We’re an ancient breed with roots in the Himalayas, where we protected members of the spiritual nobility, including Buddhist monks. We were so important and highly regarded that our humans believed our breed was part of the reincarnation process. . They believed that when Lamas or Priests passed away, their souls left their bodies and entered ours until they were reincarnated in new bodies. Today, Lhasa Apso owners talk about how our big, dark eyes peeking out of our long hair seem to look into their souls!

My breed hails from deep in the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet and dates as far back as 800 B.C.E. More specifically, we come from the holy city of Lhasa. Apso translates to “long-haired dog,” which means the humans named us after the city we come from and our most prominent physical trait! We’re also called Abso Seng Kye – which translates to “Bark Lion Sentinel Dog” – and we’re sometimes referred to as Bearded Lion Dogs, because we’re believed to be the earthly representatives of the mythical Snow Lions who protect Tibetan land. During the first few thousand years of our existence, we were bred solely by nobility and monks, who kept us around to protect monasteries, palaces, and the humans we served. It was hard for people to get their hands on one of us because we were so special – we’re believed to play a big role in the reincarnation process. When our owners die, their souls enter our bodies while they await reincarnation, which is a major undertaking for such a small dog! We we