Tibetan Terrier Dog Breed Height, Weight, Color, History and Description

Description: Here we see a square but well-proportioned dog of medium size. The head of the Tibetan Terrier is medium in size. The teeth meet in a scissor bite or reverse scissor bite. The nose is black. This breed has large dark brown eyes and they are wide. It has pendulous, V-shaped ears that hang close to the head. The Tibetan Terrier has a curly tail that lays over the back and is well feathered. Here we see slightly longer hind legs than the front legs. This dog has a double coat that has a soft, shaggy undercoat and a generous outer coat that is straight to wavy, fine, and long. The coat can come in all colors and patterns. This dog is between 14 and 17 inches tall and weighs between 18 and 30 pounds. Life expectancy is 12-15 years.

History: The Tibetan Terrier is part of the ancient breed of dogs. This breed has helped in all other Tibetan breeds such as the Tibetan Spaniel, Shih-Tzu and Lhasa Apso. This breed is not a true Terrier. Tibetan monks kept this dog around 2,000 years ago and it was seen as a bringer of good luck. This was so special to the monks that money would never change hands for these dogs, and they would be given to them as gifts. The first dogs to leave the country were given as gifts to a lady named Dr. ARH Greig, who had worked for Women’s Medical Services and had given one from a grateful patient and the other from the Dali Lama. to thank him for the work he had done.

Dr. Greig went on to breed these two and managed to bring three back to her home in the UK. This is where breeding began outside of Tibet. The original name was the Lhasa Terrier and in 1930 the Indian Kennel Club changed its name to what we know today as the Tibetan Terrier. This breed first came to America in 1956 by another doctor named Dr. H and Mrs. Murphy from Virginia. They got this breed recognized by the AKC in 1973. This dog has a talent for agility and competitive obedience and is a watchdog.