Lhasa Apso vs Blue Lacy - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

The Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog hailing from Tibet. He was a useful dog to the monks who would use him in the palaces as well as the monasteries to ward off intruders.

He actually takes his name from the holy city of Lhasa, with the history of the breed going back to 600BC.

Today he is a true companion dog, a family dog, known as as the Tibetan Apso, the Bearded Lion Dog, the Apso and Lhasa.

The dog has been recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1935, in the Non-Sporting Group category.

The Lacy brothers came to Texas in 1858, and this breed is named after them. They wanted a strong, robust working dog. It is a working/herding dog breed that originated in Texas in the mid 19th century.

It is interesting to note that in June 2005, Governor Rick Perry brought about legislation adopting the Blue Lacy as the official Dog Breed of Texas. The breed is also registered by the National Lacy Dog Registry and the Animal Research Foundation.

Today the Blue Lacy is considered to be the perfect all-around dog, with the Lacy family history noting the breed to come from a mix of scent-hound, greyhound and coyote cross. There are theories around the scent hound used, with some believing it could have been an Italian Gray Hound, but whatever the case, the Lacy brothers established this breed under the guidelines required to develop a recognized breed.

Lhasa Apsos are small dogs which stand at between 25 to 28cm in height and weigh in the region of 6 to 8kg.

The body length of the dog is longer than the height of the dog. He has brown eyes, a black nose and medium length, floppy ears. The long tail is carried over the dog's back.

Many people get used to seeing a sheared or clipped Lhaso, so when they see a dog where the coat has been left uncut they can’t believe the long, straight, dense coat.

Because the dog hails from Tibet where the weather can be extremely cold, he has a double coat – an under- and outer coat. While the coat looks fairly silky, it isn’t really and is in fact quite course to the touch.

Colors of the coat can be gold, tan, cream, white, black and white. Regular brushing will be needed for the coat because this is a dog with continual shedding. These dogs are regarded as being hypoallergenic as they hardly shed.

Temperament:

Looks can be quite deceiving when it comes to the Lhasa Apso as he is a dog who looks as though butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth and that he is essentially just a cuddly lapdog.

This small little dog is tough, robust, strong-willed and in his heart he believes he is a huge Tiger.

He’ll make his human family a loyal and loving pet but he is wary with strangers, distrusting anyone he meets for the first time. He is a dog that will need to be trained and socialized as he may take over your home in his ‘Tiger’ role.

Smart and dominant, this training will turn him into an obedient dog to have around which is important as he can become bossy if left to go his own way.

Lithe, Sleek and Agile to Look At

The medium-sized, well proportioned, muscular and lithe Blue Lacy stands at roughly 46–53cm. He has a coat which is smooth and short and in an attractive gun-metal gray color which can be classified as blue or almost black. Other shades are also available such as cream, yellow, reddish and you also get tri-colored Lacy’s.

Pure Blue Lacy’s have some white markings on their brisket. Whatever color you have, these clean-looking dogs with their low maintenance coats are referred to as Blue Lacy’s. Their brown eyes are bright and alert, they have long tails and their ears hang down.

A Wonderful All-Round Dog

The American Blue Lacy gives one the sense of speed, agility and endurance. He is intelligent, active and alert, being an all-round dog who can adapt to being among ranchers and cowboys and then become gentle with children and his family.

With socialization, he is also tolerant of other dogs. Because he is so intelligent he can be quickly trained, and training and socialization will be recommended for him to ensure he is the perfect all-rounder he was designed to be. His alertness makes him an excellent watch dog.

The Lhasa Apso is a small dog full of surprises. That's because he can be manipulative, naughty and feisty one minute, and sweet and gentle the next. He happens to be a good watch dog too, and will alert you well in advance to intruders.

Because he is small and not a particularly energetic dog, he can slot into life in the city or the countryside with ease. However, exercise is good and necessary for every dog so be sure he joins you on your daily walks or you give him some games indoors.

The Lhasa can be a wonderful family companion and you’ll find that he can get on well with children who have been taught to treat animals with kindness and respect. He isn’t the kind of dog that you keep outdoors but is essentially an indoor dog, relishing the time he spends with his beloved human family and making a wonderful companion.

Your Blue Lacy is such a low-maintenance, easy dog to have. Remember to have your puppy vaccinated from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. These vaccinations start from 6 - 8 weeks of age. Also, because different areas have different regulations surrounding the rabies injection, check with your vet about this one.

