Tibetan Spaniel breed guide

Tibetan Spaniels are smart and eager to please and can excel in agility, scent work, rally and obedience. AKC says they also have a very independent mind and decide if and when to do what is asked, so training should start early.

They are as happy lying around the house as taking a long run in the yard.

Tibetan Spaniels live 12 to 15 years. AKC calls them relatively healthy. Breeders screen for progressive retinal atrophy, cherry eye, an inflammation of tissue next to the eye that is often corrected surgically and patellar luxation and young dogs should be checked for portosystemic shunt or liver shunt.

Whether show or pet, the Tibetan Spaniel is a natural breed that needs no trimming except the hair on the bottoms of the feet for cleanliness. The area behind the ears tends to mat and should be combed frequently, but otherwise the coat does not mat.

A daily walk is always enjoyable to a Tibetan Spaniel and a fenced yard is a must. It suits owners who want a dog to accompany them on long walks or jogs, since it can keep up.

A reverence for animals holds a special place in Eastern belief and Buddhist monks played a lead role in fostering and preserving Tibet's native dog breeds. They kept Tibetan Spaniels mainly as companions and also as watchdogs working in tandem with the brawny Tibetan Mastiff.

Tibetan Spaniels were farseeing sentinels that sat atop the monastery walls and scanned the horizon for friend or foe and no doubt made agreeable bed warmers on subzero Himalayan nights.