The Lhasa Apso personality ;
The Lhasa Apso temperament is unique in every relation: happy, joyful, clownlink, as well as regal, dignified and aloof.
A very independent breed, the Lhasa Apso’s goal in life is not necessarily to please its master although they are good listeners. This is very different from most breeds of dogs although my opinion is that the Lhasa Apso looks a lot like the Afghans and Saluki’s in temperament.
Lhasa Apso’s can be trained succesfully in obedience using the right methods for the breed.
Lhasa Apso’s are very intelligent with the ability to reason, and can even be somewhat manipulative. Therefore, consistency is a crucial element in their training, very much as it is with raising children.
Lhasa Apso puppies are very busy, full of energy and curiosity, becoming calmer and dignified, yet still playful, as adults. A slow maturing breed, Lhasa Apso’s do not reach their prime until well into their second/third year of mature. Lhasa Apso’s live longer than most other dog breeds, they develop slowly. Lhasa Apso dogs age gracefully, however, keeping a youthful appearance and attitude well into their teens. The average lifespan of the breed is 13 to 16 years old, although some have lived to be even beyond 21 like the father of my Lingstoc Midas 21!
Lhasa Apsos are bred as indoor watchdogs for hundreds of years, Lhasa Apsos can be suspicious of strangers. Lhasas are guardians of their own domain, they can be also protective away from home. Early socialization helps overcome the breed’s natural tendency towards wariness of strangers and is critical to a Lhasa Apsos success as a family member. The time you invest in training your puppy will be well worth the effort in terms of the loyalty , joy and long term companionship for its lifetime.
Like all dogs, Lhasa Apso’s have the capability of learning lots of words. Understanding this, refrain from overusing the word “No”. Take the time to teach your Lhasa the right words for the behavior you want to.
As a general rule, Lhasa Apso’s tend to attach themselves to the adults in the family rather than to the children. Experienced breedres generally have a good idea which puppy in a litter will do best in a family environment with children. Lhasa puppies that are raised with children, and where the interaction is closely supervised, can become succesfully integrated into the family.
All play between a Lhasa puppy and young children should be guided by the responsible adult to prevent problems.
For hundreds of years Lhasa Apsos were bred to be interior watchdogs in the palace of the Dalai Lama and in the homes of other dignitaries in Tibet. This is their heritage. As a result, Lhasa Apso’s tend to bark only when there is a legitimate reason to do so.
People with allergies to dogs have a difficult time being around them because of the dog’s saliva, coat oil, hair, etc. However, may people with allergies and even some asthmatics can live with Lhasa Apso’s because this breed does not shed like shorthaired breeds.
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Dog-child interaction is the single most important issue to deal with if you have a child and a Lhasa Apso. Children love dogs but dogs don’t always love children.
When you bring home a new puppy, your child should be trained together with your Lhasa. Dog owners need to remember that it takes two to tango. Childres aren’t often taught how to treat a new doggy which can make his life a living hell. This is not only torment for your dog but can be dangerous to your child. Never trust your child alone with ANY dog, regardless of how gentle that dog is known to be. A child tends to know just which buttons to press to turn the gentlest animal into a dangerous beast. Most dogs initially feel threatened by a child because they are at eye level, they have high-pitched voices and make vigorous movements. The dog senses that the child is somewhat unpredictable.
Dog-child interaction should be monitored in order to make sure that child and your dog are getting along.
Do not let your child hug the dog until the dog-child relationship has developed and they’ve become comfortable with each other. Children are accustomed to showwing their affection with a hug, but some dogs will tolerate it while others will not.
Never approach a strange dog without asking the owner if it is o.k. to do so. Allow the dog to sniff you before you try to pat him. Stay away from stray dogs. A stray dog may carry disease or try to attack. Never scream or run away from a dog. This will only start a chase. Never run towards a dog or around a dog. Never approach a dog face to face. This is threatening to them. Always approach a dog from te side. This will allow the dog-child relationship to develop. Never look a dog square in the eyes. Never tease or hit a dog whether he’s loose, tied up, behind a fence or in a crate. Never play rough games with a dog, such as tug-of-war. This will encourage a dog to become agressive. Never pat a dog on the head. Always approach him under the chin or on his back. Never bother a sleeping dog. Never bother the dog while he’s eating or chewing his favorite bone. A dog is not a toy. Never yank on his ears or pull his tail. If a dog poses a threat, teach your child to stay perfectly still with arms at the side, avoid eye contact, don’t scream. If there is no one around who can pull the dog away, have your child use a jacket, schoolbag, garbage can cover, or anything he can find as a shield while backing away from the dog slowly. If a dog has knocked your child to the ground, he should curl op into a ball with his hands behind his head to protect his face. Never give the dog table food.
