All About
Tibetan Terrier

Tibetan Terriers are not as athletic as other terriers, but they do need regular exercise to maintain health, happiness and their sweet temperament. Daily walks and the regular opportunity to run and play are all they require. Active owners will find enjoyment from enrolling their Tibetan Terrier in advanced obedience where they excel, and agility, where they tend to be late bloomers, but definitely hold their own.

Tibetan Terriers evolved in a challenging land that experienced both feast and fast as a way of life. A traditional Tibetan diet would include staples such as easily digestible gruel (cooked barley flour), and meat broth. TTs often received the leftover gruel as food. Naturally lean animals that savor their food (they chew it!), it is not unusual for TTs to leave some in their bowls. Historically, the diet of peasants promoted longevity, while the rich foods of kings created disease. With this in mind, it is best to feed an honest food with real ingredients, and trust a TT to eat what he needs rather than rely on the instructions on a feed bag. A lean dog is more energetic, healthier, and full of happy life force!

Prospective TT owners may mistakenly think this is not the dog for them based upon the manicured, flowing coats seen on televised dog shows. But there’s an agile, versatile dog underneath with a multi-purpose coat suited for everyday life. TTs have a double coat, the undercoat being wool, resistant to moisture and a natural insulator. Coat textures can vary from softer to harder to more or less prone to matting. The natural coat of the breed can stand up to most anything nature can dish out. It may be convenient to keep the dog in a puppy cut if a full coat hinders desired outdoor adventures. That being said, the real benefit of grooming a TT is that it strengthens the bond in relationship, is great training, and is a way to monitor the dog’s health. It may come as a surprise how enjoyable grooming can be.

Tibetan Terriers are adaptable dogs at home in a variety of households, from condos to castles. They should live indoors with their people, not stuck out in a backyard or kennel. Once they've matured, they are just as happy being couch potatoes as they are active family dogs. Like any dog, an adult Tibetan Terrier requires daily exercise to stay healthy and happy, but he'll be satisfied with a couple of 15-minute walks daily or one longer walk. Naturally, puppy and adolescent Tibetan Terriers are filled with energy and excitement and require higher levels of stimulation and exercise. Although it's nice for a Tibetan Terrier to have a securely fenced yard where he can play, it's not a great idea to leave him out there for long periods. A bored Tibetan Terrier is a barker, and a really bored Tibetan Terrier is an escape artist who's perfectly capable of climbing, jumping, or digging his way over or under a fence. Housetraining can take time, but you'll be successful if you're patient and give your Tibetan Terrier a regular schedule and plenty of opportunities to potty outdoors, praising him when he does so. Crate training is strongly recommended. It will make housetraining easier and keep your Tibetan Terrier from chewing things while you are away. The crate is a tool, not a jail, however, so don't keep your Tibetan Terrier locked up in it for long periods. The best place for a Tibetan Terrier is with you. TTs are generally amiable, but sometimes they have their own agenda. Keep training fun, be consistent, and use positive reinforcement techniques such as praise, play, and food rewards.

Major concerns: lens luxation, PRA, ceroid lipofuscinosis
Minor concerns: patellar luxation, cataract, CHD
Occasionally seen: distichiasis
Suggested tests: eye, hip
Life span: 12-15 years

With its mountainous terrain, Tibet is sometimes referred to as the Roof of the World. It was in that harsh, high, remote land that the Tibetan Terrier was created. Prized as companions, the dogs were raised by Buddhist monks, known as lamas, from whom they took their name Holy Dog. But the shaggy, medium-size dogs weren't limited to life in the lamaseries where they were born. Considered to be luck bringers, they traveled the high plateaus with nomadic herdsmen, guarding their tents. Fearful of tempting fate by "selling" their luck, neither the lamas nor the herdsmen ever sold the dogs. Instead, they were given as gifts in return for favors or services or presented to officials as a mark of esteem. The Tibetan Terrier might have remained an obscure breed if not for a grateful Tibetan man who gave a Tibetan Terrier to Dr. Agnes R. H. Greig, who had saved his wife's life. Dr. Greig named her new puppy Bunti and became a fan of the breed. Eventually, she acquired a male, also as a gift, and began a breeding program, establishing the Lamleh line of Tibetan Terriers. Being neither a sporting dog nor a mix, the breed was given the name Tibetan Terrier, despite the fact that it wasn't a true terrier in either instinct or temperament but merely resembled one in size. A breed standard was created by the Kennel Club of India in 1930, and the Tibetan Terrier was officially recognized by England's Kennel Club in 1937. The first Tibetan Terrier imported into the United States, Gremlin Cortina, arrived in 1956. Owned by Dr. Henry S. and Alice Murphy, she was so beloved by them that she inspired Alice Murphy to establish her own kennel, Lamleh of Kalai. The Tibetan Terrier Club of America was formed in 1957, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1973. Today the Tibetan Terrier ranks 95th among the 155 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC.