Welcome To The Lhasa Apso Forums

Welcome to all Members to the Lhasa Apso Forums. A breed that is unique in many ways, delightful, loyal, loving and devoted to the end. They are intelligent, alert, charismatic and aloof but can also be stubborn. The breed hails from Tibet and were held in high esteem in its native home. They were kept in monasteries to give warning barks and they were also kept in the homes of the more wealthy. This breed captures the heart of those who deeply love and understand them and of which will be returned ten-fold. Respect is expected by the breed which in return will be given back to its master. The Lhasa is a small and sometimes feisty breed and has been known as the 'Lionheart' of all dogs - strong willed, protective but yet kind and sensitive to those they trust. Lhasas are a long lived breed and will bring many years of joy and happiness - a true companion.

Be Aware and Prepared Before Buying a Lhasa Apso Pup

This notice is to highlight the exploitation of our breed (and all other breeds) as to the immense wrong breeding without due care and attention to the well being of their health, temperament, and stability. Puppy farms/mills exploit dogs and inflict dreadful suffering on them in the process. There is no justification for buying from a puppy farm - these atrocious places do not rescue dogs, they just line the pockets of unscrupulous people to no knowledge of the prospective unsuspecting innocent owners. This also applies to those who are known as 'Back Yard Breeders' who breed for monetary gains only - this is the only way to portray it - there is no other way. Puppies are now becoming a trend, pure bred or pedigree-crossed for glamour between the breeds, and are sold widely for the sake of gain. Harrods are a shameful example but more so are the ones who are breeding litter after litter and the 'bitch' is being bred almost to her death. This is reality unfortunately and this has to stop and the more people who will ignore the advertisements in the newspapers and these 'sites', who are not accredited, these 'breeders' will cease to exist. We, as genuine apso lovers, and any other breed lover, must try our best to deter those who are invisible to this 'trend of breeding' to prevent more farmers/laid back breeders from breeding - the less we entertain them, the more towards the goal we will reach. Please, be wary of buying any dog from the internet, from a newspaper, from a pet shop or garden centre, always ask to see the puppy interacting with its mother and be concerned if excuses are made as to why you cannot, check paperwork and be suspicious if previous owner details have been removed or disguised, if you suspect a puppy has come from a farm/bred without concern - don’t buy the pup - you may be saving a dog but you will be fuelling the battery farm trade and any other 'everyday trade' - who advertise in the same way. Good, decent breeders who think of their breed first and foremost are the safest ones to contact. Therefore, please take note of the Affiliated Club section on this forum before you make your decision and never make a decision from the 'heart' - think seriously and carefully and do your research before acting - please visit the Breeding section for any forthcoming updates or to post any questions about Puppies you intend to buy. Please also note that because a breeder is KC assured/accredited, this does not make them safe. Many puppy farmers are on the assured/accredited list in our breed and the KC seem very slow to catch onto that fact. Thank you.

Groomers

Please be aware that not all groomers (very few) know how to groom Lhasa Apsos. Therefore, please do your homework and ask many questions before putting your apsos in the hands of a groomer. Ask them if they know how to groom an apso. Ask them individual questions like 'what would you do with the paws', 'how would you deal with the ears'. 'what do you class as a puppy coat', 'Do you know how to scissor cut', 'Do you clean anal glands', 'Which products do you use', 'Do you know how to deal with a matted long coated apso and can you show me', 'Do you know how to deal with the facial hair', and importantly... 'Do you have any objection if I stay and watch you bath and groom my Dog'. There is so much more but Im sure this notice will give new members to the breed a general idea. Never ever pay for something you are not happy with if the grooming has gone against your instructions.We have had many very worrying stories on the forum - some were beyond belief - please be very careful and the best thing for you all to do is to educate yourselves in grooming your own apsos - it will take time but is worthwhile in the long run and very rewarding. Use the correct tools, use the best products and enjoy the experience because this should never feel as though bathing and grooming is a chore - it should be a one-to-one personal and enjoyable experience. If you are unsure, ask on the relevant section and we shall help as much as we can. Thank you for taking time to read this.

Generalised Progressive Retinal Atrophy

This is to highlight GPRA - a degenerative disease which affect apsos who have affected parents and grandparents - it could be the Sire or Dam or even both. It is of paramount importance that when you visit your prospective new pup that you ask the breeder for proof of an unaffected eye test certificate. Genuine, respectable breeders who breed for the well being of the pups will oblige and will appreciate this question being asked. Those who breed disreputabley will not have eye tested the parents and in most cases, have no idea what GPRA is or even what the initials stand for. Therefore, once again, please do your research - a healthy pup will bring joy for many years - unhealthy pups will only bring heartache. Thank you for reading.