Country of origin: Tibet. Patron: England.
Use: Companion dog

General appearance: Tough, profusely coated dog with a distinguished, arrogant posture and chrysanthemum-like face.

Characteristics: Intelligent, active and alert.

Temperament: Friendly and independent

Head and skull: Head round and broad, wide between the eyes. Head with a bushy head of hair and with the hair falling well over the eyes. Good beard and whiskers, the hair growing upwards on the nose, giving the characteristic chrysanthemum-like effect.

The muzzle of ample width, square, short, not wrinkled, flat and hairy. Nose black, but dark liver-colored in liver-colored or liver-colored marked dogs. Approximately 1 inch (2.54 cm) from the tip of the nose to the clear stop.

Nose: straight or slightly upright, protruding nasal tip (turned nose). The tip of the nose (nose leather) should be in line with or slightly below the lower eyelid. Large, open nostrils. Downturned nose is highly undesirable, as are small nostrils. Pigment on the muzzle as continuous as possible.

Eyes: Large, dark, round, well set apart but not convex. Warm expression. Lighter colored eyes are permitted in liver-colored or liver-colored marked dogs. The eye should not show white.

Ears: Large, with long earlobes. Worn falling, set on slightly below the crown. The ears are so heavily furred that they appear to blend into the hair of the neck.

Teeth: Broad, slightly undershot or pincer bite, lips well fitting.

Neck: Well balanced, nicely arched, sufficiently long to carry the head proudly.

Forequarters: Shoulders should be well back. Legs short and well muscled with generous bone. As straight as possible, accompanied by a broad chest with good depth.

Body: Between withers and base of tail longer than the height of the withers. Short, powerful loin. Chest broad and deep. Shoulders firm. Back straight.

Hindquarters: Legs short and muscular with generous bone. Seen straight from behind. Thighs well round and muscular. Legs should appear heavy due to the wealth of fur.

Feet: Round, firm, with firm pads, appearing large due to abundant fur.

Tail: With heavy plume and carried cheerfully over the back. Set high. Height approximately equal to the skull to show a line that is balanced.

Gait: Proudly slightly flowing. Forelegs well extended. Powerful hindquarter movement with the sole of the foot completely visible.

Coat: Long, dense, not curly, with good undercoat. Slightly wavy permitted. It is highly recommended to tie up the hair on the head.

Color: All colors are allowed. A white blaze on the forehead and a white tip on the tail of the multi-colored (pied) are highly desirable.

Weight/height: 4.5-8.1 kg. Ideal weight: 4.5-7.3 kg. Height at the withers maximum 26.7 cm (10.5 inches). Breed characteristics and type are of the utmost importance and certainly cannot be sacrificed to size alone.

Errors: Any deviation from the above points must be regarded as an error and the assessment of the seriousness of the error must be proportionate to the extent to which the error occurs.

N.B. Male dogs must have two clearly normal testicles, fully descended into the scrotum.