As you can see, the Lhasa Apso has a medium to long coat that can get out of control if you don’t groom them often.  They need to be brushed at least once a week and bathed a few times a month.  Their coat is long and heavy and can mat easily if not properly cared for.

The areas that are most important to trim are around the eyes, ears, paws and hind side.  I suggest taking them to a professional groomer to keep them looking their best.  Keeping up on their grooming will keep them from getting skin problems.  Here is a picture of a Lhasa Apso that has been properly groomed:

They are beautiful dogs when they are groomed and all cleaned up! Sometimes we take ours to the dog park with our Golden Retrievers, it’s good to watch them interact with other puppies.

Just like with any dog they need lots of love.  They need your attention, praise and play time.  Lhasa Apsas are a jealous breed so having other dogs aside from him/her isn’t the best idea.  This dog breed is hard to house train but it’s easier if they have love and respect for you.  They highly dislike being put in a cage and are quite sensitive so raising your voice at them won’t get you anywhere.  Lhasa’s can be very stubborn and are a very intelligent breed.  When training them it requires consistency and a whole lot of patience.

Lhasas aren’t the most social of small dog breeds meaning that they are more hesitant and suspicious with people and animals they haven’t met.   If you have young children it’s important to make sure they don’t tease the dog as they do not respond well to this kind of behavior.  They also get protective over their food so keeping your Lhasa separated during feeding time is a good idea.

The grooming routine for this dog breed could be considered high maintenance.  They need to be brushed and bathed often to keep their dense coat clean and healthy.  You can buy a solution from the vet or pet store to clean the inside of your dogs ears to keep them clean and free of any kind of infection.  They are also prone to tear stains so cleaning their face with tear stain wipes or a special solution and a cotton ball will work great.  They need to have their nails  trimmed, feet pads trimmed and ear hair trimmed.  Like I mentioned in the beginning, there is a lot involved when it comes to keeping them clean and groomed but it’s all worth it as these dogs make such great loyal companions.