Schapso

In the past few decades, hybrid dogs have become very popular and now you can find just about any mixed breed that you can imagine. However, they do not really have a detailed history, so you have to look at the backgrounds of the two parent breeds instead. The Lhasa Apso has been seen as guardians of the monasteries and temples for thousands of years and were always revered in Tibet. They were bred from Tibetan Terriers and possibly some sort of mountain wolf, according to their DNA. The Buddhist monks of the Tibetan Mountains bred them to be companions as well as protectors for their excellent hearing, ability to handle the extreme cold, and good judge of character. The monks guarded the dogs as much as the dogs guarded the monks and no common folks were allowed to have a dog of this breed. However, the Dalai Lama did give pairs of Lhasa Apsos to certain royal families who visited Tibet. It is thought that these gifted dogs had a hand in creating the Shih Tzu and other small breeds in China. The Lhasa Apso finally made it to America in 1933 when the Dalai Lama gave a pair to a couple in New Jersey. Two years later, the breed was accepted by the American Kennel Club, where it is the 71st most popular dog breed. In the 1800s, the Miniature Schnauzer was created in Germany to hunt rats and mice. They were bred from small Poodles, Affenpinschers, and smaller Standard Schnauzers to create a dog small enough to chase and flush small animals from their hiding spots. They became increasingly popular after World War one when it became the third most popular breed in America. They were brought to the United States in 1924 and were accepted by the American Kennel Club just a couple of years later. However, they have fallen from the 3rd to the 17th most popular breed in America.