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Lhasa Apsos

post #1 of 30
12/22/05 at 1:09pm
Thread Starter 
Is anyone here familiar with this breed?

We are considering getting a small dog, we've only had big dogs in the past. I was wondering if there was anything I should know about the breed.

Thanks
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post #2 of 30
12/22/05 at 1:18pm
I don't know much about the nowadays breed....

But wanna hear a fun fact about the Lhasa Apso.....

Well they were developed by the Tibeten monks, along w/ the tibeten spaniel and tibeten terrier....

Anyhoo....the Lhaso Apso was developed as a gaurd dog for the monks...and used to be a lot bigger in size then its most recent counterpart.......

Though they have shrunk in size since then, they still tend to keep their "I'm tough as nails" attitude....

Isnt that interesting???
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post #3 of 30
12/22/05 at 1:28pm
My mother had one while i was in my teens.
That dog completely turned me off to any small breed dog for the rest of my dayss.
I do not consider any dog that weighs less than my cats worthy of note anymore
But seriously,
If you like a dog that needs to be babied, showered attention on, cannot function in life without its owner and is constantly under you begging...then you may like them.
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post #4 of 30
12/22/05 at 1:34pm
Thread Starter 
I have been trying to do a little research on the internet. I did read about them developed by the monks, I think it said their name means 'little lion', and that they have a big dog attitude in a little body.

We had to put our lab down a little over a year ago, and at that time we decided not to get another dog, but the last couple of months we've been having major dog/puppy-itis. We recognize it as that, that's why we are taking our time and trying to do a bit of research.
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post #5 of 30
12/22/05 at 1:37pm
My mother has a lhasa apso and he is a nice dog. He is a little bigger then my cats. Their fur doesnt stop growing so they need to be groomed alot.
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post #6 of 30
12/22/05 at 1:37pm
Thread Starter 
good to know! This is why I asked. I have no experience with little dogs, but we thought if we did get another dog, we would like one that would be able to go places with us (easier than a 100 lb lab). My (almost grown) kids want one that can sit on their lap, sleep in their beds, etc. - not that our lab wouldn't have been willing LOL
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post #7 of 30
12/22/05 at 2:10pm
While a Lhasa apso may be a good dog, may I ask why you are going breed specific? There are soo many cutie pies at the shelter that need a good home. I am sure you can find a little lap dog no problem So unless you really want a specific breed, please save a life. They will return the favor with puppy kisses forever. Good luck!
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post #8 of 30
12/22/05 at 2:26pm
Thread Starter 
Well, specifically we aren't 100% sure we want another dog, but any small breed would be ok. One of our local shelters has/had a few Lhasa's - that's what started the ball rolling with that breed. Otherwise, I'm open. Plus the non-shedding sounded like a plus.
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post #9 of 30
12/22/05 at 5:45pm
Yes check out shelters and small dog rescues..

non shedding nice dogs

Lhasa s
Yorkie s( I have one she is a hoot)
Bishons
Shitzus
Nice smaller dogs that shed
pugs
cavleir king charles spaniel
min pin

these are the nicest personality and consitancy wise that I deal with while working..

Most small dogs shouldnt be in homes with kids under 10 years old
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post #10 of 30
12/22/05 at 6:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chichismom
While a Lhasa apso may be a good dog, may I ask why you are going breed specific? There are soo many cutie pies at the shelter that need a good home. I am sure you can find a little lap dog no problem So unless you really want a specific breed, please save a life. They will return the favor with puppy kisses forever. Good luck!
your lucky, none of our shelters have puppies within a two hour radius.(we looked for over a year)

when we wanted a dog we had no choice but to go to a breeder

I've heard Lhasa Apso's can be a little mean. How about a Shih Tzu? (spell?!)

