About the Lhasa Apso




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The Lhasa Apso is a small, well muscled hardy little house dog originating in Tibet and thought to have descended from the hardier type of dog common for centuries over Central Asia.

The name "Apso" is used in Tibet for both of their smaller long- haired breeds - Apso meaning long haired or goat like. The Tibetan also distinguish the smaller ones, the Lhasa Apso, as Apso Seng Kyi and literally translated Seng means lion and Kyi means dog or the Lion dog of Tibet in Buddhist mythology.

To look at them, they are a mop of hair, ideal height of 10" high, hard to distinguish front from back and can be any colour or mixture of colours. Intensely loyal to their family, they are a small dog with a big heart!

They are highly intelligent, good with children, gay and assertive with a free and jaunty movement, but wary of strangers and can be sensitive to the moods of their owners. However, this suspicion of strangers is the basis of a good house dog - but if a guest is introduced as a friend they are prepared to accept them.

The coat is double with moderate undercoat which provides good insulation which is cast out for summer when a thinner undercoat grows; the top coat is of a hard texture and serves as a weather proof outer jacket. The good fall of hair over the eyes is protection against dust, wind and intense glare found in the Tibetan climate. Regular grooming is a necessary task, providing the essential bloom in a long coated breed, but the task can almost be made a game for both owner and dog. They can be also clipped and look just as adorable.

They are a late maturing, long lived breed and several have lived to more than 15 years of age. They can be stubborn; so one must be firm about training as a Lhasa Apso. Being intelligent they often think they know more than you do and consider themselves as your equal.

Their faithfulness usually convinces the Lhasa Apso that they should please you. They have a fine sense of fun and will lie for hours near their owner hardly noticeable, i.e. if the owner is ill, the Apso will not go out to play, but will prefer to stay by their owner's side.

Being a small dog, they are ideal for the metropolitan area, but they are by no means softies - they are an all weather strong breed. Definitely not lap dogs, however, they do like to be indoors. Years of close contact with people in the temples and also as house dogs and bed warmers in Tibet has developed their lovable personalities.

 

CLICK HERE!  Go and see some Lhasa Apsos imported from Nepal to Canada by Mr. Gerald D`Aoust.




EUROPEAN STANDARD
OF THE LHASA APSO  

• Character:
  Gay and assertive, but reserved towards strangers.
• Size:
  About 26 cm (10 inches) at shoulder for dogs, bitches slightly smaller.
• Colour:
  All colours equally accepted, except brown, black tips to ears and beard preferred.
• Body:
  The length from point of shoulders to point of buttocks longer than height at withers, well ribbed, strong loin, level top line.
• Coat:
  Not woolly or silky but long, heavy, straight and hard.  Moderate undercoat.
• Mouth and muzzle:
  The preferred bite is slightly undershot.  Full dentition desirable.
• Head:
  Heavy furnished with hair, good fall over the eyes. Nice whiskers and beard. Skull moderately narrow, falling away behind the eyes, not quite flat but not domed or apple-headed.  Nose black. The length from tip of nose roughly one third total length nose to back of skull.
• Eyes:
  Dark. Medium size. Neither large or full, nor small and sunk.
• Ears:
  Pendant, heavily feathered, black tips preferred.
• Forequarters:
  Shoulders well laid back. Forelegs straight, heavily furnished with hair.
• Hindquarters:
  Well developed with good muscle. Good angulation and heavily furnished with hair.
• Feet:
  Cat-like feet with firm pads. Heavily feathered.
• Tail:
  High set, carried well over back. Often a kink at the end.  Well feathered.