- Brief Description
The Tibetan Terrier is a medium-size breed of dog that originated in Tibet. Despite its name, it is not a member of the terrier group. The breed was given its English name by European travelers due to its resemblance to known terrier breeds. The Tibetan name for the breed, Tsang Apso, roughly translates to "shaggy or bearded ("apso") dog, from the province of Tsang".
- Links to Breed Descriptions
John Wauben, Netherlands: President of the FCI Judges Commission: International Judge
~ Judging Dogs - It is All About Balance (external) -- Judging Dogs - It is All About Balance (internal)
- Other Names for Breed
- Tsang Apso
- Country of Origin and Parent Breed Club
Country of origin: Tibet
- Health and Well-Being
Some sources of health information include:
- National kennel clubs and breed clubs (see, e.g. Breeding/Health Strategy Documents, below)
- Population-level statistics (see, e.g., Swedish Insurance Data, below)
- Research articles
- Breed club surveys
- Breed Standards
There are numerous breed standards. The basis of breed/conformation shows is the judging of pedigree dogs against the 'Breed Standard', which is a picture in words that describes the range of features that are deemed appropriate for the breed.
Three of the major international standards are:
- Breed-Specific Statistics
1. Swedish Insurance Data Breed-specific information on rates of disease and death from Agria Pet Insurance (Agria Djurförsäkring) is available for many breeds. This breed has information on Veterinary Care and Life Insurance.
Tibetan Terrier: 2006-2011 2011-2016 2. TT World Conference: 2017: Mrs. Pat Tempest: ~ Presentation of UK TT Registration & Worldwide Health Data (external)
Presentation of UK TT Registration & Worldwide Health Data (internal)
3. US: TTCA Journal | Yearbooks (a wonderful set of resources that include breed stats) http://www.ttca-online.org/html/journals.html
- Breeding/Health Strategy Documents
Health/Breeding Strategy Documents and Links:
- The Kennel Club, UK: Breed Watch
- Sweden: Breed-specific Breeding Strategies: (in Swedish) and/ or English summary
- US: The Tibetan Terrier Club of America: CHIC: https://www.ofa.org/recommended-tests?breed=TT
- Breed-Specific DNA Tests
- Other Breed-Specific Webpages
The Tibetan Terrier Health and Welfare Foundation (TTHWF): http://www.tibetanterriersfoundation.org/
- Breed-Specific Research
Canine Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (CCL) in Tibetan TerriersTufts' Canine and Feline Breeding and Genetics Conference, 2003Stuart F. Eckmann1; Martin L. Katz, PhD2
Janeš, M., Zorc, M., Cubric-Curik, V. et al. Population structure and genetic history of Tibetan Terriers. Genet Sel Evol 51, 79 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-019-0520-4
- Breed Clubs
We are listing sites for breed clubs with health or other information that might be helpful. Follow links below.
UK: Tibetan Terrier Association: http://www.the-tta.org.uk/
US: The Tibetan Terrier Club of America: http://www.ttca-online.org/

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