Have you seen Netflix’s Marco Polo? OMG, you haven’t?  It brings to life a historic figure who was one of history’s earliest purebred dog owners. The breed he owned was described by none other than Marco Polo as,” little golden-coated dogs nimble dogs.” He was writing of the Tibetan Spaniel, and Kublai Khan owned them.

The actors of Netflix’s Marco Polo: At the right, Lorenzo Richelmy portraying Marco Polo, and at the left, Benedict Wong who makes portly men with a strange mohawk really hot

Tibbies were not the only breeds that Marco Polo encountered. He described one dog as, “tall as a donkey with a voice as powerful as a lion. Strong enough to hunt all sorts of wild beasts particularly the wild oxen which are extremely large and fierce.” That dog was the Tibetan Mastiff.

Live long enough, and one is sure to see strange times. In 2015, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) changed the country of origin for many breeds, including the Tibetan Spaniel and Tibetan Mastiff, from Tibet to China. The action outraged enthusiasts of the Tibetan breeds. We’ve not been able to ascertain where things stand now, and perhaps owners of any of the effected breeds might give us all an update?

Tibetan Spaniels by Miss Fannie Moody (1861 – 1947). This pastel is a sold item and has been left in the Public Domain for research purposes. Images appears through the generosity of Hamshere Gallery