Lhasa apso

Overall description of the breed

The Lhasa Apso is one of the oldest Asian dog breeds, emerging from a cross between the Tibetan Terrier and the Tibetan Spaniel. This sturdy little dog originated in the Buddhist temples of the Lhasa region, the capital of Tibet, and its surroundings, which is where it gets its name.

In Europe, this breed timidly appeared around the 10th century, with physical characteristics far from what we know today. It was selected for its resilience and adaptability to various climates, and its morphology was carefully shaped to establish a unique standard in the early 20th century.

During that time, it was massively imported to the United Kingdom, where it was often mistaken for other small Asian dog breeds, such as the Lhasa Terrier. To put an end to these confusions, the official Lhasa Apso club was established in England in 1933 to define strict standards, and the International Canine Federation officially recognized it on November 19, 1960. Its current standard, in effect since March 18, 2015, was recently updated.

The Lhasa Apso is a small, lively, and dynamic dog that brings a lot of joy to its owners. Despite its small stature, it is robust, energetic, and courageous. Its body is longer than it is tall, forming a rectangle, with short legs and a low center of gravity, giving it great agility.

Its body is solidly built, voluminous, and thick, displaying essential homogeneity. Its backline is straight and relatively short, ending with a powerful hindquarters. Its tail, abundantly covered in hair, is set high and falls discreetly over its back.

It has a beautiful head with a slightly rounded skull and a square muzzle, accompanied by small, pendant ears adorned with long fringes of hair that extend to the shoulders.

One of its main features is its long, coarse coat, which is extremely abundant all over its body. The accepted colors according to the breed standard are various shades of fawn, sand, honey, gold, various shades of gray, black, white, and brown.

The Lhasa Apso possesses a gentle, serene, and adventurous temperament. It is affectionate towards its family and enjoys spending time with them, especially with younger members. Its intelligence and spontaneity make it an active playmate, highly receptive to commands. It puts in great effort to fulfill the tasks entrusted to it and, above all, aims to please you.

Its training is relatively easy as it quickly grasps what is expected of it. It is neither timid nor aggressive and remains peaceful indoors once it has expended its energy. Although it is wary of strangers due to its small size, it can alert you to unusual situations with its legendary courage and barking.

Thanks to its balanced temperament, the Lhasa Apso can stay alone for several hours without issues, as long as you show it affection upon your return. It enjoys excellent health, adapts easily to different environments, and has an appreciable longevity. Cheerful, endearing, and closely connected to its family, it will undoubtedly bring happiness to all household members.

Regarding its physical characteristics as an adult, the Lhasa Apso typically weighs between 3 and 7 kg (6.5 to 15.5 lbs) and measures around 25 cm (10") at the withers.