Do some people believe that the Lhasa Apso is a “nasty” breed? Definitely not in my experience. So where does the reputation come from? I have some theories…
When the breed became popular in the 1970s and 1980s, puppy mill breeders quickly jumped on the bandwagon, buying and breeding Lhasas with the sole aim of producing puppies, selling them quickly, and making money. There were no thoughtful considerations regarding build, health, or temperament prior to breeding. The flood of cute fluffy puppies in pet stores, bought by people attracted by their looks with little knowledge (because, to be honest, very little information had been published about the Lhasa “back then”) about the breed itself, of fact resulted in Lhasas with rather unpleasant provisions. The breed’s reputation has been suffering ever since.
People buying a Lhasa puppy should know that Lhasas are intelligent, independent (some might say “stubborn”), dignified, and easily offended. His sense of fair and fair play requires an approach to training that avoids yelling and physical punishment. By that I don’t just mean “don’t hit”; obviously you shouldn’t hit any dogs. I also mean things like shaking the dog or pulling on the leash. Lhasas think highly of themselves and most are eager to please their people. They respond well to treats, praise, and training games that are fun, light-hearted, and intellectually stimulating.
Grooming is part of a Lhasa’s life, so a large part of early training involves training the dog to groom himself. Although many people prefer to keep their Lhasas shaved or in some sort of puppy clip, early training is still needed because those Lhasas will be visiting the groomer and need to know how to behave in order to make them welcome at the grooming shop. Honestly, I think one of the reasons the adjective “nasty” became attached to the Lhasa is the fault of owners who “routinely” take their matted Lhasa down to the skin to the groomer maybe twice a year. Those dogs don’t behave well because they haven’t been trained to groom. The poor groomer has to deal with a dirty, matted and scared dog who associates being at the groomer with getting hurt. Growling and clicking noises occur. I blame owners for ignoring the needs of dogs and putting them in a situation they are not equipped to deal with.
And, yes, there are Lhasas who are just plain nasty to the core, just like there are nasty individuals of every other race, and just like there are nasty people of all ages, from all walks of life, and from all ethnic groups. . In my opinion, we shouldn’t label an entire group as bad because some of its members are rotten. That goes for both dogs and people!
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