HomeBreeds › Tibetan Terrier

Non-Sporting · Small-Medium (18-30 lbs) · 15-16 years

Tibetan Terrier

Affectionate, sensitive, clever; the shaggy 'Holy Dog of Tibet' (not actually a terrier).

18–30 lb

At a glance

Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
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Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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What this is

What they’re great at

✓ Adapts beautifully to smaller spaces
✓ A portable best friend built for togetherness
Why it matters

Honest challenges

Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.

What helps: Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one. The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots. Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing.
Vocal by design
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.

What helps: Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet. Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower. Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars.
What you can do

Exercise & training

Exercise: Moderate - 45-60 min/day
Training profile — Toy / companion type: A real dog in a small package: train it like one. Use a harness, never a collar, to protect the trachea. Watch interactions with large dogs and supervise with small children.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Agility (snowshoe feet, great climbers) · Trick titles
What you can do

Grooming & coat

Grooming: High - frequent brushing of the profuse double coat or regular clips.
Shedding: Minimal.
Good to know

Health to know about

Lens luxation, PRA, NCL (tested), hip dysplasia; long-lived
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
How much should YOUR Tibetan Terrier eat?

This page can only give breed ranges. The app calculates calories and portions from your dog’s actual weight and life stage, splits them across the right number of meals, and adjusts as they grow.

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Why it matters

Emergency red flags

Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
These need to work when the signal does not

The app keeps every Tibetan Terrier red flag on your phone and opens them with no connection at all — which is the whole point at 2am in a car park. Add it to your home screen and it works like any other app.

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📊 The numbers

Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.

GroupNon-Sporting
SizeSmall-Medium (18-30 lbs)
Lifespan15-16 years
Healthy adult weight18–30 lb
Original purposeMonastery companion and herding helper; considered luck-bringers.
Monthly care$70-$130
Typical puppy price$1,500-$3,000
🐕 Similar breeds
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Add them once and everything here becomes about your dog: feeding by their weight, training picked for their stage, a day built around your hours, and a vitals log that shows the trend. Free, works offline, no account needed.

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