Grooming
Tibetan Terriers need lots of grooming. That means you’ll be spending plenty of time bonding with your dog over their care and training, but hey—you wouldn’t have it any other way. Here are some grooming tips for your Tibetan Terrier:
Brushing: If you decide to keep their fur style au naturel, expect to brush them down to the skin daily with a pin brush for at least 15 minutes. (If you choose to skip a day or two, your sessions will be longer.) Pay attention to extra debris that clings to the hair on their feet. Some people choose to cut the hair that grows between the pads on the underside of the foot to help with traction. These dogs shed far less than other breeds, but they start to “blow their coat”—they shed their hair in clumps in the spring and fall—when they hit adolescence (about 9 months old). Couple this with a thick double coat of fur for extra insulation, and you’ve got a dog who’s prone to forming thick mats—and those mats can take hours to get out!
Hair trimming: If you want to lighten your grooming load, consider cutting the fur shorter. It will be easier to maintain, though you’ll still need to brush them a couple of times a week. It’s a great solution for active parents—and dogs—on the go!
Bathing: When it comes to bathing, it really depends on your lifestyle. Is your dog sitting on the sofa most of the time or traipsing through the woods by your side? Is their hair long or cut shorter? An active, outdoorsy Tibetan Terrier with long hair may need a bath once a week, while a couch potato with a shorter cut may only need a bath once a month, though you may want to use a deodorizing spritz between washes.
Dental care: Brushing your Tibetan Terrier’s teeth helps remove plaque and tartar and reduces periodontal disease. Aim to brush their teeth daily. If you’re new to being a pet parent, ask your vet to teach you how best to brush. Starting when they’re puppies will help them get used to it more quickly. All Tibetan Terriers will benefit from an annual professional cleaning by your vet (not a groomer).
Nail trimming: How often you need to trim your Tibetan Terrier’s nails depends on what type of surfaces they walk on. Lots of walking on concrete or other rough surfaces is more likely to wear them down compared to a homebody who’s mostly walking on plush carpeting. That said, the Tibetan Terrier’s flat feet may make their nails wear down less quickly than other breeds. The best approach is to tune into the sound your dog makes when they walk. If you hear a tell-tale clicking on the floor, that means their nails are too long and it’s time for a trim. Most dogs need a nail trim about once a month.
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Training
The smart-witted and gentle Tibetan Terrier is a quick learner and eager to please. But fair warning: Their intelligence can lead them to ask, “What’s in it for me?” So don’t expect them to do what’s asked just because their beloved pet parent is doing the asking. Remember that Tibetan Terriers respond much better to positive reinforcement and rewards. Think training treats and affection in return for good behavior. Start training as soon as you bring your Tibetan Terrier puppy home; short bursts of up to 10 minutes each day should help to hold their concentration. At first, try some basic obedience commands, like sit and stay, and graduate to something more challenging like being taught to retrieve different toys by name.
This breed is also pretty strong-willed and tends to have a mind of their own if off-leash. If you don’t want to go on a wild goose chase through the wilderness, it’s wise to invest some additional time in recall training, aka teaching your pet to return to you, before you plan that hiking adventure. Again, start with the basics such as come and oodles of positive reinforcement.
Unless your Tibetan Terrier has had a haircut, be sure to bring a barrette to training. Pinning their hair up and away from their face will help ensure they can see you and the trainer under all that fur—and help your Tibetan Terrier focus better on the task in hand.
The Tibetan Terrier is very friendly but can come across as pretty standoffish and aloof to house guests. You can make these interactions easier for your beloved dog by socializing them at a young age so they are happy to meet and greet and welcome new friends with a wag of their gloriously luscious tail.
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Diet
Every dog needs a complete and balanced diet. The Tibetan Terrier typically does well on a high-quality commercial dog food. When choosing a variety, be sure choose one that fits your dog’s age and stage in life (puppy, adult or senior).
As the holy dogs in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, the Tibetan Terrier often ate leftover gruel (like cooked barley). So be sure that whatever food you choose contains some whole grains. That’ll help keep their heart happy, too.
To prevent your pup from gaining too much weight, putting them at risk for health conditions, like heart disease and diabetes, keep treats to a minimum—and resist the urge to give into those big eyes and share your dinner with them.
Because the energetic Tibetan Terrier tends to be lean and attuned to their needs, you can often (though not always!) trust them to eat what they need—provided you resist their pleas and stick to commercial dog food. However, be sure to ask your vet for information and advice on the best food and feeding schedule for your dog based on their individual needs.
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Exercise
Lace up your walking shoes—the Tibetan Terrier dog needs regular exercise, so plan on dedicating an hour throughout the day. While strolling through town on a leash is great, running in a fenced area, frolicking in the snow or hiking in the hills can help a hyper pup burn off steam. But be aware that the independent and mildly rambunctious Tibetan Terrier may have a mind of their own when it comes to being off-leash. So if you venture into the wilderness, don’t let your dog off-leash until you’re completely certain your dog will return when called. Otherwise, you may end up embarking on an unplanned adventure.
Do you have a bit of a competitive streak? If so, you and your pup may enjoy participating in dog sports, like agility, rally and nose work. Not only will you and your Tibetan Terrier have fun participating in these sports together, you may just come home with some fancy 1st place ribbons.
When you’re planning your daily exercise, don’t forget to work out their brains as well as their bodies. Tibetan Terriers are smart, and some mental stimulation with puzzle toys will help youngsters burn off some of their excess energy.
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Environment
The Tibetan Terrier is a very adaptable dog and is a great fit for a first-time pet parent. This breed is good for apartment-dwellers but will also be delighted with a large home, especially if it comes with big fenced-in yard to run around in. While they’re happy romping in the snow and rambling through the hills, they also do well as a mostly indoor family dog.
Tibetan Terriers are great with kids and good with other dogs and pets, too, so maybe you can finally live the dream and set up that menagerie at home! Entertaining is a walk in the park, too, as this is a very friendly breed. These dogs can be aloof with people they don’t know, but you can help to ease your dog into meeting and greeting humans by socializing them from an early age.
For the Tibetan Terrier breed, winter is their season, and they love to frolic in the snow. With their double coat, including the soft, wooly undercoat and their fine outer coat, they have the built-in insulation needed to weather the winter elements. And their big, round snowshoe-like feet means they’re always up for a winter adventure.
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