History and Origins of the Lhasa Apso

History and Origins of the Lhasa Apso

The History and Origins of the Lhasa Apso is really interesting. The history of the Lhasa Apso began in an isolated area within the Himalayan Mountain range, in an area known as Tibet. This breed was developed hundreds and hundreds of years ago. The Lhasa Apso was initially bred and developed by holy men and nobles to guard Tibetan homes and Buddhist monasteries within the Himalayan Mountains. This was an indoor watchdog and companion, and its unique personality and its natural suspicion of unfamiliar people allowed the animal to carry out its duties well. Lhasas first arrived in Great Britain in the 1920s and the breed was first introduced to America when C. Suydam Cutting gave the first Lhasas to the US in 1933 as gifts from the 13th Dalai Lama. The leader of Tibet presented them to foreign diplomats visiting their county.

History and Origins - How the Lhasa Apso got its name

The history and origins of the Lhasa Apso continues with how the dog got his name! The Buddhist monasteries and temples that the breed guarded were located mainly within the sacred capital city of Lhasa, or around the surrounding area. The word Apso means bearded which refers to the long hair of this dog. This breed was considered to be sacred by the people of Tibet. They believed that when the master of a Lhasa Apso passed away, their souls would would enter the body of the Lhasa Apso. There wasn't many dogs from this breed available to the people at this time, they were fairly rare to come across so anyone that did was considered to be lucky as it was believed that this sacred dog would bring their master good fortune. The American Kennel club formally recognized the breed in 1935 and it has been listed under the Non-Sporting Group of Dogs.

History and Origins of the Lhasa Apso