Tibetan Spaniels are friendly, cute, small (9 to 11 inches tall) and very low-maintenance dogs that love to play with children.

Always eager to please, they do well in obedience training and even get along well with other animals.

There's not much not to love about a Tibetan Spaniel.

Appearance

Like the family car, this little "family dog" comes in many colors -- fawn, cream, white, black, black and tan (hey! Two-toned!) or even a sporty red.

Tibetan Spaniel's necks are covered with a thicker mane of longer hair and it's tail is thick and bushy and curls up over the back like a Pug.

They typically weight in at a trim 9 to a husky 15 pounds.

Grooming and Exercise

Tibetan Spaniels need to be brushed everyday (okay, they are not totally maintenance-free -- but they are nothing like the ultra-high maintenance Shih Tzu!)

They enjoy a short brisk walks and a little playtime each day. And then they are content to curl up on a warm lap and sleep the rest of the day. Aren't we all?

Origins

The Tibetan Spaniel is not actually a Spaniel (I know -- I was devastated when I read that, too.) They are believed to be related to the Pekingese, Pug and Japanese Chin. Must be very distant cousins based on looks, don't you think?

It can be traced back to at least 200 B.C. in Tibet where it lived -- and barked, no doubt -- in the Buddhist monasteries.

Health concerns are minimal and include eye-related atrophy.