The Lhasa Apso boasts a long coat with a dense, thick undercoat that offers these little dogs a tremendous amount of protection against the elements. The hair over their eyes also protects them from harsh winds which provided the right level of protection they needed in their native Tibet. With this said, their coats are high maintenance when it comes to keeping them looking as sleek as they should be which means daily grooming sessions are a must. If not brushed, their coat quickly becomes matted and tangled.
Regular visits to a professional grooming parlour helps keep things tidy and easier to maintain a Lhasa Apso's coat in between visits. Some owners opt to have their pets clipped which makes keeping their coats a lot more manageable throughout the year.
It's a good idea to get puppies used to being groomed and to have their ears, toes and other parts of their bodies touched so that when they are older, more mature dogs, they look forward to the one-to-one attention they are given when being groomed and do not get stressed out when their ears are checked and their nails clipped.
Like other breeds, the Lhasa Apso tends to shed more during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when more frequently brushing would be necessary to keep on top of things and a dog's coat looking good.
Although the Lhasa Apso is not a high energy dog as such, they do enjoy going out for long, interesting walks. With this said, a short 20-minute walk in the morning and then a longer one in the afternoon would suit these dogs. They also love to be able to roam around a back garden as often as they can, but the fencing has to be very secure to keep them safely in. Because the Lhasa is not a demanding dog on the exercise front, they are the perfect choice for people who lead less active and more sedentary lives, but these little dogs do have a lot of stamina and would happily walk for miles.
With this said, young Lhasa puppies should not be given too much exercise because their joints and bones are still growing and too much pressure on them could result in causing a dog a few problems later on in their lives. They should not be allowed to go up and down the stairs or jump up or down from furniture because it puts too much pressure on their growing joints.
If you get a Lhasa Apso puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go, bearing in mind that Lhasa Apsos are prone to developing back issues if they carry too much weight.
