A Tibetan Spaniel is a working dog and not just any - he does sacred work: he is an active partner in the life of the monastery and has several roles in the daily routine of life. These dogs were harmful parties entering the monastery, they alerted when strangers approached the monastery and the most important function was to turn the prayer wheels.

The monastery would not be able to function without the dogs and not just because of the tasks they performed, Tibetan Spaniel was the living spirit of the monastery - it brought a lot of joy of life and cheerfulness to a serious and isolated place.

Tibetan Spaniel - The Origin of Race and History
The Tibetan Spaniel is an ancient breed and is a descendant of Chinese dogs and dogs from neighboring countries. Archaeologists have found evidence for the dog's existence as early as 2000 BC, but apparently the breed as we know it today was born 2000 years ago. These dogs are not exactly Spaniel dogs but they got the name Spaniel because of the resemblance to dogs.

These dogs have always served monks throughout Tibet, and since the Chinese conquest many dogs have come to China and are used as companion dogs for the upper class of China.
Once European countries knew the West some dogs were sent to England, because of the small numbers it was not possible to register the dogs as a breed and only in 1984 was it officially recognized.