Tibetan Terrier

Dokhi Apso, Lhasa Terrier

This sacred dog is a very spiritual animal for Tibetans. This protector of the city of Lhasa serves as a good luck charm for all types of owners, whether Tibetan or not. He will make everyone happy with his joy, his courage and his great facility of adaptation. The Tibetan Terrier is a wonderful dog, easy to love and adopt.

Height 35 to 40 cm
Weight 8 to 13 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 15 years

Quick Overview of the Tibetan Terrier

Temperament

  • Excellent character
  • Loves to be cuddled
  • Very affectionate with his family
  • Rather reserved with strangers

Appearance

  • Rather square silhouette
  • Very determined look
  • Very fine and abundant top coat
  • Very drooping v-shaped ears

Health

  • Solidly built
  • Rarely ill
  • No particular pathology
  • Resistant to all kinds of weather conditions

Temperament of the Tibetan Terrier

This nice dog has an excellent character. He loves to cuddle and is very affectionate with all his family, big or small.

Even if he is not a guardian, he will still be able to warn, but he'll leave it at that, as he is incapable of the slightest aggression. Even if he is very affectionate, he remains reserved with strangers.

Faithful, spirited, lively, sociable and intelligent, the Tibetan Terrier is an excellent companion for all kinds of owners.

Intelligent, but sometimes slightly stubborn, a good gentle and firm education will know how to contain this slight stubbornness, in order to avoid him becoming too disobedient.

terrier du tibet personnalité

Breed Appearance

Tibetan burrow

Despite his slightly smaller than average size, the Tibetan Terrier is very robust. He is rather square in shape and has a very determined gait. He is not without reminding the gait of his Tibetan cousin, the Lhasa Apso.

Height

Between 35 and 40 cm (13.78 to 15.75 inches) for the male
Between 35 and 40 cm (13.78 to 15.75 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 8 and 13 kg (17.64 to 28.66 pounds) for the male
Between 8 and 13 kg (17.64 to 28.66 pounds) for the female

Color

His dress can be tricolor or multicolor (of several colours). It can vary between white, cream, golden, grey, smoky and black. All these colors can be mixed, but liver and chocolate colors are totally excluded.

Hair

His long top coat is fine and very abundant. It can be wavy or smooth, but it is not curly. The undercoat is woolly and fine too.

Morphology

His head has a skull of medium length with a marked stop. His large eyes are round and dark brown. His ears are v-shaped and hang close to the head.

His nose is black. His medium length tail is well furnished. It is carried cheerfully curled over the back.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 9, section 5 and is #209

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Tibetan Terrier puppy: between and
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder

Tips About this breed

The Tibetan Terrier can live just about anywhere. He will be happy in an apartment as he would be in a big house.

He can also live outside, but because he is an excellent, cheerful and spirited companion, it is pleasant to be around him indoors and enjoy his great joy of life.

He can brighten a sad day in no time thanks to his constant cheerfulness.

He makes an excellent life companion for the elderly as well, as a daily walk can be more than enough for him, and he can later brighten the day of the person accompanying him.

The Tibetan Terrier is easy to educate and live with. A firm but gentle training will avoid a stubborn dog and make him the best companion.

Health of the Tibetan Terrier

Solidly built, he is very robust and rarely gets sick. No particular pathology affects this former herdsman.

He can easily withstand the elements, and is not afraid of cold or heat. His health is generally excellent, and his longevity is very appreciable.

GROOMING

His coat requires daily brushing to prevent knots from forming in his fine hair.

It is also recommended to bathe him every two or three months to keep his coat healthy. His eyes should also be monitored and cleaned regularly.

History of this breed

Known in Tibet for centuries, the Tibetan Terrier is a dog breed whose origins are very ancient.

Used at the time as herdsmen and guardians of the city of Lhasa, he was adored by the monks of the lamaseries. The Tibetan Terrier is one of the five breeds of Tibetan dogs along with the Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Tibetan Spaniel and Tibetan Mastiff.

The former were considered companion dogs, except for the latter, the Tibetan Mastiff, which is considered to be a member of the molossus group.

Alerting of danger, protector of the city, shepherd and sacred dog, the Tibetan Terrier is therefore very versatile in his country, and is considered a good luck charm by Tibetans.

From a shepherd in his country of origin, he has become a much appreciated companion dog, highly sought-after on the European continent.

The breed experienced a particular boom following the breeding created by Dr. Agnes Craig around 1922. She received a couple of dogs as a gift in appreciation of her good services, and she decided to bring the two dogs back with her to Europe. Thus she started her own breeding in Europe. The standard of the Tibetan Terrier was created in 1930 and the breeding in French territory began around 1975.

Originally a shepherd, guard or other dog, today he is mainly used as a companion dog, but he is still considered a sacred dog in his country.

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