The Tibetan Spaniel is a highly intelligent dog coming from the mountainous regions of Tibet. These little dogs were originally bred in the monasteries of Tibet where the monks held them in high esteem. They were used as watchdogs and warned of approaching visitors by their barking. These characteristics are still found in the breed today as they make very good housedogs, warning of any unusual occurrence. Just as they used to watch from the walls of the monasteries in Tibet, so today they often like to climb up to a lookout point such as a windowsill. The Tibetan Spaniel should have great dignity and proud bearing, indicating how much the powerful monks, their masters, prized them in Tibet, and it should be realised that these dogs could not be bought from the monks but were given as valued gifts to esteemed friends. They are a long-lived and generally healthy breed, often remaining active and full of life until 15 or 16 years of age.
When we look at the Tibetan Spaniel we should be trying to find a vigilant little dog who takes an interest in its surroundings and possesses the distinctive oriental expression that is so typical of the breed. A good Tibetan Spaniel should have that indefinable something called quality and should look a true aristocrat from head to toe. It should not be exaggerated in any way. For example, excessive weight, height and coat are undesirable. Any unsoundness should be penalised. And it is very important to look at the overall proportion of the dog, as it should be remembered that construction faults are the hardest to breed out. A poorly angulated dog will almost always have poor muscle structure and less overall substance.
Tibetan Spaniel Characteristics Intelligent, mischievous, stubborn, determined, charming, amusing and full of life, taking an interest in what is going on around them. May test your patience but soon forgiven because of their wicked sense of humour. To quote an international judge from mainland Europe they are “part cat, part dog and part monkey”. This is a good description of the breed’s character - the curiosity and independence of a cat, the faithfulness and watchfulness of a dog and the mischievousness of a monkey.
Tibetan Spaniel Temperament Whilst appearing dignified and confident, this breed of dog is nevertheless wary and somewhat suspicious of anything unfamiliar. However, this attitude should give the impression of aloofness and even disdain - certainly not timidity. They are quite brave for their size; a big dog inside a small dog’s body, although they should never bite or show other signs of aggression. Judges also need to note that Tibetan Spaniels have a tendency to look past or ‘through’ strangers rather than directly at them. They also do not like being swooped down upon and should therefore be placed back on the table if a re-examination or comparison is necessary. Their attitude when being handled on the table is usually one of disdainful tolerance; they seem to consider handling by strangers as an infringement on their dignity.
Small in proportion to body and proudly carried giving an impression of quality. Masculine in dogs but free from coarseness. Skull slightly domed, moderate width and length. Stop slight but defined. Medium length of muzzle, blunt with cushioning, free from wrinkle. The chin should show some depth and width. Nose: Black preferred. The head is one of the most important and distinctive features of the Tibetan Spaniel, especially the correct balance of skull and muzzle and neither one should dominate the other. The ideal proportion should be one-third muzzle to two-thirds skull. The top of the skull should be neither too domed nor too flat between the ears. The broadest part of the head should be at eye level.
In profile, the muzzle should be blunt, not short and Peke-like with a roll or wrinkle, nor should it be long and narrow. It should be level out to the tip of the nose. From front on, with the head level, the top of the nose leather should be level or fractionally below the line of the lower eye rims. The muzzle should be strong and have slight cushioning but should not have a square appearance. If you are not sure where this cushioning should be, think of the roots of a cat’s whiskers that are embedded in a soft, rounded layer of fat padding. The chin should be defined, not with the lower lip jutting out spoiling the profile, nor should there be any bottom teeth protruding over the upper lip. The flews and nose should be black regardless of coat colour, but the nose may fade in winter.
Dark brown in colour, oval in shape, bright and expressive, of medium size, set fairly well apart but forward looking, giving an ape-like expression. Eye rims black. The eyes should be oval-shaped and in no way resembling the full, round eye of the Pekingese. It is also important to remember that the eyes should be set forwardfacing. There must not be any white showing around the iris because this gives an incorrect expression. Light eyes are undesirable regardless of the coat colour and the eye rims must be black regardless of the coat colour. Often the eyes have delicately pencilled lines, frown lines, running from between the eyes and nose and arching like eyebrows over the eyes. A significant characteristic of the breed, it helps to create the typical aloof and quizzical expression by producing a look of faint puzzlement. There is a tendency for the eyes to be slightly runny, especially in dusty or windy conditions.
The ears should not be too heavy or set too low. The ears are set just below the slightly domed head but never so low as to start just below eye level. They should not have a semi erect or erect ear. The slight lift that is permitted is attractive and does enhance the oriental expression. If the ears have too much lift, this gives them a flyaway look. Large heavy ears are coarse and lack quality. Ear colour can vary and it is common for dark hair to be interspersed with the normal coat colour. The long hair furnishings on the ears are most desirable and a distinctive feature of the breed. These ear fringes start growing high up behind the ear where it joins the skull and drape down and over the ear leathers. The latter are actually quite small and rose-petal shaped. They only appear larger because of the feathering, which covers them.
Ideally slightly undershot, the upper incisors fitting neatly inside and touching the lower incisors. Teeth should be evenly placed and the lower jaw wide between the canine tusks. Full dentition desired. A level mouth is permissible providing there is sufficient width and depth of chin to preserve the blunt appearance of muzzle. Teeth must not show when mouth is closed.
In the early days of the breed a good mouth was an exception, but generally today they are much improved. One should look for a mouth with sufficient width and depth of chin to allow full dentition. However, it is important to remember that the mouth can be less than perfect and an otherwise excellent exhibit should not be discarded simply because it has a less than perfect mouth. Moreover, a judge should not put up an exhibit with only a good mouth. The rest of the dog’s conformation and breed type must be taken into consideration.
An overshot or normal scissor bite is not acceptable because it results in the chin being insufficiently pronounced. The correct amount of chin is important because it contributes significantly to the much-desired oriental expression. A very undershot mouth is unattractive, especially if the tongue or teeth are showing. A level bite is permissible if the dog has sufficient chin to carry it off, and Tibetan Spaniels with this kind of bite are less prone to losing their teeth at an early age. The level bite may, however, result in the chin falling away so that the blunt profile of the muzzle is lost.
A broad bottom jaw does help to prevent the teeth from being uneven and will usually have the desired full dentition with all the bottom teeth in a straight line. It is unfair to penalise an older dog with missing teeth because Tibetan Spaniels can begin to lose some of the front bottom teeth from around the age of 5 onwards. Above all else, judges of Tibetan Spaniels must put breed type and soundness before dentition.
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