Lhasa Poo

The crossbreed Lhasa Poo, bred between the Lhasa Apso and the Poodle, would inherit either the straight silky coat of the former, or the latter’s curly. Usually bred with the miniature poodle, these dogs, with a sturdy body, alert face, small round head, almond-shaped eyes, short legs, hanging ears, proportionate muzzle and a black nose, make a great companion dog suitable for apartment life.

Lhasa Poo Pictures

Temperament and Behavior

These intelligently smart and affectionate dogs with dignity and pride tend to please their owners picking up tricks easily and taking part in games/shows, and being an alert watchdog. They are adaptable by nature and seek for attention and love from its family. If socialized from puppyhood, they would be good to other dogs, pets and children, provided the kids are also well-behaved.

Care

• Exercise

• Grooming

• Health Problems

The dogs are so small by size that they need just an average exercise daily. Take your Lhasa poo out for a routine walk every day, out of the apartment as refreshment, and keep it close to yourself since they just love it.

It is important to brush the coat of your lhasa poo at least twice a week, if not every day, and get it trimmed by professional hands once in 6-8 months to avoid careless hair growth that might lead to tangling, which happens mostly in moist and snowy conditions. Clip their nails when long, check for rashes and infections in their inner ears and skin and brush their teeth frequently. Also, don’t forget to clean the reddish tear stains from their under eyes and trim their lower belly and genital area to ensure cleanliness.

Although as a cross breed they fall comparatively less ill than the purebreds, but as a new breed, very little is known about lhasa poo’s health and diseases except minor syndromes like sensitivity to flea bites, anemia, epilepsy and falling sick during epidemics, during which they must immediately be taken to the vet.

Training

Set rules clearly and affectionately and teach them tricks since the time the puppies are brought home from breeders, and they would pick up easily. Take the proper lead while training and walking to let it understand who the real ‘pack leader’ is. Sending them to dogs’ kindergarten for socialization and etiquette training can also be considered, since they might become noisy when adult without proper obedience training.

Feeding

Feed your lhasa poo according to its weight and age. For their moderate exercising habits, they need optimum carbohydrate and fat along with ample protein may be in the form of chunks of meat in their regular dog food, but occasionally. At times, you can also feed them with snacks like kibble and chews. Up to age one year, the dog should be fed with Puppy formula after which they can be switched to Adult dry dog food. Bad food (generally bad for dogs and human foods) might give them serious stomach and liver disorders.

Interesting Facts

• Among other pets, the cats are especially friendly with lhasa poos.
• Lhasa poo older than 3 years of age is said to be a good companion to retirees.