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Lhasa Apso

confident / smart / comical
>>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

10-11 inches (male)

slightly smaller (female)

Weight

12-18 pounds

Life Expectancy

12-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    100% 100%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The richly coated Lhasa Apso is a thousand-year-old breed that served as sentinels in Himalayan castles and monasteries. Lhasas are family comedians who are regally aloof with strangers. They are smart, confident, and sophisticated.

Lhasas are little but tough dogs with an aristocratic demeanor, standing less than a foot tall at the shoulder. They’re known for their floor-length, flat-hanging coat, which is separated in the middle and drapes down each side of the body. The Tibetan breeds have a fluffy tail that folds over the back. Fans of the breed believe the dark, oval-shaped eyes peering through lush facial hair are the portals to a Lhasa’s happy soul. The overall impression is clearly Asian: exotic, graceful, and serenely balanced.

What To Expect When Caring For a Lhasa Apso

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

In general, the Lhasa Apso is a strong, healthy dog. Hereditary renal disease, which can be mild to severe, is the breed's most serious health issue. There is currently no reliable test for detecting carriers. Prospective owners should look for experienced, conscientious breeders who are aware of the issue and have affected individuals removed from their breeding operations. Breeders have made significant work in eradicating this disease, and the danger of purchasing an infected puppy from a qualified breeder is low. Dry eye, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), slipping stifles, hip dysplasia, and cherry eye are other issues to look into.  

Grooming

Long or short hair? Both require frequent care, which is a choice made by the owner. Lhasas with a puppy cut or other clip should still be combed and showered in between grooming appointments. Long hair necessitates regular brushing with the proper equipment and techniques. Bathe a long coat at least once every two weeks and brush at least once in between baths. Shampoo residue irritates the skin, thus thorough rinsing is required. Grooming is made easier with conditioners and finishing sprays. Long or cropped hair that has been freshly showered should be completely dried and brushed, as moist hair, even if clean, may mat.

Exercise

The Lhasa is not a couch potato and is capable of self-exercise. They will dash about an apartment to burn off energy, play in a fenced yard, or accompany their owners on a quick stroll. Physical exercise is not as vital as mental stimulation. They are good at agility, can conduct scent work, and can retrieve and herd. There are gifted Lhasa Apsos working as therapy dogs in hospitals, nursing homes, colleges, and prisons.      

Training

Lhasa Apsos will delight you if it makes them happy. They are extremely bright and have been compared to a stubborn kid. They can learn almost anything that a trainer makes fascinating enough for them to master on their own terms. They dislike repetition and can become unusually stubborn if bullied or badgered. The majority of occurrences of undesirable Lhasa behavior involve situations in which human leadership is inconsistent, ineffective, or nonexistent. This is a breed for people who are creative and motivated and like having a canine friend who shares their interests.        

Nutrition

High-quality food is essential for Lhasa Apsos. Lhasas require a diet high in protein and fat because they have thick skin to support their thick hair coat. Breeders recommend a diet with a fat content of more than 14 percent. The protein source (meat, fish, game, etc.) is determined by the dog's tolerance and taste. Most Lhasas eat very well, and even a little overfeeding might result in unpleasant intestinal effects. Food can be fed dry or gently wet with flavorings like cooked meat or grain-free canned food. Owners can choose whether to feed once or twice a day, but dogs thrive on consistency, so keep the frequency and time of day consistent.  

History

This thousand-year-old breed was used as sentinels at palaces and Buddhist monasteries high in the Himalayas. Lhasas have long been connected with the Dalai Lama. Dogs bred and presented as presents by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama helped establish the breed in America in the late 1940s. The mythological Snow Lion is the country’s protector in Tibetan folklore, and Lhasas, the “bearded lion dogs,” are the Snow Lion’s earthly representations. Tibet’s holiest city is named Lhasa, while Apso means “longhaired dog.”