They are so cute and i've heard they get on well with cats.
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post #11 of 30
12/22/05 at 7:59pm
I'm not familiar with the breed at all, but we saw some Lhasa Apso x Shih Tzu puppies once and man were they CUTE!
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post #12 of 30
12/22/05 at 9:31pm
In my experience, (not to steriotype) without lots of training and socializing, they can grow up to be snappy little things. Cute though, and with dedicated training, may be a good pet. As a rule, I think Shih-tzu's are usually less aggressive. It may be better to go with one of the "new breeds" or whatever thay call them, such as the Teddy Bear or Lhasa-poo or Shih-poo...mutts tend to have better health and dispositions, IMO. Lhasas also NEED regular brushing and grooming! Their hair is VERY fine and tangles easily! Please don't think about getting one unless you are going to keep it in tip top shape, and that includes getting ear hair plucked out (if needed) and keeping the hair around the eyes trimmed. I have seen TOO MANY Lhasas with matted hair and hair getting into their eyes and causing eye infections, and in extreme cases, loss of the eye itself. PLEASE consider this, for the dog's sake! Good luck in your search! Hope we helped!
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post #13 of 30
12/22/05 at 9:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Middletown
My mother had one while i was in my teens.
That dog completely turned me off to any small breed dog for the rest of my dayss.
I do not consider any dog that weighs less than my cats worthy of note anymore
But seriously,
If you like a dog that needs to be babied, showered attention on, cannot function in life without its owner and is constantly under you begging...then you may like them.
Pedro (in his 6 pound glory) says he takes offense to that comment!
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post #14 of 30
12/23/05 at 5:51am
IMO, the best dogs temperment wise are the ones so mixed up you can't even tell what breed specifically they are. Even if a breed has "certain qualities" each indivisual animal still will have their own unique personalities. So you might go with a certain breed for their reputation, and wind up with the total opposite. As far as shedding, i have yet to be so fortunate to have a dog that does'nt shed but I have always had large dogs. As far as the purebred dogs go, both of the dogs you see in my siggy came from the pound. Lucy is a full-blooded English setter-she was just,unfortunatly part of an unwanted litter. Willy is a pit bull mix- he is one of the best watchdogs ever! And a big baby( he thinks he's a Lhasa Apsos ) he is such a lap dog! I hope you find the perfect dog for you and your family, and you must show us pictures of the baby when you get em'.
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post #15 of 30
12/24/05 at 7:58pm
My grandma used to have one when I was younger, his name was Dusty. He was nice and loved to chase his tennis ball and squirrels. The only thing i've learned is you have to trim the ear hair and hair around the eyes alot because if you dont it will grow in the eyes. Cutting the ear hair is to prevent ear infections, which is common in this breed.
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post #16 of 30
12/30/05 at 12:07pm
I have also heard that Lhasa Apsos can be mean. A co-worker bred a few litters, and was VERY CAREFUL about temperment. So if you go with a Lhasa, just be careful. Meet the parents if possible, and do go to training classes.
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post #17 of 30
1/1/06 at 8:50pm
I love Lhasa Apsos and have had very good experiences with them!
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post #18 of 30
1/3/06 at 4:46pm
I knew nothing about this breed and then Voila!! All of a sudden on cable comes a documentary all about Lhasa Apsos.

They were originally bred to actually be companion dogs to Tibetan monks - they had Tibetan Mastiffs as their guard dogs. The monks believed that when the soul left the body of the monks when they died, that it returned to inhabit the little Lhasa Apsos, and so they were spoilt and showered and pampered with love and affection.

They have incredibly long, difficult, high-maintenance coats that get to floor-length (this is because in Tibet they had to stay warm!) but you can keep them clipped short and they look divine. They are the parent breed of the Shih Tsu.

They are good watch dogs but are one-person dogs, apparently, who do not like children or other pets around, as they get very jealous. Although you can have more than one Lhasa, and they seem to be fine. They are just stand-offish with strangers, not their own families, to whom they are very loving.

They have an unfortunate history of congentinal kidney disease, and it is quite common in the breed.

