Facts
The crowning glory of the Lhasa Apso is, of course, its magnificent coat, which requires daily attention in the form of combing and brushing to keep it at its best and free from mats and tangles. About ten or fifteen minutes each day should suffice. Exercise requirements are not high, as the Apso will get most of what it needs running around the house and yard, but if you take it for a walk, you will tire long before it does!
Suitability
The Lhasa Apso is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a small dog of great beauty and with a somewhat assertive personality, to serve as companion, entertainer and sentinel; and who has the time and desire to undertake the daily grooming to maintain that Apso coat in all its glory.
The Apso is an affectionate, loyal and loving dog that simply adores its family and friends.
This very attractive little dog is one of four breeds originating in and around the monasteries of Tibet, and as well as carrying a glorious coat designed both for beauty and warmth, the Apso also shares the gay, assertive, friendly but sometimes stubborn nature of the others. It may look like a toy breed, but under that long, straight, glamorous coat you will find a sturdy, lithe, active small dog with little interest in being a mere lapdog. Referred to in its homeland (now part of China) as the Lion Dog, the Lhasa Apso for centuries acted as inside watchdog and companion to the monks. A firmly held belief was that priests who failed to reach Nirvana were instead reincarnated as Apsos!
The Apso is an affectionate, loving dog to its family, but can be wary of strangers and unfamiliar situations. It has an acute sense of hearing and makes an excellent burglar alarm. It is an intelligent breed, readily adapting itself to the familys routine and is easily trained if this is done in short sessions. The Apsos playful nature and its enjoyment of human company make it an ideal companion dog, particularly for the older owner. About 25cms at the shoulder and weighing around 7kg, the Apso is quite small, but big enough to make its presence felt when it feels the need. That beautiful long coat is seen in a range of very attractive colours: Gold, sandy, honey, dark grizzle, slate, smoke, black, white, brown, and parti-colour.
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