From our past experience (a cocker spaniel and followed by a golden retriever), we have learned our lessons and realized the importance of compatibility. And after waited seven long years for Joshua to out grow his allergies, I know what I should be looking for in our family dog. In my quest to find the perfect match, I came cross numerous on-line listings of Poodle hybrid. I realized there is a new trend/demand for a "designer" dog. At any rate, there are several special characters of these design dogs really caught my eyes. Hypoallergenic and non shedding qualities of the poodle are one reason for crosses. Another reason is to create a dog with greater genetic variety, and although this is not a guarantee of better health, the scientific studies that have been done in this area have shown that crossbreds are both healthier and live longer than purebred dogs.
After a few episodes and a cold war lasted for about a week (it was a rather long story and irrelevant to the subject matter), I finally got what I was longing for… James brought home a super cute and shy puppy, and I fell head over heals in love with the fuzzy little thing at the first sight. The very first word popped into my head was "Fluffy", and we certainly did not have any difficulty to come up with his name! He was so vulnerable. In fact, his whole body was uncontrollably trembling, yet he showed his teeth at me. Of course, as I cuddled him inside my arms, I quickly learned that he has an underbite jaw, quite a few crooked teeth and overlapping teeth that definitely can use some orthodontic care. Without a doubt, a trait of Lhasa Apso. Yes, Fluffy is a cross between the Lhasa Apso and the Poodle, hence the name "Lhasapoo". I have to say that "Lhasapoo" doesn’t really sound nice in Chinese (sounds like filthy poop in Chinese), but unquestionably gets the attention.
Aside from the physical resemblances, Fluffy has some very unique and distinct temperaments which make him closer to Lhasas than Poodle. Although small, Fluffy can exhibit brief periods of explosive energy. When inspired, he would run circles around any objects (e.g. furniture, people, and tree) continuously with his full speed (like a bullet and make us dizzy) for a good couple of minutes. Often he makes tremendous leaps around the living room, and can jump from the floor to the sofa, from one sofa to another, and back to the floor with ease. Quite the opposite, Fluffy generally acts more like cool, aloof cats than the stereotypical idea of a small, "yappy" dog. During the day when we are at work and school, he would often sit/sleep for hours on sofa just listening for intruders. He views our backyard as a perimeter to be patrolled at infrequent intervals, more than just a playground to dig wholes at. Fluffy also has a high protection instinct and takes his role as guardian of our family very seriously. From time to time, he can be quite assertive about not allowing a visitor to enter the home to whom he sees as untrustworthy.
With a very cautious personality, he has reservation when introduce to new things (as he typically would tilt his head, it looks as if he is thinking) and new faces. It takes time and patience for him to warm up to his surroundings. Once you get to know him, Fluffy is very spunky, lively, eager to please, and playful. He also has a slight mischievous side, however, he has never once picked up our shoes, stocks, and/or any stuff other his toys to chew on. He would only pretend that he is going after the stocks to get the attention. Fluffy’s pet peeve is to lick feet and nibble at the ankles. I have to admit that Fluffy has a fetish about foot (his special interest is hairy legs, i.e. James’ legs). If you show off your naked feet in front of him, it is guarantee that he would go up-and-down and give you a thorough pedicure!
It goes without saying that Fluffy is so kissable, huggable, and loveable. He is my baby and Joshua’s best pal!!
After a few episodes and a cold war lasted for about a week (it was a rather long story and irrelevant to the subject matter), I finally got what I was longing for… James brought home a super cute and shy puppy, and I fell head over heals in love with the fuzzy little thing at the first sight. The very first word popped into my head was "Fluffy", and we certainly did not have any difficulty to come up with his name! He was so vulnerable. In fact, his whole body was uncontrollably trembling, yet he showed his teeth at me. Of course, as I cuddled him inside my arms, I quickly learned that he has an underbite jaw, quite a few crooked teeth and overlapping teeth that definitely can use some orthodontic care. Without a doubt, a trait of Lhasa Apso. Yes, Fluffy is a cross between the Lhasa Apso and the Poodle, hence the name "Lhasapoo". I have to say that "Lhasapoo" doesn’t really sound nice in Chinese (sounds like filthy poop in Chinese), but unquestionably gets the attention.
Aside from the physical resemblances, Fluffy has some very unique and distinct temperaments which make him closer to Lhasas than Poodle. Although small, Fluffy can exhibit brief periods of explosive energy. When inspired, he would run circles around any objects (e.g. furniture, people, and tree) continuously with his full speed (like a bullet and make us dizzy) for a good couple of minutes. Often he makes tremendous leaps around the living room, and can jump from the floor to the sofa, from one sofa to another, and back to the floor with ease. Quite the opposite, Fluffy generally acts more like cool, aloof cats than the stereotypical idea of a small, "yappy" dog. During the day when we are at work and school, he would often sit/sleep for hours on sofa just listening for intruders. He views our backyard as a perimeter to be patrolled at infrequent intervals, more than just a playground to dig wholes at. Fluffy also has a high protection instinct and takes his role as guardian of our family very seriously. From time to time, he can be quite assertive about not allowing a visitor to enter the home to whom he sees as untrustworthy.
With a very cautious personality, he has reservation when introduce to new things (as he typically would tilt his head, it looks as if he is thinking) and new faces. It takes time and patience for him to warm up to his surroundings. Once you get to know him, Fluffy is very spunky, lively, eager to please, and playful. He also has a slight mischievous side, however, he has never once picked up our shoes, stocks, and/or any stuff other his toys to chew on. He would only pretend that he is going after the stocks to get the attention. Fluffy’s pet peeve is to lick feet and nibble at the ankles. I have to admit that Fluffy has a fetish about foot (his special interest is hairy legs, i.e. James’ legs). If you show off your naked feet in front of him, it is guarantee that he would go up-and-down and give you a thorough pedicure!
It goes without saying that Fluffy is so kissable, huggable, and loveable. He is my baby and Joshua’s best pal!!
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