Lhassa Apso

FCI standard Nº 227

Origin
Tibet (China)
Patronage Great Britain
Group
Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs
Section
Section 5 Tibetan breeds
Working
Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI
Saturday 19 November 1960
Publication of the official valid standard
Wednesday 18 March 2015
Last update
Wednesday 24 June 2015
En français, cette race se dit
Lhassa Apso
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar
Lhassa Apso
En español, esta raza se dice
Lhassa Apso
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd
Lhassa Apso
In his country of origin, his name is

Apso Seng Kyi

Usage

Toy Dog.

Brief historical summary

The Lhasa Apso comes from Tibet where many live at high altitudes and the climate can be severe. He has to be a hardy little dog to withstand these conditions, and this has had a great influence on his development. His long, hard coat with its dense undercoat acts as insulation during winter, and the fall of hair over his eyes protects them from the wind, dust and glare.
The Apso is one of several Eastern breeds to come to the West. The first Apsos arrived in Britain in the early 1920s and were being shown in London soon after. When they were first seen in Britain they were confused with other shaggy Oriental dogs and all were labelled ‘Lhasa Terriers’. Later a distinction was made, especially between the Apso and the Tibetan Terrier which is thought to have been behind the early Apsos. A breed club for the Lhasa Apso was established in Britain in 1933.

General appearance

Well balanced, sturdy, heavily coated, without excess.

Important proportions

Length from point of shoulders to point of buttocks greater than height at withers.

Behaviour / temperament

Gay and assertive. Alert, steady but somewhat aloof with strangers.

Head

Cranial region

Head
Head furnishings with fall over eyes; but not affecting the dog’s ability to see, good whiskers and beard.
Skull
Moderately narrow, falling away behind eyes, not quite flat, but not domed or apple headed. 
Stop
Medium.

Facial region

Nose
Black.
Muzzle
About 4 cms, but not square; length from tip of nose roughly one third of total length from nose to back of skull. Foreface straight.
Jaws and teeth
Upper incisors close just inside lower i.e. reverse scissor bite. Incisors in a broad and as straight a line as possible. Full dentition desirable.
Eyes
Dark. Medium size, frontally placed, oval, neither large nor full, nor small and sunk. No white showing at base or top.
Ears
Pendant, heavily feathered.

Neck

Strong and well arched.

Body

Body
Balanced and compact.
Topline
Level.
Loin
Strong.
Chest
Ribs extending well back.

Tail

High set, carried well over back but not like a pot-hook. Often a kink at end. Well feathered.

Limbs

Forequarters

Shoulders
Well laid back.
Forearm
Forelegs straight, heavily furnished with hair.
Forefeet
Round, cat-like with firm pads. Well feathered.

Hindquarters

Generality
Well developed with good muscle. Good angulations. Heavily furnished with hair.
Metatarsus
Hocks when viewed from behind parallel and not too close together.
Hind feet
Round, cat-like with firm pads. Well feathered.

Gait and movement

Free and jaunty.

Coat

Hair
Top coat long, heavy, straight, hard neither woolly nor silky. Moderate undercoat. Coat never impeding action.
Colour
Golden, sandy, honey, dark grizzle, slate, smoke, parti-colour, black, white or brownish. All equally acceptable.

Size and weight

Height at withers
Males : 25 cms, females slightly smaller.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

Disqualifying faults

 Aggressive or overly shy.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

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