Lhasa Apso

 LHASA APSO FCI-Standard N° 227

FCI-CLASSIFICATION:   Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs.
                                      

                                      Section 5 Tibetan breeds.

Breed comes from Tibet. The first Apsos arrived in Britain in the early 1920s and were being shown in London .
Lhasa apso dogs are small, long-haired, cheerful, friendly, very family but suspicious towards strangers although if a guest is introduced as a friend they are prepared to accept them. Alert,  balanced, do not bark too often . His long, hard coat with its dense undercoat acts as insulation during winter and the fall of hair over his eyes protects them from the wind, dust and glare. Top coat long, heavy, straight, hard neither woolly nor silky. Moderate undercoat .
Lhasa is harmoniously built dog, robust , the length from point of shoulders to point of buttocks longer than height at withers , strong loin . The ideal height is 25 inches at the withers for dogs, bitches slightly smaller.

Head strongly hairy but the hair should not interfere with vision. Muzzle length of about four inches is 1/3 the length of the head .Nose black, eyes dark, medium size ,neither large or full, nor small and too narrow. The preferred bite is slightly undershot .Ears –pendant and heavily feathered . The high set tail is proudly carried well over back .

Long hair needs regular care - brushing, bathing but if you do not have time for that and do not plan to participate in dog shows, we can cut the hair making it easier to care and our dog look just as adorable . I recommend you to grooming brushes with long needles and with wooden backs , a boar bristle brushes and metal comb with teeth that are wider apart at one end and closer together at the other end . You can use it to separate long hair. Boar bristle brushes are good for dogs since they can impart a good gloss to the coat when you groom your dog. Spending quality time grooming your dog can be a great way for the two of you to enjoy each other's company. Never brush a dirty coat nor knots out of a dry coat at all - if it's dirty or it's knotted - bath it . We bathe using shampoos and conditioners for long-haired dogs . The frequency of bathing is usually dependent on how long your dog's coat, where and in what weather we walk with him. We bathe every 2-3 weeks mostly because dirty hair is very easy to tangle. A pet that has rolled in something yucky or has just gotten itself incredibly dirty certainly needs a bath no matter when it was washed last.

How to bath a long-haired pet? Make the coat wet . Apply the right amount of shampoo on the dog and exactly foaming cosmetic. Carefully wash the hair on the head, mustache, beard and the flushing raise his head up so as not to flood the dog's eyes. Rinse it and do the washing for a second time. After rinsing the shampoo we use on hair conditioner . Then rinse, drain the water, wipe with a towel, you can use cosmetics such as silk and brush the dog thoroughly to remove any tangles . We dry and brushing . From time to time, will cut hair on the legs and between your fingertips . If the dog's nails are too long clipping the nails special scissors for pet. It is important not to hurt a dog. If you can't do it alone go to the vet. For problems with hair for the eyes and in the mouth of the lhasa you can place elastics in the hair.

                                                                              Justyna Bębas