What Happened To His Coat?

You bought a Lhasa Apso puppy, he is everything you knew he would be - cute, intelligent, and affectionate, with all the charming traits that make the Lhasa Apso so special. You didn't get him to show, just to love, but something isn't right.

By seven weeks he had a full set of teeth, his coat looked OK to start with, but by three months, he has lost his beard and most of his leg hair. You begin to worry. What is going on, is he ill, is there a genetic problem, will he be OK? Your vet says he is perfectly healthy, you are relieved, but you still worry because he is not developing the trademark Lhasa Apso coat. You don't really care what he looks like, you don't love him for his coat anyway, you love him because he is your exceptionally hairy little person and you want him to be there for you to love for a long time, you just don't want to lose him. You call the breeder you bought him from, you explain what is happening and ask if there could be a genetic problem, but the breeder brushes you off without an answer. Now you are really concerned, why won't the breeder talk to you about this?

Well relax, your baby is fine, he is most likely a Prapso. What is a Prapso? A Prapso is simply a Lhasa Apso that, for some reason as yet undetermined, has some of the coat characteristics of his cousin the Tibetan Terrier. Prapsos are not uncommon. Sadly, many breeders are ashamed of them and try to ignore them or deny their existence. This is silly. Nearly all breeders have had a litter or more with a Prapso. Most reputable breeders accept this as a fact of life. Since the Prapso is fairly easily recognizable by any good breeder, the breeder will simply sell the Prapso as a pet and advise potential buyers of coat differences. However, some not so reputable breeders will ignore the obvious, even though they are aware of it and choose not to tell prospective buyers that the particular puppy they are interested in is a Prapso or explain to the buyer what a Prapso is. This is extremely unfair for several reasons. First, if the buyer is looking for a show-quality Lhasa Apso, he will be disappointed and the Lhasa could suffer as a result. Secondly, if the buyer does only want a pet, the difference in the coat development can cause a great deal of unnecessary worry to the person who loves the Lhasa and is concerned for his well being. Third, it is gives the impression that the Prapso is something to be ashamed of and is therefore undesirable.

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