In a land far far away, people believe that Tibetan Spaniels are “no-groom” breed. Scroll down for the reaction of actual owners…
Tibbies are a double coated breed. Their neck is covered with a mane or “shawl” of longer hair, and there is feathering on their toes that often goes beyond their feet. Guess what that means?
Hair.
This much hair can be a challenge to people new to the breed who are accustomed to trimming hairy dogs for a show ring. The AKC breed standard so severely penalizes Tibbies that have been trimmed or clipped that such dogs are effectively eliminated from competition. Boom. Not even whiskers can be removed. That said, a Tibetan Spaniel’s pads can be trimmed for the safety and cleanliness of the dog, but not the slippers on the foot because as one Tibbie owner told us, “The slippers are sacred!”
In the end, perhaps perspective is everything. Coming from, say, a breed that requires had stripping makes the grooming of a Tibetan Spaniel feel a breeze by comparison, but for someone who has only known what it is to groom a Tibbie, grooming may not feel all that effortless. What say our Tibbie owning readers?
Image: Tibetan Spaniel on scratchboard by Rachel Hames. Find and support her work here: