The Lhasa Apso is a small, no-sporting dog breed which originates from Tibet. It is known that it was bred in the Buddhist monasteries, to serve as an interior sentinel that alerted the monks if any intruders entered. Its name comes from “Lhasa”, the capital city of Tibet, and apso a Tibetan word, meaning “bearded”. Roughly translated, this dogs name means “long-haired Lhasa dog”.
Regarding its appearance, its length and height are proportional, the eyes are dark brown, deep-set, and its ears are very feathered. Its muzzle is average to medium, regarding length. There are no particularities related to the aspect of the front legs, however, its back legs are very fluffy and the feet are cat-like, heavily hairy. The well feathered tail is set high and carried over the dogs back, in a screw.
This dog breeds coat is dense, straight and grows long over the whole body, including the head and eyes. Regarding the coats color, the show ring accepts any color, but the most common ones are honey, gold and dark-grizzle or multiple shades of brown. A pups coat will most likely change color as the pup grows.
Regarding his temperament, this type of dog is very friendly, lively and assertive, incredibly intelligent and devoted to its owner, becoming unhappy if separated from him for a longer period of time. Also, if trained well, the dog will be very obedient to its master. The hearing of this breed is very keen, making it a good watchdog.
This type of dog is truly a mans best friend, being very loyal and friendly; however, if it does not get enough physical and mental exercise (training, leadership, imposed limits) its personality might change and it can try to become the “pack leader” in the house, imposing its own rules, in a cute, fluffy way. Even so, as soon as the owners show signs of wanting to regain their status as “pack leaders”, the dog will step back and change its behavior.
Concerning its life span, this dog has a pretty long life expectancy, being known to live for 15 years or longer, if treated well. The breed is not a problematic one, the dogs developing health problems quite rarely.
Even though the ideal place for a Lhasa Apso is one where it can go out and play or run in a yard, this breed is very active indoors, as well, and it does not necessitate a lot of space to be happy. However, taking the dog out for daily walks is a must, in order for it to exercise, lose weight and stay healthy.
One aspect that is very important regarding this breed is grooming. If the dogs coat is full and long, it needs to be brushed about once a day, to keep it from matting. However, for easier grooming, some owners cut the coat short. This does not affect the dogs health instead, it gives it more freedom to move and it is quite recommended during summer.
To sum it up, the Lhasa Apso is a very energetic and loving breed, friendly to both owners and strangers, which needs little grooming for its long and full coat and lots of attention and care to be happy.
