LHASA APSO
Standard F.C.I 2004

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Well balanced, sturdy, heavy coated.
 
CHARACTERISTICS:
Gay and assertive.
 
TEMPERAMENT:
Alert, steady but somewhat aloof with strangers.
 

 
HEAD & SKULL:
Heavy head furnishings with good fall over the eyes, good whiskers and beard. Skull moderately narrow, falling away behind the eyes, not quite flat, but not domed or apple-headed. Straight foreface with medium stop. Nose black. Muzzle about 4 cm (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 small and sunk. No white showing at base or top.
 
EARS:
Pendant, heavily feathered.
MOUTH:
 
Upper incisors close just behind 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. Balanced and compact.
Back :
Level topline. Loin :
Strong. Chest :
Ribs extending well back.
 
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
 
GAIT/MOVEMENT:
Free and jaunty.
 
TAIL:
High set, carried well over back but not like a pot hook. Often a kink at end. Well feathered.
 

 
COAT:
Top coat long, heavy, straight, hard neither wooly nor silky. Moderate undercoat.
 
COLOUR:
Golden, sandy, honey, dark grizzle, slate, smoke, black, parti-colour, white or brown. All equally acceptable.
 
SIZE:
Ideal height: 25.4 cm (10 ins) at shoulder for dogs; 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.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
NOTE :
Male animals should have two apparently testicles fully descended into the scrotum.