Tibetan Spaniel Care

The Tibetan Spaniel is a toy-sized, active, friendly breed that's served as a companion dog for thousands of years. These little dogs, often called "Tibbies" for short, are affectionate, intelligent, and loyal, and have an interesting affinity for climbing things. Overall Tibetan Spaniel care won't take too much work, but will need to include a bit of daily exercise.

Here you'll find details on caring for a Tibetan Spaniel, including info about puppy development, exercise needs, and shedding and drooling tendencies. Get answers to your questions about raising a Tibetan Spaniel in the following sections!

Though active and energetic, these dogs are pretty small--so Tibetan Spaniel exercise requirements aren't too high. Breed members will fulfill a lot of their daily activity needs just running around being their curious little selves, but they'll still benefit from a couple of short walks and a brief period of play each day.

Adult Tibetan Spaniels, depending on their age and overall activity levels, will only need about 30 minutes of dedicated exercise per day. You can start exercising your Tibbie puppy when it's 2½ months old by taking it on short walks, then you can increase the walks' length as the pup grows.

Precautions with Tibetan Spaniel exercise:

• Don't exercise puppies too hard before they're eight months old
• A leash is recommended when exercising in public
• Yards must be securely fenced to keep the dog from running off
• Possible separation anxiety; exercises should be done together with people
• Sensitive to hot and cold weather; best not to exercise in sweltering or freezing temps

It's important to give your Tibetan Spaniel a little exercise every day. Without consistent activity, these little dogs will become anxious, fussy, and disobedient--so regular exercise will be great for both the dog's and your own peace of mind! A few exercise ideas:

• Walking: Two 10-minute walks per day is a good target
• Fetch: Can be played indoors or out; use the dog's favorite toy
• Hide-and-Seek: Great indoor activity; give the dog a treat when it finds you
• Dog Park: If properly socialized, Tibetan Spaniels enjoy the company of other dogs
• Laser Pointer: Your Tibbie will go nuts chasing that "little red dot"

When indoors, giving your Tibetan Spaniel access to balls and toys will allow the dog to burn excess energy. It's also good to have a regular exercise schedule for the dog, such as walks after breakfast and dinner and playtime in the afternoon.

In terms of overall maintenance, these dogs don't need a ton of care. Tibetan Spaniel shedding is seasonal: light to moderate for most of the year, but heavier during shedding season. Drooling isn't an issue.

Tibbies have medium-length, silky, double-layered coats that shed a fair amount for most of the year--but when they shed their undercoats in the spring (and depending on the climate, in the fall as well), the shedding is more profuse. Owners can brush their Tibbies once or twice per week with a pin brush to keep the shedding to a minimum, and hair cleanup--vacuuming the floors, and lint rollers on clothes and furniture--will be necessary from time to time. (Brushing and cleanup will obviously be required more often during shedding season.)

And a Tibbie almost never drools. If your Tibetan Spaniel is drooling excessively, that might be a sign of a medical issue, in which case a veterinarian's care is needed.