If you’re looking for a small-breed dog with a lot of attitude then you’re more than likely in the market for a Lhasa Apso. This breed of dog is also known as “The Lion Dog of Tibet” as well as “Abso Seng Kye”. In my eyes, owning a Lhasa has been the best experience in the world. I have a female who weighs approximately 18 pounds but she also eats very well, how could you not in an Italian household? Most Lhasa’s range from 12-15 pounds depending on the sex.
A Lhasa Apso is a small, long haired breed that’s friendly but assertive, lively and intelligent. My Lhasa, for some strange reason, has been a high energy furball since the first day I got her but she’s also been a lazy lap dog as well. I’ve done a lot of research on Lhasa Apso’s and while I feel that websites like breederretriever.com are great for pet owners, picking up books from the store are great as well. The information that I found on their Lhasa Apso page was accurate but they also didn’t list quite a bit of important information about the breed. I know that while they were used as a defense against intruders, I also know that they were used as space heaters as well. This may sound strange but I’ve read stories about how holy men and nobles alike would keep multiple Lhasa Apso’s around them while they sleep to act as a heat resource. I can vouch for the fact that my Lhasa retains an awful lot of heat considering if she’s close to you at night you wind up getting very warm, very quickly.
There’s a long time-line associated with this breed, they’ve been around for over two thousand years but only made their way out of Tibet in the 1920’s, at least that’s what resources claim. The Lhasa arrived in Britain in the 1920s and then they were introduced to America in the 1930’s by Suydam Cutting. They were a member of the Terrier group in 1935 but were then reclassified in 1959 to the Non-Sporting Group.
I find my Lhasa to be very affectionate and high energy. While some resources claim that they have low trainability, mine is trained so well to the point that if she had thumbs she could put the leash on herself. It’s great when sites can give you a lot of information but unfortunately the ones I’ve come across are only giving you an average number of what all Lhasa’s can do. My Lhasa interacts well with all animals, resources claim that the breed typically doesn’t. Yes, she is a bit timid around strangers but she also came from a puppy mill so it’s hard for her to trust people, something everyone understands. She can handle cold weather, and if she can’t I do throw a coat on her from time to time, she can also handle heat pretty well but I say if it’s too warm for me to sit comfortably outside, it’s just too warm for her.
A typical Lhasa has long hair, but these are mainly show dogs. I do not know one Lhasa owner that has used their dog for some kind of financial gain so naturally they aren’t going to keep a lot of hair on their dog. Lhasa’s have very thick hair, not fur, so instead of shedding they can easily be matted down and I believe that’s nothing more than cruel, and you can only brush an active dog so often before you decide to take care of them once and for all and shave them down to a more manageable length. I personally puppy-cut my Lhasa every few months so in the long run she’s a short haired dog for me, but that’s based on convenience as well.
Bottom line, if you’re interested in a new pet you should consider looking into all of the different breeds available to you. Resources like breederretriever.com are great because they give you a simple breakdown of every aspect of the dog so you can search through the database and find the breed that’s right for you. Since they do give you such a simple break down I can recommend that after using their site, if you find the breed you like, head down to the library or even move the mouse up to your google toolbar and look up some more information on the breed. A quick break down is great but a decision such as brining a new dog into the home does require you to do quite a bit of research first.
