The Tibetan Spaniel's coat is medium to long and it can either be wavy or straight, but they always have a nice amount of silky, fine feathering which if allowed can grow quite long. Ideally, their coats need to be brushed every day, paying particular attention to any feathering to prevent any matts and knots from forming. As such they are high maintenance on the grooming front.
These little spaniels shed a tremendous amount of hair throughout the year only more so during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when more frequent grooming is usually necessary to keep on top of things. Many owners take their dogs to a professional groomer which makes it easier to keep a dog's coat in good condition in between visits to a grooming parlour.
It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.
Tibetan Spaniels are not high energy dogs, but they do love being out and about as often as they can. They are intelligent and as such they need to be given the right amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation for them to be truly happy, well-rounded dogs. They need to be given between 20 to 40 minutes exercise every day with as much “off the lead time” as possible included in their daily routine.
A shorter walk in the morning would be fine, but a longer more interesting one in the afternoon is a must. These dogs also like to be able to roam around a back garden as often as possible so they can really let off steam. However, the fencing has to be extremely secure to keep these active dogs in because if they find a weakness in the fence, they will soon escape out and get into all sorts of trouble bearing in mind that Tibetan Spaniels are known to be extremely good escape artists.
With this said, Tibbie puppies should not be over exercised because their joints and bones are still growing. This includes not letting a dog jump up and down from furniture or going up or down the stairs. Too much pressure placed on their joints and spines at an early age could result in a dog developing serious problems later in their lives.
If you get a Tibbie puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
