 |
THE TEMPLE DOG OF TIBET
|
|
As the name tells you, the tibetan spaniel originally
came from Tibet.
It was a very proud and aristocratic dog which lived
among the monks in Dalai Lamas holy temples.
The tibetan spaniels were mostly used as guarding
dogs high up
on the temple walls during the day and to keep the
beds warm at night.
But it also represented a high status.
The dogs were so highly appreciated that they were
never sold,
only given as gifts to highly regarded friends of
the monks.
They were associated with the holy lion because of
it's look.
The breed has not a long history in Europe.
The first specimen came to England around 1895.
The breed came to Norway at the early 1970ies.
Today there are about 400 tibetan spaniels registered
in Norway every year.
A tibbie is a gay and highly intelligent dog, aloof
with strangers,
and naturally suspicious of anything strange.
But they do have a charm of its own.
They have an aristocratic air and demands a decent
introduction.
It's a self-confident little dog who won't take bribes.
It loves to sit high up on a hill, stairs or in the
window sill, to keep watch.
A tibbie is often subscribed as one third cat, one
third dog and one third monkey.
It can be very inventive and "teasing".
Their look can be very various. You can hardly believe
some of them are the same breed.
The Tibbie's coat comes in all colors. The most common,
called a "sable", is
made up of various shades of yellow, from pale biscuit
to a brigth reddish-gold.
Others are particolor, tricolor and black-and-tan.
Like the lions, the male have a "mane" of longer,
fuller hair
surrounding the neck and shoulders than the females.
