Lhasa Apso - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Ancient history

The Lhasa Apso is one of the oldest dog breeds of all with origin in Tibet. We know for sure, that they existed since the year 800 A.D. They were bred in isolation in Himalayan mountains for centuries by Tibetan Buddhists.

2) Reincarnation

As you might know, the Tibetan Buddhists believe in reincarnation. And they believe that in the stages of reincarnation, a dog often comes right before a human. The souls of priests are very often, according to their religion, reborn as Lhasa Apsos, just before they reborn as humans again.

3) Guards

The Lhasa Apso is probably the best guard dog of all small breeds. It is because they were bred to for this purpose. You can make sure, that Lhasa Apso will always alert you, when something suspicious is going on around your home. They are also pretty aloof and not trusting around strangers.

4) Shih Tzu confusion

Lhasa Apso are very often mistaken with Shih Tzu. And its no wonder, those two dogs have extremely similar appearance, it is almost impossible to tell them apart. But their personality can not be more different. While the Lhasa Apso is independent watchdog, the Shih Tzu is a typical lap dog.

5) Training

Lhasa Apso is intelligent dog, but they are also a bit stubborn and definitely independent. That is why the training is not the easiest, but they are capable of learning a lot of tricks. You should be firm and patient when training a Lhasa Apso.

6) Gifts

In Tibet, Lhasa Apsos were very often used as highly prized gifts. If someone gave you a Lhasa Apso, it was a sign of good fortune. The spiritual leader of Tibet – who is known as Dalai Lama, once gave a Lhasa Apso as a gift to Chinese emperor. The first Lhasas to come to the United States were also gifts from the Dalai Lama

7) Playful temperament

Lhasa Apso might be susspicious towards strangers, but it is a very loving dog when it is around its family. They are litte bit mischevious and they enjoy good playtime. They are also pretty loyal to their owners.

8) Celebrities

Many Celebrities fall in love with Lhasa Apso. The list of Lhasa Apso lovers includes Ellen DeGeneres, Gwen Stefani, Elizabeth Taylor or Jane Lynch.

9) Long Lifespan

Lhasa Apso are tough dogs with good health and long lifespan. The average life expectancy is around 14 or 15 years, but it is not uncommon to have a 20 years old Lhasa Apso. The oldest documented Lhasa Apso lived 29 years.

10) Strong dog

Most of the small dogs are extremely fragile. But Lhasa Apso is pretty strong and sturdy dogs. I mean you should still be carefull when playing with Lhasa, but they are more a small dog with big dog personality.