Originally the Lhasa Apso was used as utility animals and pet dogs in Tibetan temples. Despite the small size , they served partly as guard dogs in the temples.
Guard dogs
In the temples the Lhasa Apso was used as alarm bells, in that they gave a noise if someone approached. They have retained this characteristic in style. The bark when they hear someone coming or a mysterious sound. Useful as it is, it may well be annoying as they can make us humans terribly nervous about what it is they can hear. Stubborn as they are, they always have the last yelp, then scolding is sometimes useless. But with persistence vocalisation may be limited.
Lhasa Apso was good at picking friend from stranger. They have retained the ability as human connoisseurs. They are very reserved with strangers, so people can not just pat them as they please. They dodge and turn back. Apso´s are rarely aggressive towards humans, but it must of course bear in mind that a small dog feel more threatened than a large dog. Therefore, you should approach cautiously so you don´t make them feel uncomfortable , and you must respect if they will fold.
Rat-catchers
Finally the Apso was good to keep the rat population down in the temples. They still have the hunting instinct in them, and can catch mice if the opportunity presents itself. They also love to scare birds and dogs on the run.
Companions
Lhasa Apso is distinctly pet dogs. Most Apso´s are very affectionate and attention seeking. They are often playful, and they love to go for walks where they explore the vast world and probably should make sure to draw attention to themselves. They like to run freely in gardens and parks, they remain, however, close to its people as a precaution . Small dogs can run faster than you first might think , so a walk in the park is a good way to run them weary of. They are very affectionate, but because of the warm fur they often get too hot.
Temperament
If you give it time, you can teach the apso some tricks such as sit , lie down , shake your hand, etc. It must be remembered that they have a very independent temparament.So if they do not feel they're getting something out of the base arts , such as praise or treats, you may as well give up . The independent temperament can be annoying for example when an exhibition refuse to go nicely.
Standard
Male apsos should ideally be 27.3 cm at the withers and weigh about 6.4 to 8.2 kg. The females are slightly smaller, and weigh between 5.4 to 6.4 kg. The breed standard requires dark brown eyes and a black nose, although liver-colored apso´s have a brown nose. The texture of the coat is heavy, straight, hard, neither woolly nor silky, and very dense. They come in a wide variety of colors including black, white, red and gold with various shadings. Lhasas can be with or without dark tips at the ends of ears and beard. The tail should be carried well over the dog's back
Coming from the extremely cold weather of the Himalayas, the Apso has a double coat: only the undercoat, which is soft, will shed out once a year; the outer coat, consisting of coarse outer guard hairs, does not shed. Many owners do not show their Apso (which is kept in full coat) and tend to keep their Lhasa Apsos in a "puppy clip." People with allergies can co-exist with the low-shedding breeds of dogs, including the Lhasa Apso, when they are properly managed.