MyDogBreedsTibetan Spaniel is originated from China but Bisben is originated from India. Tibetan Spaniel may grow 46 cm / 18 inches shorter than Bisben. Tibetan Spaniel may weigh 48 kg / 105 pounds lesser than Bisben. Both Tibetan Spaniel and Bisben has same life span. Tibetan Spaniel may have less litter size than Bisben. Tibetan Spaniel requires Moderate maintenance. But Bisben requires Low maintenance
Known fondly as the Tibbie and being referred to as little lions’, the Tibetan Spaniel is an ancient dog breed.
They appear in ancient art dating way back to 1100BC. This tells you that this small dog has been around for a jolly long time.
When you look at him, you can see that his predecessors were the Pekingese and the Lhaso Apso. It’s odd actually that he is called spaniel, as he doesn’t look like a spaniel at all and he has certainly never been a gun dog. He is more of a companion breed.
Even today, you’ll find these dogs living with monks in monasteries. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1984.
There is a lot of mystery surrounding this large herding dog said to come out of the Himalaya Mountains of Asia. The belief is that sheepdogs were crossed with wolves toward the end of the 18th century, but his origin is basically unknown. They are both herding dogs and guard dogs. Others theorize that rather than a wolf, the breed arose from the Mastif family. Still others claim that the Bisben is not a breed at all but rather a “landrace”. A landrace is an animal group that is only found to exist in the local area or is bred locally for a specific reason, while a breed is developed intentionally and from a select purebred with pedigree. The Bisben may be a landrace since it is very popular in India but hardly known anywhere else. What is known is that the Brisben was in existence at the end of the 1700’s and its job was to protect and herd livestock. There are three main theories about the origin of the Bisben. They are, in no particular order:
1. The Bisben was developed by mixing several different Himalayan and Indian Sheepdogs with wolves. The wolf population in the Himalayas and in India live in very close proximity to dogs and people and this population is quite large. These Tibetan and Indian wolves are known to be smaller, more comfortable with people and less aggressive than wolves from other parts of the world.
2. The Bisben was developed by mixing local sheep herding dogs with the Tibetan Mastiff. This gave the breed its protective nature and its large size according to this theory.
3. The Bisben was developed by mixing local dogs with the ones the British, Portuguese and French imported to the India subcontinent.
There is a fourth theory as well and it combines all three of these, supposing that the Bisben is a product of crossing local dogs with wolves, Tibetan Mastiffs and European dogs.
Regardless of their origins, the Bisben grew into one of the most respected animals in the Southern Himalayas. Their assistance to the shepherds of the area was unquestioned and irreplaceable. They were touch enough to herd flocks of goats or sheep across several treacherous and unstable mountain passes. The environment in which these dogs worked when herding is one of the harshest environments on the face of the earth. Temperatures were dangerously cold, altitudes dangerously high and the terrain just plain dangerous. Many deadly large predators live there as well. This included tigers, Asiatic black bears, golden eagles, Himalayan brown bears, snow leopards, fox, dholes, wolves, and small cats. The Bisben had to be able to fight off all of these predators. In addition to these herding and protecting duties, the Bisben was also known throughout the region as an excellent hunting dog. They are capable to this day of hunting large prey such as antelope or deer. They are equally comfortable hunting alone or in a pack. He has grown into one of the most popular hunting dogs in all of India.
The Himalayas, being so rugged and treacherous, were inaccessible to most of India for many centuries and the Brisben was unknown as well. Through the British imperialist expansion across all of the Indian subcontinent, the lowlands people were connected to the highlands and mountain people for the first time. This also meant that the Brisben was no longer unknown. The entire country began to appreciate the dog for its protection and herding of livestock, as well as a companion animal who would protect its owner and family as well. As India continues to grow the popularity of the Brisben grows as well and its numbers increase regularly. The breed, if it is a breed, remains an Indian secret. They have migrated to the countries around India, but their number are small. It is only in India that they are revered and prosper. They are not present in any great numbers in Europe, North America, Japan, or most of Asia.
Whether or not the Bisben becomes a recognized breed depends upon those who own and fancy them. Most Bisbens are bred to only other Bisbens in an effort to purify the breed. However, few dogs have pedigrees and the practice of breeding the Brisben to other breeds and mixed breed to acquire specific characteristics continues to this day. It is unlikely that the Bisben will ever be a purebred dog. It is quite variable in how it looks depending upon what the breeding line of the individual dog actually is. Does it look like a wolf? Does it look like a larger version of a local or European dog? There will always be these questions around the Bisben. Is it a breed or a landrace?
Weighing between 4 to 7kg and standing at 23 to 30cm, the silky, double coat is fairly long and it sheds throughout the year.
The coat can be any color really, from tan to cream to brown and black and even a mix of colors.
The eyes are dark brown, the ears medium length and feathery and the tail is long and feathery too. The nose is fairly short and blunt.
The Tibetan spaniel is a small, active dog breed but not known to be shy or timid. He is an assertive dog, and intelligent too.
He would be better off having training and socialization as he is strong willed, stubborn and independent. He is loving, sweet and devoted to his owners.
He makes a good watchdog dog and will adapt well to life in the city or in the countryside. He can be both social and aloof, enjoying having his human family around him even though he may not be interacting with them.
