Because a Lhasa Apso was bred for use as a sentinel, the dog is alert, smart and highly self-sufficient. All of these traits combined can have a negative affect of your life with a Lhasa Apso, however, being knowledgeable will help you to understand and know your Lhasa Apso. You will also be better able to help your family adjust to life with a Lhasa Apso.

It is important to note that a Lhasa Apso is an extremely independent dog, it is not that the animal is anti-social, it does seek human companionship and will love being petted and groomed, both activities that will bond you and your dog. Remember, however, the dog does not live to please you, which is common in other dog breeds. This breed is driven to be a protector and guardian, and this is how the dog will behave.

Being more independent than other dog breeds, a Lhasa Apso may also be less obedient. Being so alert and responsive will prove to be a training challenge, because a Lhasa Apso will interpret any type of attention as a reward. Most new owners will give a Lhasa negative attention when the dog disobeys, to a Lhasa Apso, any attention is better than none at all, as a result, new owners might accidentally reward and reinforce the very type of behavior they are trying to prevent. This is one of the main reasons why a lot of Lhasa owners do not have a well-behaved dog.

The basic rule for training a Lhasa Apso is to focus on what you DO want and not on what you do NOT want. Author Amy Sutherland has another spin on this thought, reward the behavior you desire and simply do not acknowledged the behavior you do not.

What makes a Lhasa Apso so fiercely independent is their high level of intelligence, which is needed to be a good watchdog. This may lead to the dog have a stronger temperament, and a new owner is likely to report the dog is willful, obstinate and dominant. On the alternate side of this situation is that a Lhasa Apso will respond well to positive, firm, loving obedience training methods, but you have to be consistent and follow through with your commands. You have to establish yourself as an “alpha leader,” if you do not, the dog will. It takes time and work to train a Lhasa Apso successfully, but the results are worth the effort.

Breeders and other owners do not recommend a Lhasa Apso for a household with small children. Because of the extremely dominant, intelligent nature, a Lhasa while calm and sedate, is not an “easy going” dog breed that will interact well with young children. They do not tolerate hair pulling, tail tugging or teasing that is common behavior in young children. If you have small children, it is wise to encourage them to participate in the training, this will allow them to get a better understanding of a Lhasa Apso. The results of which will be a great pet everyone in the family will surely enjoy.

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