Lhasa Apso
AKA: in Tibet as ”Bark Lion Sentinel Dog”
Description: The Lhasa Apso looks very cute and cuddly! This breed is a small, happy, kind and loyal dog that has a beautiful dark eyes. They have a long, heavy, double coat, draping over his entire body to the floor. Its looks can be compared with the old English sheepdog. Their most popular colors are gold, cream, and honey while their coat comes in smoke, slate,dark-grizzle and multi-color assortment of brown, white & black. For the puppies, it is normal to change its color as they grow. His coat is heavy, long, and straight, and has a hard texture. That serves as their protection to keep them warm during cold season. The color of the Lhasa Apso can vary, and includes slate, sable, cream, gold, grizzle, and others. The hair flows from the head covering its eyes. Its beard and mustache are dark, and a medium-length muzzle but not square. Eyes are small, dark and deep set with an abundant scarf of hair on its neck and a heavy feathered ears through his back.
Temperament: This breed is a dignified watchdog yet friendly, playful, spirited, lively and intelligent dog. They could be a good pet too. They are very affectionate with their masters. Also, they possess a lot of character. This keen intelligence and acute hearing and instincts for identifying friends from strangers made him uniquely suited for the role of a watchdog But they could also be stubborn and strong willed that caused them to be dominant and bossy and do not tolerate rough and badly behaved children and they have the tendency to fight with other dogs in the house but dislike of being alone and can bite if surprised or peeved.
Activity: The Lhasa Apso are active indoors and can be fine even without a yard because they love to play indoor games and is quite difficult to control, which is a form of a daily exercise for them. However, a daily walk would also do best on them since dogs who do not get some daily walks are more likely to experience behavior problems. This breed is an excellent apartment and condominium companion.
Grooming: No trimming needed for their long coat parts at the spine and falls straight on either side. And when in full coat, they need to be brushed once daily, to avoid matting of coats. Their grooming requirements can be very demanding and to keep his long coat in good condition, it needs to be brushed on a daily basis and get his coat clipped every couple of months or so. And be bathed once a week then be trimmed around his bottom for hygiene purposes. To prevent infection, ears should be clean and dry. Shedding will be low for this breed if groomed properly.
Health Problems: They are a long lived breed. Their life span is 12-15 years. Some health problems they could encounter are as follows: uxating patella, entropion, HD, PRA, vWD, spinal problems, cataracts, allergies, bladder stones, and skin problems.
Breed Group: Herding, AKC Non-Sporting
Color: Golden, sandy, honey, dark grizzle, slate, smoke, parti-colour, black, white or brown. All equally acceptable.
Height: Dogs 10-11 inches (25-28cm.) a little less for Bitches
Weight: Dogs 13-15 pounds (5.9-6.8kg.)
Country Of Origin: Tibet
Dynamics: Intelligent, alert, watchful, assertive, affectionate and playful. Ideal watchdog, regal little dog Big dog personality in small package.
Tags: dog breeds, lhasa apso, Top 50 Dog Breeds