The English Lhasa Bull is a hybrid dog, a cross between the bulldog, a companion animal once used to bait and control bulls, and the Lhasa Apso, a tiny temple sentinel from Tibet. The English Bulldog is an old breed with somewhat mysterious origins. Although some experts believe the Bulldog to be a descendant of a Mastiff breed dog and a small dog like a Pug, others maintain that the Mastiff line was descended from the English Bulldog, rather than the other way around. Whoever descended from whom, history clearly shows that these dogs were used to control, guard, and bait bulls in England. To that end, Bulldogs of the 1800’s were bred to be much more aggressive and tenacious than they are today, with an extremely high pain tolerance. This made them excellent candidates for fighting other dogs as well and because of this trait they were instrumental in the development of both the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. When these violent “sports” were made illegal in 1885, the breed was protected by a few Bulldog fanciers who chose to breed for a more agreeable nature, and today’s English Bulldog is typically a placid and docile animal who is capable of adapting to many situations. The Lhasa Apso breed is an ancient breed, developed in the mountains of Tibet by the Buddhist monks who lived there. They acted as watchdogs for the temples and monasteries thousands of years ago, and their original lineage is long lost to history; some experts believe that they are the descendants of the larger Tibetan Terriers, while others believe there may be a northern component to the breed. Recent DNA studies point to the fact that this canine is one of the breeds most closely related to their wolf-like ancestors, leading to an idea that the Lhasa Apso descended from a variety of mountain wolf. These dogs were bred by the Tibetan monks for their ability to withstand the cold, their excellent sense of hearing, and the good judgment to determine stranger from friend. They were carefully guarded by the monks from outside influence and never exchanged for money, but they were occasionally given as gifts to important guests such as Imperial families and visiting dignitaries. The dogs that were gifted to individuals outside of the monasteries are believed to have had influence in the smaller Chinese dog breeds, such as the Pekingese and the Shih-Tzu. This crossbreed is slightly larger than the Lhasa Apso parent breed and more energetic than the English Bulldog while not appreciably increasing the exercise requirements.
