The Chrysanthemum Dog isn’t Japanese as you might expect, it is the Tibetan Terrier.

The Tibetan, or Darjeeling Terrier as it is also sometimes known, is a shaggy rag tag mutt that has not enjoyed the same level of publicity or profile of many other breeds. To the layperson, it appears to all intents and purposes to be a small Heinz mongrel. In dog enthusiast circles, though, it is viewed as being not unlike a miniature Old English Sheepdog, especially with its forelock of long hair falling over the eyes like the petals of a chrysanthemum.

Well known throughout India, the breed is regularly exhibited in this country and so too in America where it was first recognised in 1935 by the American Kennel Club.

Adult Tibetan Terriers stand around 14 to 15 inches tall and weigh between 14 and 30 lbs. Their coat is long and fine, without being silky or curly. Colours can vary from white to cream, grey, golden, parti-colour and black.