The Tibetan Terrier loves their fanciers as much as their fanciers love him. These dogs can be happy in a small apartment or a sizable estate as long as they are with their people. When left alone, they may be inclined to sleep on dirty laundry to have the smell of their people around them. They do well with older, well-behaved children, but are less tolerant of toddlers who may poke him or pull his hair. But even if this happens, a Tibetan Terrier is more apt to retreat than retaliate. They do reasonably well with dogs and other family pets but consider themselves alpha and tend to be bossy. But with strangers, they are usually cautious or sometimes even timid. Although active dogs inside where they love to play, they are less active outdoors. Easy keepers, they need only a brisk walk around the block and a rousing inside play session to meet their exercise needs. But they love playing in the snow at which time their large snow-shoe like feet prevent them from sinking in as easily as most breeds.

A small, or at most, medium size dog, a Tibetan Terrier is 14 to 17 inches tall and weighs between 20 and 30 pounds. They have a profuse coat that can be either straight or wavy but should never be curly. They come in many colors including white, silver, gold, cream black, and others in solid, sable, brindle, and parti-color patterns. Unless they are clipped about every five weeks, their coat requires a significant dedication to grooming every other day to prevent matting. They also have a massive puppy shed that takes place between the age of one and two which lasts between a couple of weeks and a couple of months. They do reasonably well in the cold, especially for a small dog and do equally well in heat.

To build confidence with strangers, a reasonable socialization effort is a must. To avoid making them more stubborn, use only positive training methods that feature food rewards. The Tibetan Terrier is a good choice for a first-time dog owner.