What Is A Lhasa Apso Temperament?

Lhasa Apso is a very glamorous dog breed, there is a high chance you fell in love with it the moment you see it. Lhasa Apso is a truly gorgeous dog breed who can turn to be an amazingly good pet, but only with great ownership and loving care. If you are planning to become a proud owner of a Lhasa apso, knowing about their temperament is a must. Lhasa Apso’s may look like an adorable dog breed, and they are but will require a lot of affection and company from you and your family. To know more about their temperament please continue reading.

What is a Lhasa Apso temperament? Lhasa Apso is a dog breed with a unique personality and an outstanding temperament. Intelligent and very independent as they are, this ancient dog breed is loving, affectionate and well-aware of their surroundings. A Lhasa Apso always craves for all of the attention they can get and will always readily to join in any of the activities you allow them to.

(Also, check out answers to related questions you may have at the end of this article)

When you think of a big diva, you might as well be thinking of a Lhasa Apso, this is because their personality can be pretty much be described like that. However, Lhasa Apso is not only a beautiful dog, but they are also a great watchdog. They are not very fond of strangers and can turn to be rather fearless even when they should not be.

Lhasa Apso does indeed look like a fluffy adorable dog breed, and most people purchase one simply because of that. Lhasa Apso’s requires and deserves a great owner with a lot of patience, someone who is willing to put a lot of effort into training and give them a lot of love. A Lhasa Apso might have a lovable and fun personality, but this is only if their owners properly care about them. Understanding their grooming and training needs is an important step towards having an amazingly loyal friend.

Lhasa Apso Is A Beauty With An Outstanding Personality And Temperament!

It only takes a second to notice and fall in love with a Lhasa Apso dog breed. Lhasa Apso is not as small as some, they can grow in height up to 11 inches and weigh around 13 up to 18 pounds. With their naturally long back and floppy ears, Lhasa Apso dog breed is also very colorful one! They come in many color variations, so if you have had a golden Lhasa Apso in your mind – it is all possible! Aside from golden, Lhasa Apso comes in all of the shades of black, slate, white, black, brown and many other colors as well!

Lhasa Apso was actually bred as a guard dog back in the days, they were not bred just a a companion dog. While they might not look like a great guarding dog, they used to guard the monasteries and are very cautious of their surroundings, they are not fond of strangers and they will alarm you about them whenever they can. Although Lhasa Apso is very loving with people they love and trust to, they can be very hard to deal with if their owners are not leading them appropriately. Yelling, throwing things around and panicking around Lhasa Apso will make them nervous, they can end up being a nuisance and bark uncontrollably. Knowing how to behave before your Lhasa Apso is important, just as important as training them to be a good, loyal dog.

Featuring such a bossy temperament, Lhasa Apso is often seen as a very stubborn and independent dog breed. This does not mean they have a small-dog syndrome, this means, Lhasa Apso only needs to be properly trained, they require a firm and very patient hand in order to grow happy and a good, loyal dog.

You might have noticed Lhasa Apso often gives a negative reaction to unknown people and animals. This means you need to do your best to give them enough company and socialization with everyone, including other animals. While they do amazingly well with children, it is advised you introduce them early on and never leave them alone without any supervision. Teaching your Lhasa Apso to socialize with people and other dogs is crucial, without it, your Lhasa Apso will end up being very noisy and hard to deal with. People who overlook the fact that their dog lacks socialization often end up having a nervous, jumpy and a rather dangerous dog.

Did you know?

Lhasa Apso is actually an ancient dog breed, they originate from Tibet and they were often reffered to as ‘’The Lion Dogs’’.

‘’The Lion Dog’’ title was given to Lhasa Apso due to their full coat, leonine colors and their personality.

Tibetian priests are believed to be reincarnated as Lhasa Apso if they do not manage to reach Nirvana.

Lhasa Apso was a loyal pet of The Dalai Lama, he would gift Lhasa Apso dogs to the honorable people.

Lhasa Apso was also a guard dog thanks to their great alerting nature and an insanely sharp bark.

The Willfulness And Activity Of A Lhasa Apso

Many would say Lhasa Apso requires minimum activity, but this is not true. Lhasa Apso usually needs around 30 minutes of exercise each day, but this does not mean they will refuse to continue for longer. Lhasa Apso is very often seen as a house pet with little exercise needed. This is wrong! A Lhasa Apso will always wish to be fully involved in all activities. They will be more than happy to take a long walk through the woods or join you in hiking with your friends.

