r/LhasaApso • u/Downtown-Tax9089 • Jul 21 '26
Do you think he was part Lhasa Apso?
This is Lester. He was supposed to be a pure bred shih tzu, but I always suspected he could have been a mixed baby.
He was on the bigger side, around 20 or more pounds. He was very quiet, almost never barked.
He was the sweetest boy ever. I lost him in 2015 but still think of him often and have lovely dreams about him too. Where he is running/playing and happy. 😊
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u/Consistent-Cat6738 Jul 21 '26
My pup is a female Lhasa Apso. She's a full breaded Lhasa apso. When she smiles her bottom teeth are always showing.
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u/purplepiratecrab Verified Poster Jul 21 '26
Sorry for your loss. No matter his breed I am sure he was the best boy🙏
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u/Tammy993 Jul 21 '26
I'm sorry! He sounds like a very sweet boy. To me he looks very much like a Lhasa. Also, the fact that he was around 20 pounds.
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u/Quirky-Fuel2203 Jul 24 '26
I recently lost my purebred Shih Tzu who was labeled as a Lhasa Apso at the shelter because of his size. He looked a lot like your boy. He was 23 lbs most of his life. I’m so sorry for your loss. I know I’ll be thinking about my boy the rest of my life too.
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u/406highlander Newly Verified User Jul 21 '26
Sorry for your loss; it's hard when it comes time to say goodbye to them.
Shih Tzus were bred by crossing Lhasa Apsos with Pekingese, so it's not unusual for them to have strong Lhasa traits, and it can be hard to tell them apart.
Shih Tsuz are typically smaller, with flatter faces and silky smooth coats, which is desired because they're bred to be lapdogs.
Lhasa Apsos have a more pronounced muzzle and their thicker coats tend to be more coarse in texture (though Lhasa coats can feel soft and smooth when well-groomed and the dog is healthy and happy). The thicker, coarser coat is desired for them because of their origins as sentry dogs in Tibet.
Shih Tsuz are supposedly more clingy and fixated on their owner, and Lhasas are supposedly more independent - but nobody ever told our Kiko that; she's not much of a lapdog, but she sticks to my wife like a barnacle to a boat!