Always play with your dog under adult supervision. Always be kind to your dog. This will help a dog-child friendship. Always protect your dog from harm.
What you should know as as dog owner. Begin obedience training your dog as soon as possible. Don’t wait til he gets older, it’ll only get harder. Never leave your child alone with the dog. Never let your child walk the dog alone. Never tie up your dog . Provide your dog with a fenced-in space instead. Socialize your dog. Get him acquainted with other dogs as early as possible. You should also get him familiar with everything in his environment, both indoors and outdoors. This is key in attempting to establish a great dog-child relationship. Reward your dog for good behavior with praise and a threat. If you leave your dog in the yard, make sure your fence does not have spaces large enough for a child to stick their hands through. Never allow your child to abuse the dog in any way. This will never enable a dog-child relationship to flourish. Give your dog a space to call his own to which he can retreat to if he is feeling bothered (such as a crate). Do not allow your child to invade your dog’s space especially while your dog is eating. Get your dog used to being touched on all body parts. This will make him more comfortable around childeren. Teach your dog to maintain a good temperment in the case of having his food bowl taken away while he’s eating or removing a chew toy from his mouth. This will allow your dog to be more comfortable having a child around when he’s eating or chewing on hos favorite toy. Teach your child how to properly handle the dog/puppy. Walk your dog on a leash. Do not allow him to roam free. Keep in mind that just because your dog is wonderful around your own children doesn’t mean he will tolerate other children the same way. Spay / neuter your dog.
If you have a dog and are expecting a baby. First off, if you haven’t read the information above this subhead, go up and do so now. The above information will provide you with all the do’s and dont’s in preparing your dog for an addition to the family. If your dog has never been around a child for a long periode of time, you will have the next nine months to get him used to it. Disciplined dog-child interaction is crusial at this stage.
Invite a niece, nephew, cousin, neighbor, etc. over for a few hours a week (Preferably a child who still wears a diaper. This wil get the dog used to baby smell as well). This idea satisfies two objectives: it will get your dog used to having a child around; and will develop your dog’s behavior in such a way which allows him to have a dog-child relationship with almost any child. Teach your dog how to behave around a child using much of the information discussed above. Do not wait until the baby is born in order to make adjustments. Try to make as many adjustments as you can before the baby arrives, this way he won’t be hit with all these changes at once. For instance, if you will have to move furniture around to accomodate a high chair or a playpen, this may effect the placement of your dog’s bed and bowl. If so, make this move before the baby arrives. This will lessen the impact it will have on your dog and is less likely to affect the dog-child relationship. Once you have the nursery set up for the baby, teach your dog that he will not be allowed in the room, at all. If he learns this before the baby comes, it will lessen the dog’s resentmenet towards the baby. Get your dog used to the sounds a baby makes by playing a recording of a baby cooing and crying. Play this recording in the nursery in order to indicate to your dog where exactly he can expect these sounds to be coming from. Make accommodations for your dog for the day you go into labor. He may have to spend hours alone before daddy’s comes home from the hospital. When it’s time to bring the baby home, have someone go into another room with the dog while you put the baby down and get settled. Then bring the baby out and introduce the dog to the baby. The dog will probably give the baby a sniff or two and seek your attention. After all, he hasn’t seen you in days. At this point, it would be a good idea to put the baby down and spend some time playing with the dog. Show him he’s still loved.
This will aid in the development of the dog-child relationship. Your dog may require some extra attention in the first days of welcoming the baby. This will keep him from resenting the baby for stealing all the attention. Give him your undivided attention. Allow your dog to be present when changing or feeding the baby. Never yell at your dog for getting too close to the baby. Allow him to sniff the baby in order to get used to his scent. Make sure this is done under strict supervision. This will help nourish the dog-child relationship. As the baby gets older, you wil teacht him to respect the dog and be gentle towards him. Get your child to help you with dog chores, such as feeding and walking the dog. Before your know it , a natural dog-child bond will form which will give them a long-lasting friendship for years to come. Help your child and your dog live in perfect harmony by adhering to these simple rules. Once a good dog-child relationship has been established, this bond will last a lifetime.
If you have trouble controlling your dog due to an overly agressive nature, you should bring your dog (and your child) to an obedience training class to help you get started.
Behavior