Lhasa Apso is an extremely willful dog, they will want to try everything and be curious about pretty much anything you do. Knowing how affectionate they are, you will find them always following your every step and trying to include themselves in your daily activities.

Just like many dogs out there, Lhasa Apso also hates being left out and alone, and are the happiest when you are around. Whenever you leave a Lhasa Apso alone, there is a slight chance they will end up sad and develop bad behavior. Upon developing bad behavior, you will notice your Lhasa Apso is becoming less lively, less willing to learn and listen. Some owners claim their Lhasa Apso’s become destructive after being left alone for a long time. To prevent all this from happening, make sure you have enough time to spend with your Lhasa Apso, show them all of the love and try to keep them entertained whenever it is possible. Some owners get a dog when they don’t have the time to give them the attention they need, these dogs usually end up unhappy, find it difficult to socialize and sometimes become dangerous. If you are not sure you can be around for your dog most of the day, Lhasa Apso is most likely not a perfect dog breed for you.

The Great Intelligence Of A Lhasa Apso

This clown-like dog breed is everything but a clown, Lhasa Apso is extremely intelligent which often means they will do their best to have themselves pleased instead of pleasing their owners. Their intelligence is often a reason people consider them to be manipulative, but that is really not how it should be. If you are consistent and you train them well, your Lhasa Apso will feel no need to be manipulative and do weird things in order to get your attention! Training a Lhasa Apso can seem like raising a child to some, but it is all worth it once you get all of the love and appreciation back!

With their intelligent brains, Lhasa Apso puppies are often very curious, full of energy and playful. Once you train your Lhasa Apso to be obedient, you will finally manage to see how slowly they actually mature. Even though your Lhasa Apso will grow to be an adult dog, their puppy-like personality will always be present. The same look you have been given before when they were just a confused puppy, this same look will remain there for a while. Your Lhasa Apso will always be sniffing around, looking for your attention, poking you around with their paws or simply lay on your lap for hours as you watch your favorite TV series.

When you start training your Lhasa Apso, you will need to accept the fact that they will make mistakes and do not expect them to be doing everything you say flawlessly. Lhasa Apso is very loving, upon realizing your disappointment or anger, they will always react negatively to it and your training will no longer be as effective as it is supposed to be. Usually, training for a long time can make your Lhasa Apso feel uninterested and less willing to train, make your training short but effective! Keeping training sessions short will make it all more interesting for your Lhasa Apso. As you train, you will want to keep it fun and positive, the training is not a chore, it is a great time of bonding between the two of you, use it well! Always show your appreciation with praise, a treat and an insane amount of patience.

The Personality Of A Big Diva Requires A Lot Of Care

Every diva requires a lot of beauty care, so does Lhasa Apso. This beautiful dog breed features better hair than most people we know, this means it obviously also requires a lot of grooming, intense grooming! Lhasa Apso looks stunning with their long coat and they really do look special, but they need a lot of care in all of the fields. While you can easily lower the grooming chores by cutting your Lhasa Apso hair short, most will agree that Lhasa Apso is the prettiest with their beautiful long coat.

Lhasa Apso will not enjoy missing a trip to the groomer, they are a breed that enjoys and loves being clean and looking good. Regular trips to the groomer are advised if you wish to keep your Lhasa Apso clean and healthy. Of course, grooming at home is also possible, but that might require a little bit of experience to do. If you have never done grooming before, try to have someone who did do it for you and learn a couple of tips. Grooming your dog at home means you need to actually train it how to sit or stand while it is all happening. No one wants any injuries to happen while doing grooming chores because that will only have a negative effect on the experience your dog has with grooming.

Just like us humans, dogs do not want to stand still for long periods when they have no idea why are they standing at all. Making your Lhasa Apso understand why they need to stand still is important because it will become a daily routine for both of you. Lhasa Apso pups do not need any important grooming as grown up Lhasa Apso dogs, but this does not mean you should ignore the grooming chores. You must have your Lhasa Apso puppy experience the grooming chores as a little puppy as that will make it a lot easier for you once he/she is all grown up and ready for some real grooming chores. This same practice should be done when it comes to brushing. When your Lhasa Apso puppy is tired and in need of rest, gently brush them to sleep. Avoid doing this when your dog is agitated or missing a meal, that will make it very hard for both of you and it will turn into a bad habit.

Many owners who have a dog with this much hair will say it is a very hard thing to do, but really, it should not be at all! Do not worry, just because your Lhasa Apso has a lot of long hair does not mean it is a hard thing to do. Some quick advice – brush your Lhasa Apso’s hair before giving them a bath. Brushing their hair before giving them bath will help get rid of tangles and mats. When giving a bath to your Lhasa Apso, you should avoid using a circular motion as you shampoo their body. Circular motions usually result in an insane amount of tangles, which means brushing afterward will be painful for your dog.

