Picture taken from www.dogbreedinfo.com
Hello and welcome!
This is Sharda again with another wonderful Lhasa Apso Dog newsletter!
Completing some research about the breed and understanding their characteristics, temperament and unique needs will ensure that a Lhasa Apso is the correct pet for your family.
Before deciding if this is the correct breed of dog for you, it is important to consider it’s features to answer for yourself: “Is the Lhasa Apso compatible for you?”
TEMPERAMENT
The Lhasa Apso is known for its loyalty, somewhat aloof behaviour, and its independence.
This breed of dog does not require a lot of pampering from its owners, but does enjoy being in the company of humans.
The Lhasa Apso is not usually an attention-seeking dog, however they do interact well with family and other individuals that they come to know.
The Lhasa Apso tends to be wary and attentive of strangers and does require time to get to know people. The Lhasa Apso is an ideal dog for people who have a quiet life or have a small living space.
The Lhasa Apso is a great companion dog for adults who were not able to find the time for long walks with the dog, or who do not have a large exercise space for dogs.
Because the Lhasa Apso is more independent, more aloof, as well as less demonstrative than other breeds, they may not be the ideal dog for people with small children.
Lhasa Apsos interact well with other animals provided they are correctly introduced. If you have other pets, the introduction of the dog will have to be done carefully to minimize any stress on either animal. This is covered later in more detail.
GROOMING
One of the biggest considerations in deciding that the Lhasa Apso breed is correct for you and your family is the amount of time you’re going to need to spend on keeping their coat looking beautiful.
A young lhasa apso dog will need to have its coat completely brushed once a day, to prevent knots and snarls in the coat.
In addition to daily grooming, the Lhasa Apso will also require a bath at least every 4 – 6 weeks. It is also important that the Lhasa Apso be dried with the hairdryer after the bath, to prevent moisture from remaining on the skin.
Many Lhasa Apso owners keep the hair on the face pulled back with hair bands unless the dog is being shown.
Once the mature hair has grown in at approximately 10 months of age, it is possible to clip the coat of the your Lhasa Apso to aid in maintenance. The dog will not have a completely mature coat (with a harder outer texture) until 6 to 7 years of age!
If the dog’s coat is clipped it will still require brushing to remove excess hair, and will also require a bath every four to six weeks.
If the hair is clipped on the face, it is important to keep it cut short around the eyes to avoid irritation. Most Lhasa Apso owners take their dogs to professional groomers for clipping.
There are many different styles of clips for a Lhasa Apso and a professional groomer can advise on what clip works best.
EXERCISE AND DIET
Lhasa Apsos are recommended for less active people. They require little specific exercise and usually exercise themselves by wandering around the house during the day.
They generally enjoy short daily walks, and generally do not need long walks or frequent exercise. While this is a great benefit to older people or less active individuals, it can be very frustrating for young children who would like to have a dog that plays all day.
Lhasa Apsos require little with regards to specialty diets but rather require a good quality dried dog food, with additional supplements of beef bones and other nutritious treats.
These dogs have a tendency to gain weight quickly when overfed, so portion control is important.
POINTS TO CONSIDER
Before making a decision to purchase a Lhasa Apso take some time to consider the following:
- Are you requiring a medium small companion dog that requires little exercise?
- Are you prepared to groom the dog daily?
- Is there a professional groomer in your area to help you care for the Lhasa Apso coat?
- Is it acceptable for the dog to take some time to get to know people before feeling comfortable around them?
- How active do you want your dog to be?
If you answered yes to the first four questions and fairly quiet to the last question, a Lhasa Apso may just be the breed for you and your family.
Try talking to Lhasa Apso owners and Lhasa Apso breeders to get their impressions of the breed and to spend some time with the dogs before making a final decision.
That’s it for now and hope you learned more again with our Lhasa Apso Dog newsletter!
All the best and take care
Warmly,
Sharda Baker