He is playful and gets on well with children in the home as well as with other pets. He makes an excellent pet for older people too – he just needs to get his regular exercise.
As mentioned in the previous section the appearance of the Brisban can vary greatly from one dog to another based on the individual dogs’ ancestry. Breed or landrace, the Brisban breeding line is not very pure. Therefore, appearance can vary greatly from what is described here and there is no standard by which to measure the Brisban. Most are distinctly large animals, being as tall as the European mountain dogs – the Newfoundland or the Bernese Mountain Dog, Swiss Mountain Dog. St. Bernard and Great Pyrenees. Reports are that it is perhaps the largest dog in India. At least it is one of the largest dogs in India. The Bisben is said by some to be a large, bulky, husky dog while others claim it to be tall and athletic, leaner than the Mastiff bred. Again, there is disagreement on the size and shape of the Bisben’s head with some claiming it is massively square like a Mastiff while others say the head is long and like that of a wolf not a Mastiff. The long hair of the Bisben and its confusing heritage may be the cause. They are most often black but might also be found to be tricolor, tan and “wolf-color” or brown, grey, shades of sable and black. No matter how it looks, this is a dog that was designed to work in the harshest conditions known and their physical appearance should make that abundantly clear.
The Tibetan Spaniel dog is energetic and active, but doesn't require a lot of exercise. This makes him suitable for life in the city as well as the countryside.
They’re social dogs and will relish any interaction with their human family. Give him the love and care he deserves and you’ll be rewarded with a loyal, loving friend.
The Bisben was so important to the people of the Indian subcontinent because of her temperament. He is a loyal, productive and courageous worker who took care of her flocks, her family and her pack. They are devoted to their family and if raised with children will care for them as well. He is suspicious of strangers. They are territorial and great watchdogs. They can take on any large challenger if need be to protect what they consider to be theirs. They can be highly dog aggressive and must be socialized as a puppy. Do not mix them with strange, unknown animals as the Bisben might attempt to kill them. If he sees them as his “pack” he will love and protect them, but not if he does not know them. Take as much time as you need to introduce him to a new animal and do not leave them unsupervised. They are not easy to train as they are stubborn, intelligent, want to be dominant and is a problem solver. If he doesn’t want to learn something forget it – he won’t. You can still train them. It just takes time and patience.
Tibetan Spaniels are generally healthy, especially if you provide them with good food and exercise.
Whenever you’re looking to buy a puppy, make sure that you do research on where the puppy comes from. You don’t want to bring your puppy home and find that you’re faced with a host of health problems.
This eye problem effects photoreceptor cells which deteriorate over time and ultimately lead to blindness. It is an inherited disease that occurs in quite a few different breeds of dogs.
Dogs with this disease should never be bred. It isn’t a painful condition but you usually notice it when your dog has night blindness. Day blindness also occurs and later on cataracts can develop too.
Because he is not a purebred and is probably a land range, there have not been a lot of health studies done and written up on the Brisban. It is believed that the Bisben is for all practical purposes a healthy working dog. As long as the breeding practices are not compromised it should remain a healthy line. It is bred for temperament and work not for appearance and showmanship. Some problems that plague large dogs have been noted in the Bisben. These conditions include hip and elbow dysplasia; optical issues such as Entropion, Ectropion and cataracts; ear infections; and Demadex and Demodectic mange. Most of these conditions can be tested for either in DNA or early in a pup’s life and should be tested for by the breeder before a puppy is sold
The Tibetan Spaniel isn’t fixated on games and exercise like some other dog breeds are, but even so he isn’t a couch potato either. He will certainly require some moderate exercise such as a good walk every day.
You canine friend relies on you to make good food choices for him. Just like human beings have to watch what they eat if they want to remain healthy, dogs can’t just eat anything.
Feeding him an inferior diet will allow sickness. Commercially manufactured dog foods should be chosen with care, and there is a lot of information on the packaging to guide you.
Getting enough minerals and vitamins is imperative for good health. You should also try to give him some simplistic home-made food, while steering clear of toxic foods that could give your pet a whole lot of digestive problems. These are things like chocolates, crisps, peanuts, grapes, onions and spicy, exotic foods.
Just stick to simple, nutritious foods such as boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables.
• Tibetan Spaniels will benefit from early socialization and training because then they become obedient and well mannered to have around with you wherever you go.
• Get your pet to the vet when he’s sick. As it is, he will need vaccines against serious pet illnesses as a puppy.
• Provide general grooming – a brush twice a week, checking inside the ears for redness, checking the eyes and checking for any unusual lumps.
The Bisben is a large working dog that needs a lot of calories if you are keeping him busy. Do not let him get overweight. The Bisben should not be free fed but rather given two controlled portion meals per day.
As previously mentioned, the Bison was developed with the harshest of conditions in mind and long hours of hard work. It is a healthy breed that is however prone to any of the issues that any large dog is prone to including dysplasia and mange and well as optical issues.
The Bisben needs a lot of exercise as the breed is developed for hard work. Walks are essential but if you have more than one dog, pack walks are even better and pack time at the dog park or in a fenced yard is great. The Bison was bred to hunt in packs as well as alone and they love to play in packs. In any respect they need at least an hour of strong exercise daily. If they don’t get enough exercise, they can become aggressive, destructive and fearful. This could result in destructive activity, barking and excess excitability. They are not very happy in the city and thrive in the countryside.