COUNTRY: Tibet (China)
WEIGHT: 18-30 pounds
HEIGHT: 14-16 inches
COAT: Long, shaggy, covering face
COLOR: White, gray, black, golden, with or without white or tan
OTHER NAMES: Dhokhi Apso
GROUP: Herding
Despite his name, this ancient Tibetan is not a terrier, but a true herding dog. The spunky little animal developed through ancient breeds, the North KunLun Mountain Dog and the Inner Mongolian Dog, which resembled a Poodle and stemmed back to the owtcharkas. Others believe this breed to be one of the prototypes of the herding family.
One talent specifically mentioned by Margar-eta Sundqvist is the Tibetan Terrier's ability to assist the shepherds on their journeys down from the mountains, by leaping to the backs of the sheep and down again in narrow passages.
They also served as alarm dogs in remote Tibetan villages, alerting the Tibetan Mastiffs of intruders. Tibetans that were too small for such a rigorous life were given to the lamas and utilized and bred by the Tibetan monks for many centuries, developing into Lhasa Apsos.
Brought into Europe by the Magyars, the TT is a likely contributor to the Puli's makeup, being similar in size, shape, tail carriage and working traits. Other modern breeds acquired some of his qualities as he made his way through Europe.
The triad of shepherd, flock guard and herding dog has worked as a partnership throughout the world and over the centuries. None thrives alone in its sheep tending, so each has learned to rely on the other. Ancient Tibetan natives conceived this workable arrangement, with their Tibetan Mastiff doing the guarding and the Tibetan Terrier taking care of the actual herding. As the barbarians of the East invaded Europe, their families and flocks came with them, along with their two types of dogs. These Mastiffs and herders were left in all countries which absorbed these migrations, where they became individualized for the local region.
Poland developed the mighty Podhalanski and the shaggy Nizinny; in Hungary, the corded Komondor watched the flocks while the Puli did the footwork; northern Italy brought forth the Maremma and the accompanying Bergamasco. Spain boasts the Spanish Mastiff and the Gos d'Atura. Even tiny Portugal, on the coast, has the Estrela Mountain Dog which works with the Cao de Serra de Aires, And the French Great Pyrenees plays guard while the Berger de Pyrenees runs interference.
In each of these regions, the flock-guarding dogs have remained very similar. The sheep-herding dogs have retained manycharacteristics that lump them together with the sheepdogs of the East, rather than those that came by way of the North. These sheep dogs tend to be shaggy all over their bodies. Many have the tail that tends to curl over the back. Grizzled colors of grays and fawns predominate, rather than the black/tans so common in the northern shepherd dogs.
An English physician, Dr. H.R. Grieg, saved a Tibetan citizen's life and was honored with one of these shaggy Tibetan herding dogs. She later obtained another and brought them back to England; although she was not successful in breeding them, her dogs did serve to introduce the breed to the Western World. The Tibetan Terrier has been recognized in India since 1920, and in England since 1937, where they compete in the Utility Group. A comparative newcomer to the United States, they have been shown in Non-Sporting since 1973.
While the Tibetan Terrier of past centuries was tousled and shaggy-coated, today's show dog is adorned by an elegant coat necessitating hours of skillful grooming. Their long, elegant tails wrap protectively around themselves while sleeping. Another charming characteristic is that of using their paws in a catlike manner, holding, grasping and batting at balls. They can be stubborn if pushed into compliance. The Tibetan makes a merry household pet, small enough for apartments and sturdy enough for children's roughhousing.