They were given (out of a maximum possible four treats) four treats for companionship, two treats for maintenance, three treats for friendliness (cos they can be mean but apparently not to their own families) and all round three treats for being a groovy little dog!
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post #19 of 30
1/3/06 at 4:47pm
Been watching 'Breed all about it' Sarah?
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post #20 of 30
1/3/06 at 4:54pm
LOL!!!! But of course! I was rapt when I saw that the other day on Lhasa Apsos and I'd just seen this thread. They had five shows in a row so I taped them all - have you seen it, too?

I tape them because I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the different breeds for my obedience training course, but really, they're not so much documentaries as just a little showcase of the breed. The one on Whippets was hysterical
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post #21 of 30
1/3/06 at 6:50pm
I love that show...

If I had seen the one on yorkies I wouldnt have gotten Gigi but all is well
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post #22 of 30
1/4/06 at 8:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beckiboo
Meet the parents if possible, and do go to training classes.
Just a caution: In the purebred dog world, its highly unlikely you will meet both sire and dam at a reputable breeders establishment.
Actually, if an ad or breeder states that "both parents on premises", I would run the other way. This screams BYB.
Ethical breeders do it for the betterment of the breed and to breed two exceptional lines. The likelihood of them owning both the perfect stud and dam that simply go together is too unlikely and unheard of in the ethical breeder business. It usually means...Hey we had a boy dog and a girl dog..let's mate them.
Though, I agree that the dam should be friendly with good temperament and you should be able to meet and interact with her.

And of course, I highly agree on the training classes..for any dog
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post #23 of 30
1/4/06 at 2:14pm
LOL I dread it when pet owners ask to see the queen and sire - my poor stud boy is BALD - his fur never grew back after being shaved. LOL!

Sarah, I've seen most of the breeds now. We just got Sky TV uninstalled yesterday. But I love it!
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post #24 of 30
1/5/06 at 3:37pm
Thread Starter 
First of all... thank you all so much for the replies and helpful info.

A week ago today, we acquired a poodle from a local rescue. Funny, because a few months ago when we first started thinking about another dog, we thought a poodle might be a good idea but couldn't ever find one.

This little guy is 4-5 years old, is very well behaved and has great manners (so far). He's WONDERFUL with the cats. My cats had never even seen a dog before and the first night he walked in the house, he walked right past them as if they weren't even there. Now, a week later, he occasionally tries to play with them, but they aren't quite ready. Last night they were all sleeping by me on the couch, and the dog leaned over and put his head on Gracie, and she didn't mind! I'm so thrilled that part is working out.

When the rescue got him, his hair was all matted, so consequently, they had to shave it off. I'll post pictures as soon as it grows back a little.

Thanks again, you guys are great!
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post #25 of 30
1/5/06 at 5:05pm
Congratulations!
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post #26 of 30
1/5/06 at 5:21pm
Yay! Lucky guy to be adopted by you! What's his name?
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post #27 of 30
1/5/06 at 5:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pushylady
What's his name?
That's the other funny part. His name is "Ed" LOL We thought about changing it slightly... Fred, Ted, Freddy, Eddy, etc. etc. Then we even considered changing it completely, but it's been a week, and now we are all kinda used to calling him Ed. When I took him to our vet for a check up, even she said "that's not a very cute name for a poodle". He is a toy apricot - although since his hair is shaved so short, he's pretty white, the apricot color is just starting to come through.
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post #28 of 30
1/6/06 at 11:58am
Great news!! I am so happy for you...
Standard, mini or toy poodle?
Smart,funny dogs they are...and if you didn't already know a piece of cool trivia: Poodles are working, water dogs (Poodle comes from the German "Pudel" meaning water)...

Congrats again! and great that he came with manners already installed!

EDITED TO ADD: Oh I see he is an apricot toy now! So darling
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post #29 of 30
1/6/06 at 6:59pm
Congratulations, and I'm glad you got a rescue dog!
I can't wait to see pics!
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post #30 of 30
1/6/06 at 7:41pm
LOL "Ed" is a rather unusual name for a toy poodle! I would've just kept the name to though.
I second the pictures request!
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