Not to make it all about their coat, Lhasa Apso teeth and nails will also require some of the attention, and this is important because if you do not take care of these, your Lhasa Apso can get seriously sick. You must brush the teeth of a Lhasa Apso at least two times a week, this is because you want to remove the tartar and all of the bacteria that is known for lurking inside of their mouth. Some owners decide to brush their Lhasa Apso’s teeth every day, and this is just because they want to prevent bad breath and possible gum disease that can happen to a Lhasa Apso dog breed. When it comes to nails, there is a lot less worry, these should be cut only once every two weeks, or when you can hear them clip on the floor.

Doing all these things with your Lhasa Apso will create an amazing bond between you two. This intelligent dog breed will know you are the one helping him/her stay as beautiful as they are and they will always be happy to have you help them! Grooming chores are always a little bit hard to do at the start, it is the time you will see your Lhasa Apso very stubborn, uninterested and sometimes even ignorant. Luckily, as time goes on, it will turn to be completely opposite of all that, they will enjoy it and you might actually start thinking how awesome and fun grooming can be!

Not Aggressive But Very Strong Minded

If you ever had a Lhasa Apso you probably know how stubborn and strong-minded they really are. A Lhasa Apso will be extremely possessive of their toys and will hate anyone who gets close to their meal. A Lhasa Apso will often even get mad at you if you do not let them on your lap. They demand a special place to sleep on and will make it all seem very luxurious around them. Many Lhasa Apso owners made sleeping alone in their beds a challenge, Lhasa Apso will want to spend their time in your bed and will do everything to have you allow them to. Their loving eyes and adorable little paws are simply a hard thing to resist and a real Lhasa Apso will always know that! They will howl, bark and do funny things just to get your attention, it is absolutely adorable at times!

Their actions are often very instinctive and straight forward, a Lhasa Apso will have no issues showing their disappointment, anger or cuddliness in front of you and they will do their best to have you show the same!

A Lhasa Apso might seem aggressive in front of strangers, but this is not because they are naturally aggressive dogs, it is because they are a guard dog, it is in their genes to be protective and cautious of strangers. A Lhasa Apso dog will never bite for no reason if they do, they either got scared or they feel negative about something. Most of the things such as barking, howling and biting are simply a reaction of a dog towards certain things. Understanding what makes your dog bark, bite or howl is an important way of teaching them how to stop and control their behavior. The basic dog commands are important for this step, therefore, try to see the world from the perspective of a Lhasa Apso. Ask yourself why does he/she bark on the same person every time, what makes him/her confused around other dogs and why does he/she wish to get in conflict with other animals.

Buying Or Adoption Of A Lhasa Apso

I can easily understand why you wish to get a Lhasa Apso dog breed, but I believe you should consider adopting one over getting a puppy. There are hundreds of Lhasa Apso dogs out there who have been abandoned and rescued. These poor souls would appreciate your help and would surely show a lot of appreciation once they would get a forever home. However, if you do plan to actually buy a Lhasa Apso puppy, it is advised you know how it is all done and what are the things you need to be aware of. While most rescued dogs already know the basic commands, bought puppies will not know much at all. Once you get a puppy, you must accept the fact that it will take a lot of time and effort to teach them all of the things you want.

Many dog owners think buying a puppy is a safe option that guarantees a healthy dog – this is not completely true and you must be aware of the terrible breeders who breed dogs just because of the money. To help you out with that, I gathered up a few tips you could use when buying a Lhasa Apso puppy, these will help you out picking the healthiest and probably a puppy that will suit you and your personality.

Things you should be aware of when buying or adopting a Lhasa Apso puppy:

Understand the characteristics of male and female Lhasa Apso before you decide.

Ask for health guarantees if there are any.

Try to know about their parents and their medical conditions if they have any.

Ask about vaccinations!

Do not get a puppy from a breeder without a license!

Adopt a puppy only after you have done all of the health checks!

Ask about the previous trainings the litter has gone through, and test the knowledge of a puppy/dog you wish to adopt.

The more information you gather about a dog or a puppy you are planning to get, the less worry you will have later on wondering about all of the possibilities of something happening. Do not be afraid to ask questions, good breeders will be glad to give you the answers, bad breeders will avoid them at all cost. Never rush your decision and pick a puppy because they took your attention due to its looks; give yourself time and investigates before you buy!