Utility group · Tibet
Lhasa Apso
Also called Lhasa, Bearded Lion Dog, Abso Seng Kye.
Small dog, moderate energy, trains well with consistency.
- Confident
- Smart
- Comical
- Assertive
- Loyal
- Size
- Small
- Weight
- 5 to 8 kg12 to 18 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 15 years
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trains
- Moderate
- Barks
- High
Training
Training a Lhasa Apso
Utility breeds. Many of these think before they obey. Earn compliance with reward and consistency; they do not do it for free.
Prevent Small Dog Syndrome
Start here
Despite small size, they were bred as sentinel dogs. Set boundaries and maintain consistent rules.
Respect Their Intelligence
Lhasas are independent thinkers. They understand commands but may choose to ignore them.
Socialisation for Strangers
Natural wariness of strangers needs early exposure to prevent excessive suspicion.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Lhasa Apso and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Breeds developed for a job that no longer exists or never fitted a group. Includes the spitz and primitive breeds.
Gets on with
- ChildrenModerate
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersLow
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 30-45 minutes daily. Short walks and indoor play. Moderate activity level.
- Grooming
- High maintenance. Daily brushing for full coat, or regular clipping for easier care.
- Drool
- Very Low
- Coat
- Long, Dense, StraightGolden, Cream, Honey, Smoke, Black, White, Multi-colour
- In a flat
- Can work, with enough exercise outside it.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Eye Problems
Moderate
Prone to progressive retinal atrophy, dry eye, and cherry eye
Kidney Disease
Severe
Hereditary kidney dysplasia can occur; important to screen breeding dogs
Patellar Luxation
Mild
Kneecap displacement occasionally seen in the breed
Where they come from
History
Sacred sentinel dogs of Tibetan monasteries for over 1,000 years. Believed to bring good luck and were never sold, only given as gifts. Name means "bark lion sentinel dog" in Tibetan.
- Monastery Guardians · Traditionally guarded Tibetan monasteries alongside Tibetan Mastiffs, alerting to intruders
