LHASA-APSO

Lhasa Apso Breed Standard

General Appearance
Well balanced, sturdy, heavily coated, without excess.

Characteristics
Gay and assertive.

Temperament
Alert, steady but somewhat aloof with strangers.

Head and Skull
Head furnishings with fall over eyes, but not effecting the dog's ability to see, good whiskers and beard. Skull moderately narrow, falling away behind eyes, not quite flat, but not domed or apple headed. Straight foreface with medium stop. Nose black. Muzzle about 4 cms (11/2 ins), but not square; length from tip of nose roughly one third total length from nose to back of skull.

Eyes
Dark. Medium size, frontally placed, oval, neither large nor full, nor small and sunk. No white showing at base or top.

Ears
Pendant, heavily feathered.

Mouth
Upper incisors close just inside lower i.e. reverse scissor bite. Incisors in a broad and as straight a line as possible. Full dentition desirable.

Neck
Strong and well arched.

Forequarters
Shoulders well laid back. Forelegs straight, heavily furnished with hair.

Body
Length from point of shoulders to point of buttocks greater than height at withers. Ribs extending well back. Level topline. Strong loin. Balanced and compact.

Hindquarters
Well developed with good muscle. Good angulation. Heavily furnished with hair. Hocks when viewed from behind parallel and not too close together.

Feet
Round, cat-like with firm pads. Well feathered.

Tail
High-set, carried well over back but not like a pot-hook. Often a kink at end. Well feathered.

Gait/Movement
Free and jaunty.

Coat
Top coat long, heavy, straight, hard neither woolly nor silky. Moderate undercoat.  Coat never impeding action.

Colour
Golden, sandy, honey, dark grizzle, slate, smoke, parti-colour, black, white or brown. All equally acceptable.

Size
Ideal height: dogs: 25cms (10 ins) at shoulders; bitches slightly smaller.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - October 2009

p.s. Взято с официалього сайта The Kennel Club
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/166 (http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/166)