I'll admit it - I have always kind of looped the Lhasa Apso in with "similar" breeds, like the Shih Tzu. Not that I did not think of it as a separate breed, I just did not a lot of difference. I stand corrected. The Lhasa is an original, developed by nature for life in the Himalayan mountains. The Shih-Tzu's ancestors may be related to Lhasas, but the Lhasas were first. I have not had the pleasure to know many Lhasas, but I admire their independence and whimsy. I also admire the owners who work so hard to train these headstrong little dogs. Lhasas arfe smart and they know it!
The Lhasa is not the right breed for everyone, particularly households with small children, as it seems like Lhasas prefer adults. However, I do believe that any dog can adapt to just about any situation with proper handling. If you don't mind grooming, and you want a relatively small dog with a dynamic personality and moderate activity level, the Lhasa may be the one. Before you choose,learn all about the Lhasa Apso, a unique and intriguing dog breed. Love Lhasas? Tell us about it and share your favorite photos.
Photo © D.C Atty on flickr
Comments
I have owned a Lhasa for 4 years. She is a joy, but can be trouble. We have to be careful when she is outside and keep her on a lash. She likes to follow joggers and bickers as they go by. She has lots of personality she is skidish around strangers. She warms up to people pretty quick. And yes they are not for everyone. We do not care for all the grooming so we shave her very close except in the very cold months. She really loves to get shaved we live in NC so it is not really cold for very long.
When I was a kid we went to the park with our fat dog looking for fall leaves and found a whole bunch of them stuck to a Lhasa mix. She followed us home seeing that we had a nice fat dog.
We named her orphan thinking that we would find her owners. in the 15 years that we had her we never did find an owner.
Not the smartest of creatures but she had good survival instincts
She loved to run in circles clockwise. Do dogs in the souther n hemisphere run counter clockwise?
I was mama to 2 male litter-mates (Gizmo and Shorty)from 6 weeks old to 13 years old.
Shorty became diabetic but with treatment he lived that way for 4 years. Although blind, he got around by the sound of his brother’s collar.
True they didn’t really care for strangers and especially kids that wanted to run up to them or tease them, but they were extremely protective of us.
When my granddaughter was born (she lived with me), alpha dog Gizmo was especially protective – if she began crying, he became anxious – wanting us to pay attention.
They died within 2 months of each other in a very similar manner – stopped eating and then began some kind of seizures and pretty much out of their minds and scared so I ended up putting them down.
I expected them to live at least another 2 years (as their parents had). I strongly believe they were over-vaccinated. Practices have changed since then.
I want to dispute the remark about intelligence – my ‘boys’ were very smart – understood several words and knew how to comfort me when I needed it.
I have a Lhaso apso named Maitai and your right they are a lot of work. But while worth it she is a good watch dog a good companion she is part of the family.Lhaso Apso never get any credit for being a good dog in the long run I never see them win in dog shows its always a poodle I think if they tie the hair back they will see a beautiful dog. She is 9yrs old but acts like a puppy. so everybody out there that own a LHASA APSO give me your opinion.
Lhasa Apsos have been part of my family for 21 years; life without one is just unthinkable. They are very smart, funny, courageous, devoted, willfull, discriminating, and beautiful. They know what they like and will let you know what they think without the slightest hesitation. I am convinced that most issues people have with Lhasa Apsos are attributable to irresponsible breeders and owners who choose them without first learning about the breed and have unreasonable expectations. A Lhasa Apso cannot be expected to be the same as a Golden Retriever. And they are not lap dogs. They need humans who are willing to work with them, set boundaries for them, and learn to communicate with them. Mutual respect is critical to a meaningful relationship with a Lhasa Apso. While their coat takes a little work, Lhasa Apsos are long-lived, sturdy little dogs, who, with proper care, will bring much joy to the right person for a very long time (my first Lhasa, Dylan, was with me for 17 years). And Spenser, the Lhasa Apso I have now, is the most sweet natured, tender-hearted dog I have ever known. God bless them, they are just the best.
I agree with Natalie for the most part except the lap dog part. We have 3 boys, 2 are 11 yrs old and 1 is 12 all from the ame parents and neither me nor my hubby can sit anywhere without them wanting to be in our laps. In fact we had to go out and buy a king sized bed so that we could all sleep comfortably. We just love our boys! We live in Colorado which is perfect for this breed of dog. Really cold in the winter to take advantage of their thick coats and mild summers with no fleas! Fleas don’t like the altitude. It’s just a blast watching them play in the snow. I am not sure what kind of dogs THEY think they are but they love to ride on the 4-wheeler, chase the horses in the pasture and jump in the pond, all the things they are NOT supposed to like to do. Great little dogs!!
I have had a Lhasa for 3 years. Maxx is the best dog ever. Strong minded and independent, he is the alpha dog (two other shih tzu) of the pack but he knows I AM BOSS and repsects that. He was a bit of a challenge at first but quickly learned to be house trained and never makes a mistake in the house. He is VERY affectionate, seldom skiddish with others and seems to really like kids…plays with all the neighborhood kids with no problems. He is a good watch dog but only barks with you play with him or he thinks there is a serious problem. He DOES NOT like to go to the crate…but accepts it and never makes a mess in it. I call him the baby sitter because he takes care of the other two dogs, looks after them and keeps them in line. Never goes to his bed at night till he knows everyone else is all settled in. I love all my dogs, but he is something special. Never leaves my side.
I have a 2 years old Lhasa Apso named Peekaboo and she is joy to live with! I already had a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and a Yorkshire and the Lhasa is my favorite! Much more calm than theo ther ones, not destructive when left alone either! She loves to follow me around and will adapt to what I do! If I watch TV, she will watch TV with me or sleep at my feet! If I exercice, she will run around me as well.
She was surprisingly easy to housebreak…I guess I was luck on that aspect! However, I must warn potential owners about the brushing! It’s literally every day! The coat is extremely easy to tangle if not attended everyday! I bought a grooming table and it helps a lot for all the brushing, air drying, nail maintenance and so on and so forth! She has a very big bark as well and will alert me way before I can even see what she is barking about! Excellent watchdog! Just to reassure you, she barks only when there’s something unusual! Peekaboo seems to know how to differentiate between normal sounds and uncommon ones! Lastly, she doesn’t shed much and has no doggy odors! Best dog I ever had! 