Penny! Penny! Penny! (It's As If I Have Nothing Else To Talk About.)
What do you mean you've never heard of Tibetan Terriers? I can't be the only person who keeps a list of dogs that don't shed under their pillow at night, can I?
Oh.
Yeah, so, Penny (AKA Penelope Grace because dogs need middle names, too. How else will I properly yell at her when she's swinging from a chandelier with a cat in her mouth?) is a Tibetan Terrier, which officially completes our matching pair of weird dog breeds. I think people are more likely to figure out where the names Cody and Penny come from than they are to figure out what a Havanese and a Tibetan Terrier are. That's OK, though. I'm here to educate! Or something...
The long of the short is that Tibetan Terriers have been on our collective "WANT" list for a while now. We had given up on the dream, though, because there just didn't seem to be any around. The fact that a litter was available within three hours of our house at *just* the right time still sort of blows my mind and makes me think IT WAS MEANT TO BE.
Tibetan Terriers have been on our list because they are nothing short of AWESOME. They're one of the oldest breeds in existence, having originated in Tibet (they aren't terriers at all-the name is just plain wrong in that regard). They used to live with monks forever ago and are close relatives of Lhasa Apsos and Shih Tzus. If you were to put the three breeds in a line together, the Shih Tzu would come in just under the minimum size requirement to actually be considered a dog. I suggest using them as a football instead. Lhasa Apsos are barely dogs, but are pretty freakin' awesome. We had one before we got Cody and adored the hell out of that pup. Then there are the bigger Tibetan Terriers. They are somewhere around knee height and weigh 20-25 pounds, meaning they are big enough to do crazy big dog things, but small enough to not make me insane.
They have the awesome crazy long hair like Shih Tzus and Lhasa Apsos.
Before you scoff at all that hair, THEY DON'T SHED. AT ALL. Well, OK, a little bit, but they really do have hair instead of fur, which means they shed about as much as a human does. I can't speak for Penny just yet, but our Lhasa Apso shed far less hair every day than I do. FAR less. (Cody also doesn't shed, so I don't have any dog fur tumbleweeds in my house. NEENER NEENER.) Oh, and hair instead of fur means Tibetan Terriers are generally OK for people who are allergic to dogs.
As far as temperment goes, Penny is pretty much perfect for us. She's cool with just hanging out, but also likes to play. She positively adores Alexis and happily snuggles up in her lap for hours on end.
Tibetan Terriers typically get along fine with other dogs and with cats. They're smart (possibly too smart) and highly trainable. The one personality drawback is that they are smart enough to figure out how to train their humans. Which, how much do you want to bet that Penny has Mr. Husband fully trained by the time she's two months old?
Who am I kidding? She already has him trained.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Reader Comments (15)
Oh, come on! I still say you go for the Tibetan Mastiff. ;)
I am totally not a small dog person, but she's pretty cute. It also wouldn't be hard to shed less than me. I totally have clumps of hair fall out at a time, but never look like I lost a strand.
You're kinda making me want a dog now. Something five years of my husband sending me pictures of cute puppies hasn't done. Wait. Did he put you up to this? Damn that wily husband of mine!
I like bigger dogs... but your dog is beautiful. I could become a "small dog person" if I had this dog. I just don't like "yappers" (aka chihuahas).
Awesome, Penny sounds like a wonderful addition to your family! I think you are right about the timing, she was meant to be yours. :)
My shih-tzu was ginormous - 23 pounds. And he wasn't remotely fat - he was just HUGE. We blamed it on the fact that his mother rejected him & we had to bottle feed him. Penny actually looks like one of his sisters that had the same coloring.
Now not all Shih Tzus are annoying purse dogs :-) Harry Potter Pollock (we got him when my son was 6 and the first Harry Potter movie was coming out!) is 18 lbs of big dog stuck in a little dog's body and he is all personality.
Being a big dog person myself (Wynston is a Shephard / Rottweiler) - Penny is ADORABLE.
Adorable! And sounds like you did your research to find a good breed match for your family. Admirable, and not done nearly enough in this world (IMO).
Enjoy the new pup!
ACK!!!!! I love her!!!! Congratulations on your lucky Penny!!!!!!! What a beauty! :)
We have two in our neighborhood and they are great dogs. I happen to have two Shih-tzus. They are a riot. Congrats on the new pup!
She is SO cute. I'm jealous. Striker has been gone a month, we picked up his ashes today :-( I want SO badly to get another dog but my parents said no. So I have to wait until I move out to go to grad school next fall. I miss having a dog. The house feels empty.
Side note: When did Alexis' hair get SO LONG? And why is she so old and not a baby anymore? What is the meaning of this!
Thought you would appreciate this now that you have a TT: http://www.dailybaxter.com/
He doesn't post as much now that his owners had a baby, but I still enjoy it.
So, I have a funny story. Let's just say I went online looking for Tibetan Terriers after I read your post and didn't find any in my area :( sad. The funny part? Long story, but we somehow came home with a stray Shih Tzu that same night. I have never wanted a small dog in my entire life, but this thing is so freakin adorable I might have to keep her. What was that about footballs? (The tibetan terrier is definitely going on my list for the next dog I want)
She is gorgeous. I have a Tibbie (from your neck of the woods, actually) and she is wonderful. They really are 'little people.' Smart doesn't come close - although do not confuse trainability with obedience! Once mine got her CD, she decided to retire and become a cat. They are marvelous, wonderful and amazing creatures, but far from anybody's idea of a big dog. What they are is... amazing. Beware: they climb trees, jump crazily, soar through space and invade your hearts and minds. And are, by far, the cutest puppies on the earth.