History

Original name: Dokhi Apso

The Tibetan Terriers are said to originate from "The Lost Valley" in Tibet. They were first raised in Lama monasteries
nearly 2000 years ago, when they were known as "Holy Dogs" and "Luck bringers".
They were never sold, but given as gifts to the visiting Lama monks for protection and to show them the
way home - as well as bringing peace and happiness to their monasteries.
On rare occasions they were given to people in gratitude, or as thanks for favours carried out.
Due to this, the valuable breed spread across the land and was appreciated by all. 

Even though the Tibetan Terriers sometimes were used as guard dogs or herding dogs, they were first and foremost
appreciated as true companions, devoted to their family and home.
The Tibetans called them "The Little People" and treated them as the children of the family. 

The breed was first introduced to England in the 1930's by Dr. Greig. She was head of a women's hospital in India.
She operated on a Tibetan merchant's wife who was suffering from a tumour.
During the treatment she let the merchant's wife's heavily pregnant bitch stay with her in the hospital.
As a token of her thanks the merchant's wife gave Dr. Greig one of the Tibetan Terrier puppies.
Dr. Greig came from a dog breeding family in England, and through her the first Tibetan Terrier came to England.

Interested parties from overseas were beginning to show an interest in the breed and the Greigs (Dr. Greig and her mother) sent dogs to Italy in 1937, and to India, Denmark and Germany in 1939.

Lamleh (the kennel affix of Dr. Greig) stock went off to Sweden, Switzerland and Italy during the post-war era. 

In 1953 John Downey found a shaggy little stray dog on the docks ‘Dusky’. After being declared to be a member of the breed by several British judges, he was registered as a Tibetan Terrier, by the English Kennel Club.  He was registered as Trojan Kynos.  He and a pure golden bitch Princess Aureus or ‘Dawn’ were at the basis  of the Downeys famous Luneville Tibetan Terriers.

The sale of one pet bitch puppy in 1956 opened up new perspectives for the Lamleh Tibetan Terriers in the United States of America.  From 1957 onwards, Dr. Greig sent 16 Lamlehs Tibetan Terriers to Alice and Henry Murphy.  Many of them among her very best.  With this stock Mrs Alice Murphy started her own line called Lamleh of Kalai.

In 1972 Nancy Greig sent her last export to Alice Murphy.  He was a golden and white male named Rah Jah of Lamleh, her personal favourite and the only Tibetan Terrier she ever permitted to sleep on her bed.  Dr. A. R. H. Greig died six and a half months later.

It is thanks to the efforts of these first breeders that we now can enjoy this wonderful breed .