FCI Standard N° 209/20.04.1998
Origin: Tibet
Patronage: Nagy Britannia
Original standard: 25.08.1988
Classification: Group 9 - Companion and Toy Dogs
Section 5. - Tibetan breeds
Without working trial

General appearance:

Sturdy, medium-sized, long-haired, generally square outline; resolute expression.

Behaviuor/ temperament:

Lively, good-natured. Loyal companion dog with many engaging ways. Outgoing, alert, intelligent and game; neither fierce nor pugnacious. Sparing of affection to strangers.

Head:

Head well furnished with long hair, falling forward over eyes. Lower jaw carrying small, but not exaggerated amount of beard.

- Cranial region:

Skull: Of medium length, neither broad nor coarse, narrowing slightly from ear to eye, neither domed nor absolutely flat between ears.
Stop: Marked in front of eyes, but not exaggerated.

- Facial region:

Nose: Black.
Muzzle: Strong. Length from eye to tip of nose equal to length from eye to base of skull.
Jaw/Teeth: Lower jaw well developed. Incisors set in slight curve, evenly spaced and set perpendicular to jaw. Scissor or reversed scissor bite.
Cheeks: Zygomatic arch curved, but not overdeveloped so as to bulge.
Eyes: Large, round, neither prominent nor sunken; set fairly wide apart; dark brown. Eye rims black.
Ears: Pendant, carried not too close to head, V-shaped, not too large, heavily feathered.

Body:

Well muscled, compact and powerful. Length from point of shoulder to root of tail equal to height at withers.

Back: Level over ribs.
Loin: Short, slightly arched.
Croup: Level.
Chest: Well ribbed up.

Tail:

Medium length, set on fairly high and carried in a gay curl over back. Very well feathered. Kink near tip often occurring and permissible.

Limbs:

Forequarters: Heavily furnished. Legs straight and parallel.
Shoulders: Well laid.
Pasterns: Slightly sloping.
Hindquaters: Heavily furnished.
Stifles: Well bent.
Hocks: Low set.

Feet:

Large, round, heavily furnished with hair between toes and pads. Standing well down on pads; no arch in feet.

Gait/movement:

Smooth; good reach; powerful drive. When walking or trotting hind legs should track neither inside nor outside the front legs.

Coat:

Hair: Double coat. Undercoat fine and woolly. Top coat profuse, fine but not silky nor woolly; long; either straight or waved but not curled.
Colour: White, golden, cream, grey or smoke, black, parti-colour and tricolours; in fact any colour except chocolate or liver permissible.

Size:

Height at shoulder: Dogs: 35.6 - 40.6 cm (14 - 16 ins); bitches slightly smaller.

Faults:

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B.:

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum