Tibetan Terrier illustration
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Tibetan Terrier

Herding dog from Tibet brought to the UK by surgeon, Agnes Greig in the 1930s

Breed characteristics

Size
Medium
Exercise
Up to 1 hour per day
Size of home
Small house
Grooming
Every day
Coat length
Long
Sheds
No
Lifespan
Over 12 years
Vulnerable native breed
No
Town or country
Either
Size of garden
Small/ medium garden

About this breed

Closely related to the Lhasa Apso, the Tibetan Terrier was classified with that breed at early dog shows in the UK as a Lhasa Terrier. The breed is not a terrier but has been used as a herding dog for sheep.

The breed first came out of Tibet thanks to an English surgeon, Dr Greig who was working in a hospital on the Indian/Tibetan border in the early 1920s. When she returned to England in the 1930s she brought her dogs with her and her Lamleh strain was instrumental in establishing the breed both in the UK and in the USA. The breed was recognised by The Kennel Club in 1937.

Squarely built and rustic in appearance, the Tibetan Terrier has gained great popularity as a show dog in recent years.

Read the breed standard

Images for this breed

Health

Whether you're considering buying a Tibetan Terrier puppy or breeding from your dog, it's important to understand the health issues that may affect the breed and how they can be managed or avoided.

Pre-breeding Health Screening

Good Practice schemes and tests

We strongly recommend that breeders, at a minimum, conduct these tests before breeding, as evidence indicates these conditions are a significant concern in the breed.

  • DNA test for Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL12)
  • DNA test for Primary lens luxation (PLL)
  • DNA test for Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA (rcd4)

Best Practice schemes and tests

These tests address conditions that are still significant for the breed, though they may not be as critical as those listed under Good Practice. They might be less common or newly identified, and research is ongoing to determine their full impact.

To support the breed’s health, responsible breeders should ensure they complete all tests in both categories. Following our Best Practice guidelines means completing both the Good Practice and Best Practice tests for your breed.

  • DNA test for Pituitary dwarfism (DP-LXH3)
  • DNA test for Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA3)
  • Eye testing using the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
  • Hip testing (for hip dysplasia) using the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme

Find out about a particular dog's results

Please visit our Health Test Results Finder to discover the DNA or screening scheme test results for any dog on The Kennel Club's Breed or Activity Register.

You can also view the inbreeding coefficient calculation for a puppy's parents, or for a dog you're thinking of breeding from.

DNA Testing Services

To support your health testing journey, we offer a breed-specific package tailored to your breed's unique health needs. This package provides important information about potential health risks, helping you make informed decisions. Click here to find out more and access the tests relevant to your breed

 

Breed Health & Conservation Plan

The Breed Health and Conservation Plans

Our breed health and conservations plans (BHCPs) use evidence and data to help us understand the health issues found in each pedigree dog breed. These plans help breeders and owners identify health and welfare problems and use information, health tests and health schemes to avoid passing on those problems to future puppies. They also support and provide breeders with tools and specialist expertise to help manage genetic diversity, understand the impacts of close breeding, and find the best ways to preserve the population of their breed.

Working together for the breed

We’ve worked with breed clubs and breed representatives to gather all available evidence to help us determine the priority concerns for the breed and decide how we can work together to manage and reduce these problems.

The full evidence base is available at the discretion of the breed clubs, however if you would like to seek access to the full report, please contact our health team.

Health (The Kennel Club)

More about health

Have any questions about health in your breed?

If you have any concerns about a particular health condition in your breed then you may wish to speak to your vet or you could contact your breed health co-ordinator.

Breed health co-ordinators are individuals working on behalf of breed clubs and councils who are advocates for the health and welfare of their chosen breed. They acts as a spokesperson on matters of health and will collaborate with The Kennel Club on any health concerns the breed may have.

To contact your breed health co-ordinator please email 

Pat Tempest

 

 

Breed watch

Category 1

Currently no points of concern specific to this breed have been identified for special attention by judges, other than those covered routinely by The Kennel Club's breed standard.

Read more about Breed Watch

Breeding restrictions

There are a number of The Kennel Club rules and regulations that may prevent a litter from being registered, find out about our general and breed specific breeding restrictions below.

More about breeding

There are not currently any additional breed specific restrictions in place for this breed.

Looking for a puppy?

Looking for a Tibetan Terrier? Explore our list of puppies and rescue dogs for sale near you.

More information

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