Lhasa Apso

Lhasa Apsos are known to be intelligent, watchful, alert, and independent dogs. As good watchdogs, they may bark. Any stubborn traits may be lessened by using reward-based training involving small treats.

Lhasa Apsos are moderately active dogs, but due to their small size do well in apartments. They can be wary or shy initially around strangers and may require careful socialisation to prevent or reduce any defensive aggressive tendencies.

Lhasa Apso History:

The Lhasa Apso has origins from the areas surrounding the sacred city of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, around 800 BC. Recent DNA testing has identified the Lhasa Apso as one of the fourteen most ancient dog breeds in the world.

They can also be known as the Abso Seng Kye, “Bark Lion Sentinel Dog”, traditionally they were kept indoors as a second line of defense against intruders, where their keen hearing and ability to distinguish strangers from intimates were put to good use. The breed was raised by the monks that resided in the monasteries in Tibet.

The monks believed that to be in the presence of a Lhasa Apso was to be blessed with good fortune. In the 1920’s, the Kennel Club of England recognised the Lhasa Apso as a separate and unique breed.