Tibetan Spaniels were bred by Buddhist monks to resemble little lions, which are symbolic of Buddha. Like their cousins the Lhasa Apsos, they served as alarm dogs in Tibetan monasteries. Tibetan Spaniels were highly valued and often presented as gifts to great nobles or rulers. The many exchanges of dogs between Tibet and China mean that the Tibetan Spaniel likely shares a common ancestry with breeds such as thePekingese, theJapanese Chin, and theShih Tzu.
British travelers and missionaries brought some of the dogs to the West in the late 19th century and early 20th century. They include Mrs. McLaren Morris, who brought the first Tibetan Spaniel to England; Sir Edward and Lady Wakefield, who bred several litters; and Colonel and Mrs. Hawkins, who brought a pair of the Wakefields’ dogs to England in 1941. Agnes R. H. Greig, who is also associated with theTibetan Terrier, sent several to her mother in Britain, but only one from the breeding program survived World War II.
The dogs didn’t get much attention in the United States until the 1960s when a litter was bred from a pair imported from Tibet. Trinity Lutheran Church sexton Leo Kearns is credited with popularizing the dogs after his litter was snatched up by his parishioners in New Haven, Conn. He imported more Tibetan Spaniels from Britain, and others became interested in the dogs. The Tibetan Spaniel Club of America was formed in 1971, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1984. Tibbies rank 104th among the dogs registered by the AKC.
