# Tibetan Terrier Questions



## davedinho (Oct 29, 2011)

Hi. Firstly I'd just like to say I am posting on behalf of my Mum (who isn't very internet-savvy) so please try to forgive my ignorance regarding canine culture. I've only ever had cats and really don't know too much about dogs or caring for dogs.

Anyway, my Mum has decided she wants a dog when she retires from work. She has a very active job and wants to make sure she still has a reason to get out of the house and stay active when she leaves. She doesn't think it would be right to get a puppy now as she wouldn't be able to give it the time and attention it requires whilst she is living on her own and working 40 hours a week.

The breed she is really interested in is a Tibetan Terrier so I'd just like to ask anyone who has owned one what their experiences of them are like:


What is their temperament like? Do they tend to be friendly or aggressive?
Are they sociable or solitary?
How do they interact with strangers and strange dogs?
How active and energetic are they?
How much do they eat?
How noisy are they?
How easy/difficult are they to train?
What health/care issues is she likely to face?
Is there a difference in behaviour between males and females?
How do they like to play
Any other issues I haven't thought of? Or any stories or anecdotes you'd like to share?
These are the questions I've come up with off the top of my head, but like I say I'm not really au fait with potential issues in bringing up dogs so any advice on possible situations is useful. Obviously every dog will have his or her own personality but hopefully people can give some generalisations of breed traits etc.

Further information: Unlike myself, my Mum does have many years of dog ownership experience. She had a West Highland Terrier from puppy when she was a young adult and later received a teenage German Shorthaired Pointer from family who were emigrating - they gave it to her as she already had a good rapport with it.

Aside: From the new member threads it seems "backyard breeders" are a major issue on these boards. How can you tell a reputable breeder from an unscrupulous one? I've never seen a pet shop which sells dogs (well not in the UK anyway) so the only options seem to be private breeders or rescue centres. What is the best way to go about finding the right dog?


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

TT's are pretty terrier like, your mom should know what that is like with previously owing a terrier. The ones I have been around were pretty friendly, very friendly in fact. 

They are pretty social dogs, but not overly social. 

They are wary of strangers, not sure about strange dogs. 

Very active, again terrier like energy. 

I am not sure about training

Health issues that can affect the breed: hip dysplasia, patella luxation, progressive retinal atrophy, Primary lens luxation , hypo-thyroidism, cataracts and canine neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. 

I think females are a little more active, males seem to be more laid back. 

How do they like to play? I am not sure what you mean. 

The best way to find the right dogs, is to go to dog shows, I don't think there are too many TT's in rescue but I could be wrong. 

Here are a few resources as well:

http://www.the-tta.org.uk/Tibetan_Terrier_Association/Welcome.html

http://www.ttboc.co.uk/

I know a really good breeder in Gloucester, who is very helpful.


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## kadini (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm chiming in with my post on my Tibetan Terrier from a different thread. It's great that your mother is waiting until she retires to get a dog. If she wants companionship, she should get a companion dog and they get crazy when left alone too long and too much. I suspect there is a fair amount of variation as with any breed and I can only speak from experience with one Tibetan, a 29 month old, which I have had for just seven months. He is exceptionally large, 20-1/2 inches and about 44 pounds, but from from a TTCA (U.S.) recommended breeder. He is very easy to live with, smart and adaptive. My wife, who had never had a pet and been brought up to think dogs were disgusting, smelly and scary, really likes him.

I live both in New York City in an apartment and in the county with a big yard and he has become equally happy in both places. I would say compared with other dogs in general he is much more easy going and relaxed. He doesn't fetch or run around much. First and foremost he loves to be included in anything I'm doing or the family is doing. At a dog park he is almost as interested in the other people as he is in the dogs and doesn't enjoy chasing around when more than one other dog is involved. He is a little timid. He attacks the neighbor's labs if they come in our yard but quickly retreats. 

He is fine off leash which I started after fully bonding. (All the "web wisdom" says never trust a TT off leash because the queen mother of TT's said that in a book long ago. It has been perpetuated by over-protective show dog folks. These are companion dogs, not hunters.) He runs free with me in NY parks (before 9:00 am and after 9:00 pm). In the county he was trained to an invisible fence and now stays in the yard without it. I take him off leash in the county whenever he is not around cars. Burrs can be a problem. When off leash he rarely goes more than 50 yards from me and checks in regularly. Here he is playing in Central Park with a Poodle puppy.

He travels very well. He loves to go with us where ever we go, stays in the car when I run errands or eat in restaurants. I don't leave him alone at home for more than about five hours and when we leave him he stays happily in his crate which he was trained to as a pup. He barks a lot at anyone who comes near or in the house but is fine a few minutes after introductions. His coat does require a couple of 30 to 45 minute sessions a week even when clipped. (You need a good brush with steel "bristles" with no plastic ends, a teflon coated steel comb, and a tool for cutting out matted fur.)

I think healthy walks are as much about time for seeking behavior as they are about exercise. He gets 60 to 90 minutes of walks a day in the city and a mile or two in the county plus yard time. But if I'm not in the yard he'd rather be where I am after about 5 minutes in the yard.

As Buddhist monks had little presence in Tibet 2000 years ago everything written about Tibetan Terriers' history should be taken as conjecture. But whoever bred them originally created a fabulous companion dog that is highly tuned-in to people. If you are into ordering dogs around and showing them who's boss all the time and all that nonsense, this dog probably isn't for you. The guy who decided intelligence in dogs is measured by how they respond to obedience and training was not an intelligent guy. This dog's intelligence runs more towards knowing what you are thinking and feeling. 

He responds to respect and to an owner who expects to be respected. I look at living with a dog as a two way street. I make and enforce the rules but I try to be accommodating to his interests especially olfactory interests. I don't think of him as stubborn but occasionally he'll do something like not get out of the car when we get home and although very cooperative in general, he doesn't always obey. Although adaptive, Tibetans are probably happier in a relatively calm environment. My dog had trouble adapting to a previous short term owner who had a brutish husband prone to charging around and yelling.

A good breeder will want your mother to have a dog that fits her life. They can see differences in personality by the time the pups are ready to go. Several visits to see a particular litter and ask questions is a good idea. A big selection of available pups (rather than a small litter with several already promised to others) is more likely to result in a good match. Breeders of show dogs like the "best conformers" to the breed standard to go to those interested in showing dogs. I like having a great looking dog around that conforms in every way but size. Also I never regretted skipping the puppy thing and getting my dog fully grown when I retired.


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