Lhasa Apso
A male golden Lhasa Apso in show clip
Alternative names
Lhassa Terrier
Country of origin
Tibet
Common nicknames
Lhasa
Classification and breed standards
FCI:	Group 9 Section 5 #227	Stds
AKC:	Non-sporting	Stds
ANKC:	Group 7 (Non-Sporting)	Stds
CKC:	Group 6 - Non-Sporting Dogs	Stds
KC (UK):	Utility	Stds
NZKC:	Non-sporting	Stds
UKC:	Companion Breeds	Stds

The Lhasa Apso is a small breed of dog originally from Tibet. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Download high resolution version (1176x832, 220 KB)Male Lhasa Apso in Show Coat. ... Tibet (older spelling Thibet; Tibetan: བོད་; Wylie: Bod; Lhasa dialect IPA: [; Simplified and Traditional Chinese: 西藏, Hanyu Pinyin: XÄ«zàng; also referred to as 藏区 (Simplified Chinese), 藏區 (Traditional Chinese), ZàngqÅ« (Hanyu Pinyin), see Name section below) is a plateau region in Central Asia and the indigenous home to the Tibetan people. ... Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) (English, World Canine Organization), is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium. ... © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ... The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting excellence in breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by responsible individuals across Australia. ... The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. ... The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom is a club aiming to improve the relationships between dogs and their owners. ... The New Zealand Kennel Club is an organisation responsible for dog pedigree registration services in New Zealand. ... The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. ... This Chihuahua mix and Great Dane show the wide range of dog breed sizes. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... Tibet (older spelling Thibet; Tibetan: བོད་; Wylie: Bod; Lhasa dialect IPA: [; Simplified and Traditional Chinese: 西藏, Hanyu Pinyin: XÄ«zàng; also referred to as 藏区 (Simplified Chinese), 藏區 (Traditional Chinese), ZàngqÅ« (Hanyu Pinyin), see Name section below) is a plateau region in Central Asia and the indigenous home to the Tibetan people. ...

Appearance

Lhasas are about 10 to 11 inches at the withers and weigh about 14-18 pounds. The females are slightly smaller, and weigh between 12-14lbs. The breed standard requires dark brown eyes, with black pigmentation on eye rims and a black nose. Texture of the coat is hard, straight, dense, not woolly or silky. It is often referred to as "moppy". It is of good length, and comes in a variety of colors. All colors are equally acceptable, with or without black tippings. The tail should be carried in a tight screw over the back. The withers is the highest point on an animals back, on the ridge between its shoulder blades. ...

Temperament

Having been bred to be sentinel or watch dogs, Lhasa Apsos tend to be alert and have a keen sense of hearing with a rich, sonorous bark that belies their size (some are known as "singers").^{[citation needed]} A guard dog or watch dog is a dog employed to guard against, or watch for, unwanted or unexpected animals or people. ...

Lhasa Apsos, although small, can exhibit brief periods of explosive energy.^{[citation needed]}. Unique personality characteristics of Lhasa Apsos have gained them a reputation in some circles as being a very emotive breed that in some cases prove themselves to be completely fearless.^{[citation needed]}

Female Lhasa Apso, 7 years old in a pet clip.

If properly raised it will come to appreciate bathing, hair combing and cutting. The Lhasa Apso is a long-lived breed, with some living in good health into their early 20s.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Size of this preview: 511 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (548 × 643 pixel, file size: 52 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Eric Reynolds, Source: Home Camera I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 511 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (548 × 643 pixel, file size: 52 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Eric Reynolds, Source: Home Camera I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

History

The heavy coat of Lhasas can also be explained by the geographical features of Tibet: the temperature frequently drops below freezing thus making it hard for a dog to survive without sufficient insulation. Lhasas were rarely groomed by their owners thus allowing the breed to adapt to the harsh weather.^{[citation needed]}

In 1901 Mrs. A. McLaren Morrison brought the Lhasa Apso to the UK where it was registered as an official breed in The Kennel Club in 1902.^{[citation needed]} The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom is a club aiming to improve the relationships between dogs and their owners. ...

The original American pair was a gift from Thubten Gyatso, 13th Dalai Lama to C. Suydam Cutting, arriving in the United States in the early 1930s. 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.^{[citation needed]} The 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso (1876 – December 17, 1933), also spelled Thupten Gyatso, was the 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet. ... Face The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ...

Recently, DNA Analysis has identified the Lhasa Apso as one of the 14 most ancient dog breeds.^{[citation needed]} Fourteen ancient breeds of dog have recently been identified through advances in DNA analysis. ...

In the 1950s the Lhasa Apso and Maltese were accidentally bred creating a type of dog that later became known as the Kyi-Leo rare dog breed in the 1970s. Two year old Kyi-Leo The Kyi-Leo (pronounced “ki” as in “kite”) is a small yet sturdy rare dog breed. ...

Miscellaneous

Male Lhasa Apso puppy, age 8 weeks

Golden Lhasas are said to house the souls of the Dalai Lamas. Lhasas tend to have a very long lifespan of 15-18 years.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (461x614, 112 KB) Summary Photographed by Annette Wolfe. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (461x614, 112 KB) Summary Photographed by Annette Wolfe. ...

The Brazilian comic series Monica's Gang features a Lhasa Apso named Fluffy which belongs to Jimmy Five. Monica Monicas Gang, originally Turma da Mônica (Portuguese for Monicas Gang), is a popular Brazilian comic book series. ... Monica Monicas Gang, originally Turma da Mônica (Portuguese for Monicas Gang), is a popular Brazilian comic book series. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Lhasa Apso

• The American Lhasa Apso Club
• LhasaApsoRescue.org
• Lhasa Apso Canada
• Kai_La_Sha The Lhasa Apso Information Source
• EL Minjas Lhasa Apso breed and Genetic source
• Gompa Lhasa Apso Preservation Program