Do Lhasa Apso Dogs Shed? (Shedding and Grooming Guide)

The Lhasa Apso is a mid-sized Tibetan dog that was favored as a watchdog at the start of the 20th century (and still is today). With its long, flowing coat, you wonder how much fur the Lhasa Apso releases on the regular.

Is the Lhasa Apso dog a heavy shedder?

Lhasa Apsos shed little throughout the year due to the length of their coat and their extended hair cell turnover time. However, grooming the Lhasa Apso is more time-consuming, although not necessarily challenging.

In this article, I’ll talk in much more detail about the Lhasa Apso’s beautiful coat, including tips on maintaining it. If you think the Lhasa Apso could be the dog for you, then you’re not going to want to miss this article!

Lhasa Apso Shedding

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Shedding Level

If you want a low-shedding dog, you might have shied away from long-haired breeds because they seem like they’d shed a lot. Maybe with some dogs, yes, but not the Lhasa Apso.

The Lhasa Apso is a very low-shedding breed, despite its long hair and double-coat.

Its low shedding propensity has to do with the Lhasa Apso’s coat. This Tibetan dog grows hair that’s dense and straight. Some describe it as silky, while others say it’s not quite smooth but not wooly either.

When dogs grow hair, it occurs in four cycles. The anagen stage is the first of the four and is when the hair of your canine companion is growing actively.

The anagen phase can last for a while, depending on the dog. For instance, the anagen phase is very brief if you have a short-haired pup like the Bedlington Terrier. However, for longer-haired breeds such as the Lhasa Apso, this stage is much longer.

The second stage is catagen, which marks when the hair stops growing for this cycle. Lhasa Apsos reach this stage eventually, but as I said, it takes a while.

That brings us to the third stage, which is telogen. During telogen, the hair has stopped growing but is still attached to your dog. It’s only when the fourth stage occurs, exogen, that the hair comes off.

So if you have a shorter-haired dog, its hair growth cycle could repeat twice for the amount of time it takes the Lhasa Apso to shed its fur in exogen once.

The amount of hair shed by the Lhasa Apso throughout the year should be moderate. Since it’s a double-coated dog, though, that means this Tibetan canine will shed slightly more seasonally.

The two times of year to be on the lookout for extra hair are winter and summer. You won’t have to constantly clean up after your Lhasa Apso, though, which should quell some of your concerns.

Grooming Your Lhasa Apso

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Grooming Effort

While it’s good that you can bring out the vacuum cleaner more infrequently with a Lhasa Apso in the house, you’ll spend that spare time grooming this dog.

Brushing your Lhasa Apso will control the amount of hair it sheds, even more, so get into a regular habit of doing so. If you can, brush your pup every single day. If not, then don’t wait any longer than every other day.

I recommend a pin brush for maintaining your Lhasa Apso’s long, luxurious coat.

At least weekly, you’ll want to sit your Lhasa Apso down for about an hour so you can really get in there and brush your dog. Take its fur and lift it, creating layers. Using a hair clip, separate the layers and brush them one at a time. Make sure you comb through both the undercoat and the overcoat while you do this.

Your pin brush should be able to remove any mats or tangles, both of which the Lhasa Apso are prone to. That’s another reason to make brushing a frequent habit, especially since your dog has a longer coat.

Here’s a tip that will really come in handy if you haven’t brushed your Lhasa Apso in a few days or if your dog’s coat is very dense. Use a detangling spray on their fur before you start combing. The detangler will make the pin brush travel through the dog’s fur as smooth as butter.

If you happen to miss a knot or mat and it’s deeply embedded in the hair, don’t try brushing it out. It could be too painful for your dog. Instead, with dog-grooming scissors, cut the knot out.

Speaking of cutting, that’s another major part of the Lhasa Apso’s maintenance routine. You’ll first have to decide if you want your dog to have a puppy cut or longer fur like a show dog.

Cute Lhasa Apso puppy with short hair surrounded by flowers.
Lhasa Apso with short hair.
Lhasa Apso with long hair standing on green grass.
Lhasa Apso with long hair.

For the former, the length of the hair should be about two inches. Since Lhasa Apsos have a longer hair turnover cycle, you can get away with trimming the fur into a puppy cut about monthly, maybe more frequently.

Do you want your Lhasa Apso to look like a proper show dog? Atop this breed’s head is an area of fur known as the fall. Since the fur can cover their eyes if it’s allowed to get too long, you’ll have to style it regularly and trim it on occasion.

The proper way to style the fall is to part it straight in the middle and comb either side away from your dog’s eyes. Then, when your Lhasa Apso isn’t competing, you can take the fall and put it in a bow or a topknot.

Nearer the bottom of the dog’s body, you’ll have to trim often, so your Lhasa Apso doesn’t trip over itself. Some dog owners use an electric clipper to remove excess hair near the bottom of the dog’s feet.

To keep your Lhasa Apso looking neat for its dog show, you can try wrapping its fur. This involves you taking sections of its fur, covering the hair in dog grooming oil, and then shrouding the area in rice paper with rubber bands.

Wrapping might sound strange, but it’s practical. The wrapped areas of fur can’t get knotted or dirty.

Weekly, you should unwrap the fur, clean it, brush it, and wrap it again if you so choose.

Another way to keep the Lhasa Apso clean is by bathing him. You’ll need to do this monthly. If your dog mostly stays inside, then you can wait six weeks.

If you want to see how proper Lhasa Apso grooming is done, check out this video:

Is a Lhasa Apso Right for You?

Are you debating whether you should adopt a Lhasa Apso? Then, let this section be your guide!

The Lhasa Apso is a mid-sized dog from Tibet. The name Lhasa comes from Tibet’s capital city, while Apso might mean one of several things. Some experts think the translation is “bark-guard,” others “billy goat,” and others still “goatee.”

All names make sense. The Lhasa Apso, first bred in Tibet early in the 20th century, came from United Kingdom military members. The dog was regarded at the time for its guarding abilities.

The other names probably refer to the long coat of this breed.

What kind of personality does the Lhasa Apso have? The American Kennel Club describes this breed as funny, confident, and smart, so you’d certainly have a personable dog!

In maturity, the Lhasa Apso stands 11 inches tall and weighs up to 18 pounds, so it’s suitable for apartment life. Another perk for apartment dwellers is that the Lhasa Apso can exercise itself, such as running around the apartment when you’re not home.

It would be best if you still took the time to exercise your dog daily. At the very least, a walk around town suffices. The Lhasa Apso is very gifted in such areas as herding, retrieving, and scent work, so see what your dog can do!

The Lhasa Apso can be friendly with other dogs, especially when socialized with canines from a young age. However, introducing an older Lhasa Apso to another dog might not go as smoothly.

The same goes for feline friends: socializing the Lhasa Apso with cats when the dog is young will keep your kitties safe.

As a watchdog, the Lhasa Apso won’t bark at every little thing, only when he wants you to pay attention. Its bark is described as loud and sharp, so it’s hard to miss.

Bottom Line

The Lhasa Apso is a mid-sized guard dog from Tibet that grows long, beautiful fur. The slow turnover rate of the hair prevents this breed from shedding excessively, and daily grooming can help keep the shedding to a minimum.

Looking adorable with a puppy coat or regal with long hair, the Lhasa Apso is a sweet, friendly dog that will make you and your family feel more secure. This breed could be just what you’ve been looking for!

Do Lhasa Apso Dogs Shed? (Shedding and Grooming Guide)

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