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SmallNon-Sporting Group

Tibetan Spaniel

The Tibetan Spaniel is a Tibetan monastery companion and sentinel dog of the Dalai Lama household, traditionally used to turn prayer wheels.

Calculate Tibetan Spaniel age
Lifespan15.2 yrrange 14–16
SizeSmallNon-Sporting Group
Weight9–15 lb4.1–6.8 kg
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12

Gallery (3)

About

About the Tibetan Spaniel

The Tibetan Spaniel is a Tibetan monastery companion and sentinel dog of the Dalai Lama household, traditionally used to turn prayer wheels. Exported to Western ownership after 1898; the breed is functionally similar to the Lhasa Apso but smaller and more brachycephalic.

Aging

How Tibetan Spaniels age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 15.2 years (n=488) — among the longest-lived AKC breeds. Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd) and cherry eye are the defining ocular concerns; patellar luxation and portosystemic shunt round out tracked issues.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 15.2 yr · range 14–16Senior careSenior at 8 · geriatric at 12Common health issues4 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
9–15 lb(4.1–6.8 kg)
Height
10–10 in(25.4–25.4 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
BlackBlack & TanCreamGoldRedSableSilver SableWhite
Temperament

Temperament

How Tibetan Spaniels tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

playfulconfidentself-assuredobservant
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Tibetan Spaniels are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.