The Lhasa has a long silky coat that goes all the way to the floor. It parts at the top of their eyes and all down their back and lays down the sides. They kind of look like a sheepdog with the hair over their eyes but that is the only resemblance. If you do not intend to show these dogs or have the time for the upkeep then a short coat would be the best idea. Their grooming requires a lot of your time. Once their fur starts to mat, it will tangle and produce mats that will continually pull until it pulls on their skin.
The main colors of their coats are crème, golden, or honey. Other colors include black and white, Smokey colored, grizzle, and slate. It is not uncommon for the coat to changes to a different color as they age. The beard should be darker than the rest of the coat. The fur is heavy and straight. The Lhasa Apso tail is long and curls up over their back and the fur drapes down the side.
These beautiful dogs are just as happy being inside on your lap as they are to run around outside playing in the yard. They love to play with children and grownups alike. They look fragile but they are stronger than they look. They also have a mind of their own.
They make excellent watchdogs and their hearing is very keen. The slightest sound will have them off investigating to see if they need to bark to let you know something is up. Even after you let the person in they will keep a watchful eye on them until they are satisfied they are friend, then they will go lie down or go off to play. They are very apt to play on their own as well as with someone. They can keep themselves entertained for hours if needed.
Appearance
The Lhasa has a beautiful show dog coat. Their coat is long and drapes down to the floor. Their coat hangs straight down, is hard, heavy, and not silky like you may think it is from pictures. Their coat comes in the colors of gold, cream, and honey. These are the most popular colors you can find with the Lhasa Apso. You may also find the Lhasa in colors of smoke, dark-grizzle, slate, and multi-colored assortments of brown, white, and black. When they are puppies, they may be a lot darker than they are as adults. Their color changes as they grow. All this long and straight hair completely covers their face.
Their eyes are small. They have dark colored eyes that are deep set in their face. Their ears are heavy and feathered with fur. The tail of the Lhasa Apso hangs up over their back and it feathered with fur as well as its neck. The Lhasa has a small under bite that is very cute, when they show it off. The dog has a very strong body and good strong hind legs.
The Lhasa is between 10 inches to 11 inches high and can weight anywhere from 14 pounds to 18 pounds. The females are a little smaller in height and can weight between 12 pounds to 14 pounds.
The Lhasa with its look of long beautiful hair has been compared to the dogs such as the Old English sheepdog and the Shih-Tzu. The main reason for the resemblance is once again the long hair.
Personality
The Lhasa Apso is a friendly, smart, and active dog. They are devoted to their master and can be great as a family pet. They can be barker when it comes to hearing someone pull in your driveway or hearing someone walk in the door. This makes them great for being a watchdog since they have wonderful hearing. Do not let your children play rough with this breed due to the fact that they do not like being played with this in this manner. The Lhasa Apso may fight with other dogs if they do not take well with them. If the dog is raised with other pets, then they will do fine with them. If the Lhasa Apso becomes upset or is surprised, they do have a tendency to snap.
The Lhasa Apso is a good dog to be trained, but make sure to train them at an early age. This will make them do better when they are older with listening to their master or someone else in the family.
The Lhasa is a good dog for apartment life. With their small size, they will do great in small homes. This breed is active indoors as well as outdoors. If you do not have a yard or do not have a big yard, then you are fine with this breed. If anything, they do not need a yard at all.
Care
Exercise for this breed is not like other breeds. They do love to go outside, play, and run around. This will keep them fit if they can go outside, but if not that is fine as well. They do not require much exercise and running around indoors will be plenty of activity to keep them healthy.
The Lhasa Apso, with its long coat needs to be brushed everyday. It is the owners choice to have them groomed down if you prefer not to brush their long hair daily. This breed if kept long does not need regular trimming of their coat. Bathe them only when dirty. Make sure to check their pads on the feet for mats. Also, make sure to keep their eyes and ears cleaned. Their eyes tend to tear up and can have build up if not kept cleaned.
History
The origin of the Lhasa Apso dates back to the early days of Tibet. Here they were used as guard dogs for the monasteries and palaces. This is where their talents to determine friend or foe came in handy. These little darlings were the prize of Tibet and were not allowed to leave the country unless given as a gift from the Dahli Lhamas themselves.
Some monks truly believed the Lhasa Apso are reincarnated dalais and have put them on a pedestal. Especially the Golden Lhasa, who they say holds the soul of the Dalai Lamas. If you are given a Lhasa then you will have good fortune if the main belief.
In 1933, the 13th Dahli Lhama gave one as a gift to Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Cutting who lived in the United States and traveled to Tibet. This male and female started the breeding of the Hamilton Farm Lhasa on their farm the Hamilton Farms.
1935 marked the acceptance by the American Kennel Club for the Lhasa Apso, so then they could be registered and shown in competitions.
Lhasa Apso is known to live long and healthy lives through the age of 18 and the oldest on record was 29 recorded in 1939.
The Lhasa Apso is one of the 14 most ancient breeds in history, which DNA testing has just proven. Facts have noted it was as early as 800 BC when the first Lhasa was seen.
In Tibet, the temperatures usually drop below freezing so they hardly ever groom their Lhasa so they had enough insulation to keep them warm. The Lhasa does not shed at all so this makes them almost hypoallergenic. If you start out as a puppy bathing and grooming them, they will appreciate the time you do clip them or bath them and you will not have any trouble with them. If you do not they will fight you tooth and nail. You will not be able to do it so you will have to take them into the groomer.