A socialized, trained Blue Lacy makes such an awesome pet but you have responsibilities towards him. You need to know precisely what is required to keep him healthy and happy.

This is a versatile working dog who is intelligent and alert but also sensitive to being mistreated. Treat him decently and in exchange you’ll have a loyal, devoted canine family member.

Every dog can develop genetic health problems, but it is highly unlikely that with good care, your Lhasa Apso is going to get sick.

He’s a healthy dog breed that can get to 14 years of age and even older. With Lhasas, health problems can include things like hip dysplasia, eye problems and intervertebral disc disease.

If you are buying a puppy, be careful from where you buy him from. You want careful breeders who screen their parent dogs for genetic diseases. Keeping your dog at the right weight and preventing obesity will also help to ensure he remains healthy.

The Blue Lacy is generally a healthy breed, but just like with any other dog breed they will be prone to some health conditions. Blue Lacys can also suffer with the likes of hip or elbow dysplasia and hypothyroidism.

Hip Dysplasia

This is a disease of the hip where the ball and socket joint is malformed. Hip dysplasia is when the hip joints don’t develop normally. It needs to be watched as it can result in loss of function of the hip joints. The disease can often begin when the dog is still very young.

Hypothyroidism

Some breeds are genetically predisposed towards hypothyroidism, but environmental factors and certain medications can trigger autoimmune reactions. Not only that, a tight collar can also cause thyroid damage. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are weight gain, skin problems, dislike of the cold and even hair loss and then it’s time to get your pet thyroid-tested.

Grooming:

The Lhasa Apso is going to require regular brushing of his coat as it can get long and then it will matt and tangle easily.

There are owners of this dog breed who prefer to send their dog to their grooming parlor where the coat is trimmed short the way they prefer, minimizing the time spent grooming the dog. At the grooming parlour they also check the ears, the teeth of the dog and the nails, particularly if they don’t wear down naturally.

Diet:

The Lhasa was bred to be a watchdog, so even though he is a small dog, he does his best to guard and protect you. He is no pushover, and training him and socializing him makes him even more adorable to be around.

As man’s best friend, he needs a high-quality, nutritious diet because this helps to protect him from disease. You can feed him the best commercially manufactured foods, but study the packaging details on what the ingredients are. You want to be avoiding corn and wheat, colorants and preservatives.

Your Lhasa has 4 – 6 puppies and as these get older and are weaned they will require 4 meals a day. Once your dog reaches one year of age, he can have 2 meals a day instead of one larger meal.

Every dog loves a little bit of home-made food as a treat, and your Lhasa will wag his tail when you add in some cooked chicken, brown rice and some raw or cooked vegetables into his kibble. Include some raw meat in the diet occasionally as well as this helps to avoid dog skin problems.

Folliculitis

Folliculitis is a skin disease starting in the hair follicles of the dog and often occurs in conjunction with other skin disorders like mange. It is found mostly on the dog's abdomen, his armpits and groin and you’ll notice scaly rings with pus and scabs.

To avoid nasty skin diseases which can be very distressing for your pet, remember that your dog's dietary intake plays a huge role in the maintenance of a healthy skin and some raw meat is key to his wellbeing.

Exercise

Typically of working breeds, the Blue Lacy is going to need a firm owner who provides guidance and leadership, and who is responsible with providing the Lacy with plenty of exercise. This dog was created for work, so they will be totally at home on a farm. If not, they will require long walks every day with lots of ball games too.

Grooming

Care for the Blue Lacy doesn’t take much effort. He isn’t much of a shedder and therefore has low grooming requirements. He’ll require being brushed twice a week to get rid of loose hairs. If you start early with this grooming routine, he looks forward to this ‘bonding’ session.

Routine maintenance will require nail clipping and teeth cleaning as plaque can build up and leave your pet with dental problems and gum disease. Ask your veterinarian about dental care because there are special dog-designed toothpastes and brushes. Also check for ticks and fleas in and around the ears of your dog.

Food

Your Blue Lacy is a high energy working dog so he will require a balanced diet to cater for his energy levels. He will certainly require some raw meat from time to time to avoid skin problems. Home prepared meals are also good and these can include rice, meat and vegetables.

Remember when in any kind of doubt, speak to your vet about dog food which meets the requirements of your dog, his age, his breed and his activity levels. Always have a bowl of clean, cool water available to him around the clock.