEIGHT : Height about 25.4 cm (10 ins).
Weight : Ideal 4.1 to 6.8 kgs (9-15 lbs).
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
