The Lhasa Apso has its origins in the isolated regions of the Himalayan Mountains. Hundreds of years ago, they were used primarily to guard the homes of Tibetan nobles and Buddhist monasteries that were located near or in Lhasa, the sacred city. They made their way to the United States during 1933 when C. Suydam Cutting, the first Westerner to enter the Forbidden City of Lhasa, Tibet, presented them as gifts from the 13th Dalai Lama.

A small but strong breed, the Lhasa Apso boasts a lovely mantle of hair parting down the back from the head to the tail. They have a rather unique personality consisting of a delightful mixture of joy, mischief, dignity and aloofness. As they are quite independent, their life's goal is not exactly to please their owner. However, they are quite admired when being shown and excel at challenging events like agility.

As the Lhasa Apso was initially bred to be inside watchdogs, they may be rather suspicious of people they do not know. For this reason, it is critical to provide socialization early in life. These dogs thrive best with adult owners or families that have older children. Their long coats must be groomed frequently and they like to have regular walks. Many people that own Lhasa Apsos prefer to keep their coats shorter in a "puppy cut." Have a look at the following ads for these beautiful dogs and see if your new pet might just be waiting there.