Lhasa’s past and present. Why I am writing.

Hi all. This blog is dedicated to the Lhasa Apso breed of dog. Over the next few months and years I will be establishing my knowledge and expertise in the area of this beautiful breed of dog. On this the first blog I am gonna tell you about how I got to know this breed of dog so well and why.

It all started in Sioux Falls, S.D. at a local humane society. I had been in this humane society many times. Nila Sando knew my husband and I. On a sunny October day, in 1992, we went in there to see what kind of dogs Nila had in the shelter. When we went in there we discovered that a whole kennel had decided to go out of business. There was probably 50 Lhasa Apso’s there. They ranged in age from 6 months to 8 years old. In the middle of all these dogs was one in particular that caught our eye. Moppit, a beautiful multi-colored Lhasa was there. This guy was long haired and gorgeous. We were looking for a playmate and friend for our Poodle at the time. His tail went in circles and he seemed so happy to have someone pay attention to him. This guy was really gregarious. He was also very smart and obedient. When I looked at him and told him to quit barking he did just that. We left the shelter without taking any of the dogs, with the promise we would talk about all of them and come back. That evening we decided that this little guy would make a perfect addition to our home. All that evening we felt guilty about this poor little guy having to sleep at that shelter.We knew we had to go get him as soon as the shelter opened up.

The next morning we were there real early. We had gone and gotten a collar and leash for him before going to get him. So began my love affair with these Lhasa Apso’s. Over the course of the next few weeks a standoff began and continued between the Lhasa and the poodle. During this time the poodle all but ignored this Lhasa, knowing he was different than her breed. This little guy wandered around the house and explored, and totally ignored this little female poodle, Trixie. I could see in a very few days he was a very laid back dog, and I could see that he would not push himself on her or visa versa. Trixie seem to be the one who did not want to accept. Moppit on the other hand just played it cool, letting Trixie decide how the relationship would go. This little guy was proving to me that Lhasa’s were easy going and people dogs. He continued to show off for my husband and I over the course of the next few weeks while Trixie just watched him. He was proving to be quite an entertaining boy. He loved the attention he was getting from his dad and I, and rewarded us with some very funny antics. The way he would roll on his back and squiggle while his tongue hung out to the side made us laugh and laugh. I began to see why some called these little dogs, “Personality Plus”. He was really very delightful to watch and play with. All this time he ignored Trixie, making sure she made the first move on establishing a relationship with him.

After owning this dog for several week, I started reading about the breed. I wanted to know more about them so I could give him the right kind of care and such. I learned very early on that the hair is a high maintenance issue with these little dogs. Being straight, and long and very cottoney, it would matt up easily. I found I had to brush him almost every day. He took the brushing good naturedly, tolerating the pulling and long strokes with the slicker brush. I had found that a pin brush would not be suitable for these little dogs. He also seem to like the affection he got from me as I brushed him. He was very obedient from the start and would come to me when I called him onto my lap so that I could give him his brushing for the day. His underbite, which was quite pronounced, did not seem to deter from his good looks either in my opinion. I would find out later that this was one of the characteristics of the breed. His short long body gave new meaning to the phrase, “one young low slung bum”, which I later referred to that breed as.

So my love affair with the Lhasa’s began with this adorable, entertaining, “Personality Plus” dog. Finally after seeing he was going to stay with us, Trixie decided to accept him. We were there when she finally loosened up. She jumped down from the couch, after watching him move around and while he was squiggling on his back again. I guess she got tired of him “stealing the show”, and getting most of the attention, so much of the time. This tiny 5 pound poodle went on the attack, so to speak in a playful manner. She made a mad dash at him and grabbed hold of the hair on his tail and proceeded to start pulling and tugging on this very long haired little dog, who was more than 3 times her own size. His response was not what I expected. He just laid on his side and let her tear at him, playing back but very gentley. They were indeed gonna be friends! This really eased my mind and made it easier for me to learn about this breed. I had owned poodles for years, knowing their traits and much about them after having had 2 other poodles prior to trixie. The Lhasa was a break from tradition for me. I am not sorry, nor will I ever be, that I started out with this breed. So began my journey into the world of Lhasa Apso’s. Next time I will give you some helpful history on this breed and why I feel they are the most awesome protectors to be had.