The Tibetan Pug is a cross between the Pug and the Tibetan Spaniel, which is, strictly speaking, not a spaniel type but a separate breed in itself. Small and animated, the Tibetan Pug is valued as a pet and companion, and is considered ideal for older owners.
The Pug and the Tibetan Spaniel, or Tibbie, share bloodlines and origins. Both were first known in China and Tibet, and were favored lap dogs of royalty and sentinels of holy places. They are both considered "lion dogs" or "foo" dogs, resembling statues which are found outside temples and palaces. Modern DNA tests have suggested that their lineage goes more back at least 10 thousand years, and is one of the more ancient lines of dog breeds. They were the provenance of the privileged, and were never bought or traded; they were presented or given as gifts, and it was this by eventual practice of giving gifts to monarchs that the breeds reached and became popular in Europe as well.
