While its 33 different breeds of terrier kin were tenacious terriers most often used for ratting (hunting vermin), the Tibetan Terrier had a unique position in history--as monastery mascot.
In the Lost Valley of Tibet, the Tibetan Terrier was bred in the high Himalayan mountain monasteries not for working the fields or farmlands but for sitting beside the lamas and monks as a holy dog, a good luck animal, and a protective watchdog. Never sold but only passed from one to another as a gift, it had been bred for centuries by the time Dr. A.R.H. Greig, in the 1930»s, brought the holy breed to Europe, where it was put to work as more likely a sheep-herding dog than a ratter (as it did not take to ground well).
Today, the Tibetan Terrier is still cherished, and like its terrier cousins is still an excellent watchdog. At 20 to 25 pounds, this shaggy breed of black, white, silver, golden, sable, and/or cream is still considered rare, but does live well in areas that are smaller than usual. It is compact enough to be comfortable in a city apartment and sturdy enough to live in the country or accompany its people on country treks.
In fact, the Tibetan Terrier, sometimes referred to as the large dog in the small dog body, though it is not very energetic inside is moderately active outside, and so requires plenty of play and walking on a regular (at least daily) basis. But though it is active, friendly, and alert (making for a great watchdog), it is also sensitive to sound/noise and can be shy (or aloof) with strangers, so special attention to the manner in which it is spoken to is important.
Also, special attention must be paid to the grooming needs of the Tibetan Terrier: its long and heavy double coat (that does shed twice a year, some say»unlike those of most terrier breeds) must be combed with a metal medium-toothed comb regularly, and trimming should be done for its ears and eye areas. It can be bathed, but only once or twice a year, for, like many of its terrier brethren, it is prone to dry skin and allergies.
Not a tough working terrier, the Tibetan Terrier is more of a close-bonding pet, often getting attached to a single family member, bringing that person the luck and protection of the centuries.
