Lhasa Apso care on Cape Ann

VCA's breed guide says Lhasas acted as monastery lookouts, sounding the alarm when visitors arrived, and that some still tend to bark a lot. It describes a one-family dog that tends to be aloof toward strangers, and says early socialization, so the dog willingly accepts new people, is important. The AKC agrees that a Lhasa puppy does best with early socialization, and describes the grown dog as an amusing family member, especially with adults or older children.

Training a Lhasa takes the right tone. The AKC says a Lhasa will please you if it pleases them to please you, compares the breed to a willful toddler, and warns that Lhasas do not appreciate repetitive drill and can turn uncommonly stubborn if bullied or badgered. Short, varied sessions with food rewards suit them far better. For a Lhasa that barks at the door or worries about visitors, Dogtown's force-free private sessions start from $94.

The AKC lists dry eye, cherry eye and progressive retinal atrophy among the conditions to ask a Lhasa's breeder about. VCA names the Lhasa Apso among the breeds more likely to develop keratoconjunctivitis sicca, the medical name for dry eye, in which the eye produces too few tears. Most dogs with it, VCA says, have painful, red and irritated eyes; the diagnosis rests on tear production tests, and dry eye needs lifelong medical care once it is found.

Cherry eye looks different. VCA describes it as a prolapsed third-eyelid gland that appears as a red, swollen mass on the lower eyelid near the nose, names the Lhasa Apso among the breeds affected, and says surgically replacing the gland is always the first treatment choice. A new red lump in the corner of the eye means a vet appointment, not a wait for the next groom. The AKC also names hereditary kidney dysfunction as the breed's most serious problem, so ask the breeder about it.

Grooming needs no evaluation, so many Lhasa owners start with a groom, which also introduces a reserved dog to the building and its people without a playgroup. Once the evaluation is done, a groom can share a daycare day: drop off between 6:30 and 9:30 AM on a weekday and collect between 4 and 6:30 PM. The $10 face trim keeps the fall of hair off the eyes between full grooms.

The Pup Van runs in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea at $10 each way with daycare, Academy and overnight stays, which spares a watchful dog a busy parking lot. Off-season beach days suit the breed's self-exercising streak: at the time of writing, Wingaersheek takes dogs off leash on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30. New customers can use the code FIRST15 to take 15 percent off a Lhasa's first daycare visit.