Breed of the Week: Tibetan Spaniel

Our confident, pint-sized breed this week is the adventurous Tibetan Spaniel. These furry little guys share their ancestors with Pekingese, Pug and the Japanese Chin. They are intelligent and very trainable dogs suitable to confident owners.

The Tibetan Spaniel breed originated in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet, approximately 2,000 years ago. They were used mostly as companion dogs for the Monks, but were also keen watchdogs. The Tibetan Spaniel would sit for hours on top of a hill near the monastery, and alert the monks by barking if they saw anyone coming.

Although with their history you may expect the Tibetan Spaniel to be somewhat of a guard dog, in reality they are all bark and (typically) no bite. They make great watch dogs and will do lots of barking to alert you, but a well-balanced Tibetan Spaniel should never show any signs of aggression even to strangers. Typically, these dogs are pretty aloof around new people, they really light up when their owners are around. They are very loyal dogs that love to spend time with the people they’ve bonded to. Much like cats, they quite enjoy looking out the window for hours at a time, just watching people walking by. Just be sure they don’t lie by the window all day! These little guys need daily walks just like any other dog. They don’t require a lot of exercise, but still need to be active every day for their physical and mental well-being.

With their flat faces, the Tibetan Spaniel is known as a brachycephalic breed. So be sure that they don’t over exert themselves or are out too long in hot weather as their short muzzles can make it difficult to breath under these conditions.

The Tibetan Spaniel is a very intelligent and confident breed and can sometimes be a little stubborn. They are also extremely sensitive and intuitive to their owner’s mood. With all of this in mind, their training sessions should be done with a lot of patience and consistency. Avoid using any harsh training methods with this breed. The best method for training a Tibetan Spaniel is to first spend quality time together and really strengthen your bond, this will make training sessions much more enjoyable and productive!

To maintain the natural beauty of the Tibetan Spaniel, the owner should never trim the dog’s hair, other than the feet. Brushing should be done weekly as well as combing out the finer hair on their face. Depending on your particular Tibetan Spaniel, if they have large facial wrinkles, ensure to keep these clean by wiping them out with a pet safe wet wipe.

These compact little companions make great additions to almost any family. With their small size, they are suitable for city living. Using gentle and consistent training, the Tibetan Spaniel can grow to be a well-mannered watchdog and family member.