Lhasa Apso
拉薩犬
Updated 2026-09-11
At a glance
The Lhasa Apso is a thousand-year-old Tibetan sentinel dog, bred in monasteries and palaces to guard indoors while the Tibetan Mastiff guarded outside — small, hardy and floor-length-coated, with a feathery tail curled over its back. Lhasas are confident, smart and comical with their family but regally aloof and watchful with strangers; they please you when it pleases them, so training needs creativity rather than drill. Exercise needs are modest; the coat is not.
Facts
| Size | Small |
|---|---|
| Height | 25–29cm |
| Weight | 5.4–8.2kg |
| Life expectancy | 12–15years |
| Breed group | AKC: non-sporting FCI: 9 |
| Role | Companion |
| Coat | Long coat |
| Shedding | 1/ 5 |
| Exercise | 30–90min/day |
| Can be left alone | up to 4 hours |
| Companionship need | 4/ 5 |
| Trainability | 3/ 5 |
| Barking | 3/ 5 |
| Good with children | 3/ 5 |
| Good with other dogs | 3/ 5 |
| Heat tolerance | 1/ 5 |
| Cold tolerance | 3/ 5 |
Health
This page is general information compiled from published sources. It is not veterinary, legal or purchase advice. Dogs vary within a breed — talk to a vet or a reputable breeder about the dog in front of you.
Health notes are not veterinary advice. Conditions listed are those reported for the breed, not a diagnosis of any dog. Always consult a veterinarian.
Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)
Back and disc problems are commonly reported in the breed. Ask your vet about protecting the spine (weight control, avoiding jumping from heights) and seek help fast for sudden pain or weakness.
Hip dysplasia
Commonly reported in the breed; breeders screen hips by X-ray. Ask your vet about hip screening and about keeping your dog lean and fit.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
An inherited eye condition reported in the breed; DNA tests and eye examinations are available. Ask your vet or breeder about eye screening.
Patellar luxation
Patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps) is commonly reported in small breeds; breeders screen for it. Ask your vet if your dog skips or holds up a hind leg.
Brachycephalic airway syndrome
As a flat-faced breed, breathing difficulties and heat intolerance are commonly reported. Ask your vet to assess breathing, keep exercise gentle in hot, humid weather and use a harness rather than a collar.
Skin and allergy problems
Skin problems and allergies are commonly reported in the breed. Ask your vet if you notice itching, redness or recurring ear/skin infections.
Kidney disease
Kidney conditions are reported in the breed. Ask your vet about routine blood and urine checks.
Cherry eye / eyelid problems
Eyelid and tear-film problems (cherry eye, entropion, dry eye) are reported in the breed. Ask your vet if the eyes look red, sore or weepy.
Behaviour
Assertive, loyal, suspicious of strangers
The CKC says the Lhasa is gay and assertive, loyal and loving to those it knows but suspicious of strangers — keenly watchful, a good watchdog, and a most agreeable city pet whose exercise needs are met with a short daily walk; the AKC calls Lhasas family comedians who are regally aloof with strangers.
Pleases you when it pleases them
The AKC says a Lhasa will please you if it pleases it to please you: highly intelligent, sometimes compared to a wilful toddler, it can learn almost anything a trainer makes interesting — on its own terms — but dislikes repetitive drill and turns uncommonly stubborn if bullied, and most behaviour problems trace back to inconsistent or absent human leadership. It is adept at self-exercise and values mental stimulation as much as physical, doing well in agility and scent work; the Royal Kennel Club suggests up to 1 hour of exercise a day.
Energy and exercise
Energy level is rated 3/5 (moderate) on the AKC breed-trait chart. The Royal Kennel Club puts its exercise need at "up to 1 hour per day".
Training and barking
AKC trait chart: trainability 3/5, barking level 3/5. Individual dogs vary; early socialisation and reward-based training are recommended for every breed.
Official guidance
Summaries of official documents are ours; the source is linked. Breed standards, laws and licensing rules change — check the issuing body for the current version.
American Kennel Club — Lhasa Apso
Breed overview, breed-trait chart, history, official standard summary and health notes from the AKC and the national parent club.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
Canadian Kennel Club — Lhasa Apso (Non Sporting Dogs)
Origin, temperament, activity level, height/weight, coat and grooming as described by the Canadian Kennel Club.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
The Royal Kennel Club — Lhasa Apso
Breed characteristics (size small, exercise up to 1 hour per day, lifespan over 12 years).
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
FCI nomenclature — Lhasa Apso (standard no. 227, group 9)
FCI breed nomenclature entry with the official breed standard PDF in English, French, German and Spanish.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
What owners say
Owner advice is quoted from public community posts and reflects those owners' opinions, not PocketPaw's position. It is unverified and not a substitute for professional advice. Each item links to where it was said.
“The parent club's health page calls the Lhasa a very healthy, hardy, long-lived and ancient breed and notes that the club has no health-testing requirements for its member breeders; it lists patellar luxation, umbilical and inguinal hernias, corneal ulcers and bladder stones as the breed's common issues, with articles on pigmentary keratitis, glaucoma, haemorrhagic gastroenteritis and reverse sneezing.”
— American Lhasa Apso Club — Lhasa Health via breed clubWorldwide2026-09-09
Sources
- [1]Lhasa Apso — Dog Breed Information — American Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [2]Lhasa Apso — Choosing a Breed — Canadian Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [3]Lhasa Apso — Breeds A to Z — The Royal Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [4]Lhasa Apso — FCI standard no. 227 — Fédération Cynologique Internationale (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [5]How do I help my dog adjust to spending time alone? — The Royal Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [6]Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016 (Hall, Carter & O'Neill, Scientific Reports 10:9128) — Nature / Scientific Reports (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [7]Lhasa Health — American Lhasa Apso Club — American Lhasa Apso Club (public health pages) (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [8]Intervertebral Disc Disease — American College of Veterinary Surgeons (Accessed 2026-09-11)
Still have questions?
Ask owners on the PawMunity forum — every breed has its own board.
Breed data compiled by PocketPaw from the sources credited on each entry. Text and layout © 2026 NextPath Solutions Limited. Please link to a page rather than copying it.