Lhasa Apso

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History/Origin
The Lhasa Apso is thought to have originated from the Tibet capital Lhasa around the year 800 B.C. Largely raised in Tibetan monasteries, the breed is believed to have both material and spiritual value, thus a Lhasa Apso gift is considered a blessing.

World War I almost made the Lhasa Apso an extinct breed, with as few as 30 of such dog left alive in Tibet. Yet, in 1930, a breeding pair was presented as a gift to C. Suydam Cutting, courtesy of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubtem Gyatso. Cutting then brought the pair to the US.

Description
Possessing dark brown eyes, the Lhasa Apso weighs around 12 - 18 pounds and standing 10 - 11 inches at the shoulders. A black Lhasa Apso nose compliments a black pigmentation on the eye veins. The topcoat, which comes in various colors, is often quite heavy, straight, and hard largely as a result of adaptation to the harsh Tibetan weather, especially among the early breeds. The undercoat, however, has been found to be soft. The tail, for its part, has been known to curl up, even all the way to the back.

Temperament
Being principally bred as a watch dog or sentinel dog, the breed has come to develop extreme alertness accompanied by a loud but sonorous bark, earning some breeds the moniker 'singers'. This does not mean, however, that the Lhasa Apso is overly aggressive. It only possesses a discerning attitude. In this regard, this breed has also been known to have good memories and can easily remember people who treated it wrongly in the past. In a way, this can also explain its tendency to be wary of strangers

Nevertheless, the Apso can be very affectionate, even toward children. The downside to this, however, is that the breed can also exhibit signs of being possessive. Other than that, the Lhasa Apso also shows brightness of mind and sometimes, an outgoing attitude. It can also be very independent, in the process, earning a reputation as being bossy and fearless. Indeed, this is one dog breed that can be likened to a firecracker: small in size but loaded with explosive energy.