I have fallen for the Tibetan Terrier and have seen some great puppies, one of the breeders I spoke to said they should not be left alone even when adults.
Any advice? (I work two days a week)

I HAVE A 18MONTH OLD TT AND WHEN I BOUGHT HIM I EXPLAINED TO THE BREEDER THAT I WORKED PART-TIME AND HE WOULD HAVE TO BE LEFT ALONE FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS A MONTH, (NOT ALL TOGETHER THEY ARE SPREAD OUT OVER 4WEEKS) .HE SAID AS LONG AS HE GOT USED TO IT HE WOULD BE FINE........AND HE HAS BEEN UP UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO WHERE THINGS HAVE CHANGED.  HE IS NOT HAPPY TO BE LEFT IN THE KITCHEN ANYMORE. PROVINDING I ALLOW HIM TO GO INTO THE HALLWAY HE IS NOT TO BAD. ALSO AS A TT OWNER I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I DIDNT REALISE HOW MUCH HARD WORK HE WOULD BE. I AM USED TO HAVING LONG HAIRED DOGS BUT HIS IS A NIGHTMARE.  I SPEND 30-40 MINS A DAY GROOMING HIM AND I WHEN I HAVE FINISHED HE STILL LOOKS SCRUFFY, BUT I GUESS THATS JUST HIM....SO MY ADVICE IS READ UP ON THE BREED BEFORE YOU GO  AND BUY ONE, BUT HAVING SAID THAT I WOULDNT BE WITHOUT MINE AS HE IS A WONDERFUL FRIEND AND COMPANION.

Hi - yes the breeder had a written guide to grooming care - and I spoke to a friend with a lovely TT and they get really matted - she also said her dog barks if she isn't home after a while. What other dogs have you had (this would be my first - our other thought was a Cav)

HI BEFORE I HAD MY TT I USED TO HAVE A SHIH TZU WE HAD HIM FOR 12 YEARS. HE TO WAS A DOUBLE COATED DOG BUT HE DIDNT NEED HALF AS MUCH GROOMING AS MY TT.  AT THE MOMENT HE SEAMS TO BE A BIT HAPPIER NOW THAT HE IN NOT LOCKED IN THE KITCHEN DOSENT BARK OR CHEW THINGS SO I AM HOPING THIS IS GOING TO LAST.   WHAT BREEDER ARE YOU THINKING OF GETTING YOUR TT FROM I HAD MINE FROM ARAKI.  THEY ARE EXCELLENT BREEDERS YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ONE OF THE DOGS AT CRUFTS (FAB WILLIE), BUT IT DEPENDS WHERE THE NEAREST ONES TO YOU ARE.GOOD LUCK IN WHICHEVER BREED YOU CHOOSE.

Hi, im new to the forum but glad i came across this. Ive been thinking about getting a tibetan terrier and hadnt realised they were bad for being left alone. good to know.

Wow that's quite a pedigree. I had seen their kennel on-line. What is it with the grooming that is causing you so much hassle - had you thought about clipping? The shaggy look is so cute though. What colour is your TT?

I'm sorry if this is going to upset some people, but with regard to grooming - if grooming a long haired dog is such a problem to some people why consider long hair and if one says cut it off again why look at long haired dogs.  I have 3 tt's and as long as they are brushed out daily there is no problem. 

As for seperation problems - George 13,  Molly 10 and Alice 5 never had a problem.

Tibetan terrriers are not for the faint hearted - very intelligent, very willful, great watch dogs, tremendous fun, loyal and loving.

CarolW

I have two T.T.s and I find grooming hard work but I had never considered having their coats short.....I love the long haired look and it's worth the effort to keep them looking their best.     The nine year old spent a lot of time on her own when I worked part time.     She had lots of toys to play with.....but I must admit she got into a lot of mischief for the first couple of years, I used to be afraid to open the kitchen door when I arrived home!      She barked the house down (all night) for nearly a month and in the end got her own way and came to sleep in the bedroom.  The two year old doesn't mind her own company, although Sophie sleeps upstair, Hollie is quite content to sleep in the kitchen.....but of course she does have the company of Sophie if we go out in the day.    I used a crate at first to train Hollie (for very short periods in the day and to sleep in at night).      They are very strong willed and if you let them they become boss of the household.    They are very loving as Carol said (they are known as the little people) and it is true, if any dogs are treated as equals ours are!!!!!  even to having the best chairs in the house!!!!

Jackie

My mother has a TT who is grey and white and she is relly good when left alone(maybe she is the exception to the others). My mum works for 4 and 1/2 hours a day and Genie is left with lots of toys, kongs etc and is happy to entertain herself, saying that when you are there she turns into your shadow, she even follows my hubbie to the toilet! I must admit she is a rescue dog and we got her when she was 2 and she had NEVER been groomed, so she has a clipped coat but she still looks stunning the only problem is people think she is an old english sheepdog puppy!

Sounds great dog - I didn't know you could get rescue TT - would they be good with kids and Cats?

I AGREE WITH CAROL I WOULDNT HAVE AUTI CLIPPED BUT I STILL STAND BY WHAT I SAID THEY ARE HARD WORK WHEN IT COMES TO GROOMING.  BUT I DID KNOW WHAT I WAS TAKING ON.  MY TT IS BLACK AND WHITE AND HE TO IS TREATED AS ONE OF THE FAMILY (LOVES MY LEATHER CHAIRS IN THE LIVING ROOM). I HAVE READ UP ABOUT THE GROOMING AND THERE DOES SEEM TO BE DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPINION SOME SAY THEY DONT MAT WHILE OTHERS MAT ALL THE TIME I GUESS IS JUST DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL DOG.. I HAVENT GOT ANY OTHER PETS BUT AUDI IS GOOD WITH THE CHILDREN BUT HE CAN SOMETIMES BE A BIT OVER POWERING WITH MY 7YR OLD. HOPE THIS HELPS

Genie, my mum's rescue TT is fantastic with the kids if a little protective, but she wasn't used to cats when we got her but with some careful introductions then she wasn't too bad but she still likes to chase them! We rescued her from Germany from a breeder who ships their dogs all over the place. She is now spayed because they did nothing but breed from her from her fisrt season and god knows what else they did to her because now she has a cauliflower ear, and both of her front legs are twisted from being broken and not reset properly, then just to top all that off because her last litter only consisted of 2 pups which both died they wanted to have her gassed!! So considering what she's been through she is an angel in a fluffy coat.