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Lhasa Apso
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The Lhasa Apso (lha-sah ap-so) is a non-sporting dog breed
originating in Tibet. It was bred as an interior sentinel in the
Buddhist monasteries, who alerted the monks to any intruders who
entered. Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet and apso is a word in the
Tibetan language meaning "bearded," so Lhasa Apso simply
means "long-haired Tibetan dog."
A movement called the Tibetan Line Breeding Programme exists,
to breed preseve the original Tibetan Lhasa Apso. This movement
is based on the premise that after 60 years of Western breeding,
the breed is losing key characteristics of their original Lhasa
ancestors still living in Tibet and Bhutan.
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Lhasa Apso
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Country of origin
Tibet
Weight
12-18 lb
Height
10-11 in
Coat
Heavy, straight, hard, dense
Color
White, golden, rust, various shadings
Life span
15-18 years
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Description
Male Lhasa Apsos should ideally be 10.75 inches at the withers
and weigh about 14-18 pounds, 6–8 kg. The females are slightly
smaller, and weigh between 12-14 pounds, 5–7 kg. The breed
standard requires dark brown eyes and a black nose, although
liver coloured Lhasas have a brown nose. The texture of the coat
is heavy, straight, hard, neither woolly nor silky, and very dense.
Colors include white, golden, rust and parti-colored with various
shadings. Lhasas can be with or without dark tips at the end of
ears and beard. The tail should be carried well over the dog's
back. The breed standard currently used by the American Kennel
Club was approved on July 11, 1978. Lhasas can change color as
they get older, starting with a dark brown coat which gradually
turns lighter.
Temperament
Having been bred as an indoor monastery sentinel dog by Tibetan
Buddhist monks, Lhasa Apsos are alert with a keen sense of
hearing with a rich, sonorous bark that belies their size (some are
known as "singers"). They can also move quite silently, allowing
them to sneak up on intruders, as well as unsuspecting family
members. The ideal Lhasa temperament is to be wary of strangers
while being loyal to those closest to them. They rank 68th in
Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, being of fair
working/obedience intelligence. Lhasa Apsos are independent as
well as companion dogs who want to please their owners. Unique
personality characteristics of Lhasa Apsos have gained them a
reputation as being a very emotive breed that in some cases prove
themselves to be completely fearless. They enjoy climbing hills and
furniture, as well as burrowing into caves. They often occupy
baskets, crawl into bottom shelves of bookcases and are known to
build a nest for themselves before settling down for a nap with their
owners as this burrowing is an inherent trait of their nature. A
Lhasa Apso typically will express their happiness by rolling, rubbing
their head and rolling on their owner's feet or burrowing their
heads into a blanket. They also will try to bury their food with a
sweeping head motion. Placing a napkin under their dish allows
them to bury their food.
A Lhasa Apso responds to exercise and discipline with a calm
assertive energy. These dogs require socialization with dogs and
other people early as puppies and throughout their lives. They
require patience but in return can be quite comical, entertaining
and caring companions. They aim to please their owners and enjoy
training. Owners must be able to be pack leaders or this breed can
suffer from separation anxiety - the leader may leave but the
followers are fine with being left for a reasonable amount of time.
While their personality belies their size, they need a home that is
mindful that there is a small quiet dog in the house to prevent
injury. They enjoy vantage points in the house where they can view
all that is going on.
The Lhasa Apso is a loyal dog, who while not be a traditional
lapdog, is a steadfast comical, gay, assertive, adventurous little
companion dog whose only desire is to be with and protect their
owners.
If properly trained early as soon as they are a puppy, the Lhasa
Apso will come to appreciate bathing, hair combing and clipping,
but they generally do not enjoy bathing or swimming as this is not
part of their breed traits.
The Lhasa Apso is a long-lived breed, with some living in good
health into their early 20s. There are few health problems specific
to the breed. Their vision may deteriorate with age but they are not
sight-oriented dogs and they endure blindness with few noticeable
changes in behavior. They should have some protective hair over
their eyes. They have strong eyelashes that push this protective
hair out of the way so they can see. Likewise, a Lhasa Apso should
not be shaved as its hair insulates and protects its eyes and skin
from the elements, such as the sun and acts to theromdynamically
regulate their temperature.
History
The Lhasa Apso originated in Tibet, where they were bred as
sentinels for palaces and monasteries. In the early 1900s, a few of
the breed were brought by military men returning from the Indian
subcontinent to England, where the breed was referred to as
"Lhasa Terriers". Lhasa Apsos would alert outdoor dogs, such as
the Tibetan Mastiff of any danger they perceived their owners,
Tibetan Lamas, may be in with their keen sense of hearing and
deep bark. In this sense, Lhasa Apsos are used to working with
larger dogs and may relate to them more than small "yappy" dogs.
The original American pair of Lhasas was a gift from Thubten
Gyatso, 13th Dalai Lama to C. Suydam Cutting, arriving in the
United States in 1933. Mr. Cutting had traveled in Tibet and met
the Dalai Lama there. At this time, there was only one Lhasa Apso
registered in England. The breed was called first the Apso Lhasa
Terrier, then the Lhasa Apso. The American Kennel Club officially
accepted the breed in 1935 in the Terrier Group, and in 1959
transferred the breed to the Non-Sporting Group. In the UK, they
are placed in the Utility Group. The Lhasa Apso dog breed is a
product of natural selection AND human selection. Certain
characteristics which are part of the breed type evolved as a result
of geographical and climatic environment - the high altitudes, the
dry windy climate, the dusty terrain, the short hot summer and the
long bitterly cold winter of the Himalaya region. Among these are
head features, the coat, eye-fall, the musculation and body
structure, the general hardness and longevity of the breed.
After China re-annexed Tibet in 1951, the Chinese government
has, according to some sources, caused the killing of many Lhasa
Apsos by disbanding the monasteries that they guarded (or,
allegedly, because it saw them as a bourgeois luxury), and
exterminated Lhasa's large population of unregistered stray Apsos
because of hygienic concerns.
Recently, DNA Analysis has identified the Lhasa Apso as one of
the 14 most ancient dog breeds, verifying that lap dogs and
companion dogs were among the first dogs bred by humans.
Currently, there is worldwide concern that it is necessary to breed
some of the original Tibetan Lhasa Apsos into the Western bred
line which is now 60-years old, to maintain the Tibetan authenticity
of the breed. The two lines now differ in some ways which is a
concern to breeders who want to properly preserve the breed.
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