Lhasa Apso

The lavishly coated Lhasa Apso is an ancient breed with a history spanning more than a thousand years, once serving as a vigilant sentinel in palaces and monasteries high in the Himalayan mountains. Intelligent, confident, and intriguingly complex, Lhasas are playful and entertaining within the family, yet maintain a regal reserve toward strangers.

Standing under a foot tall at the shoulder, the Lhasa Apso is small in size but remarkably sturdy, carrying itself with an unmistakably aristocratic presence. The breed is best known for its long, flowing coat that hangs straight and is parted neatly down the middle, cascading evenly along both sides of the body. A feathered tail arches gracefully over the back in classic Tibetan style. Admirers of the breed often say that the dark, oval eyes peering through the abundant facial hair reveal the joyful spirit within. Altogether, the Lhasa Apso presents a distinctly Asian appearance—exotic, elegant, and serenely well balanced.