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SmallNon-Sporting Group

Lhasa Apso

The Lhasa Apso is a Tibetan monastery sentinel dog of the Dalai Lama household — 'Apso Seng Kyi' meaning 'bark lion sentinel dog'.

Calculate Lhasa Apso age
Lifespan14 yrrange 13–15
SizeSmallNon-Sporting Group
Weight12–18 lb5.4–8.2 kg
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12

Gallery (3)

About

About the Lhasa Apso

The Lhasa Apso is a Tibetan monastery sentinel dog of the Dalai Lama household — 'Apso Seng Kyi' meaning 'bark lion sentinel dog'. Gifted to Chinese imperial courts and Western dignitaries; AKC recognition dates to 1935.

Aging

How Lhasa Apsos age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 14.0 years (n=9,939). Progressive retinal atrophy and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye) are the defining ocular concerns; hereditary renal dysplasia is a breed-specific kidney disease tracked by the breed-club.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 14 yr · range 13–15Senior careSenior at 8 · geriatric at 12Common health issues3 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
12–18 lb(5.4–8.2 kg)
Height
10–11 in(25.4–27.9 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
BlackBlack & TanCreamGoldenGrizzleRedRed GoldWhiteBlueCharcoalGrayLiver
Temperament

Temperament

How Lhasa Apsos tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

confidentsmartcomicalindependent
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Lhasa Apsos are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.