La Pom Dog Breed Pictures, Characteristics, and Facts

The La Pom is a mixed breed, so they don’t have history as their own breed. With that being said, both of their parent breeds have their own rich histories. 

The Pomeranian is the smallest member of the Spitz group of dogs, which includes the Samoyed, Alaskan Malamute, and Norwegian Elkhound. While today Poms weigh 5-7 pounds, they were originally closer to 30 pounds! Through many years of selective breeding, the Pomeranian has transformed into the tiny, fluffy dog we’re familiar with today.  A Pomeranian named Dick was the first Pom entered into the American Kennel Club (AKC) stud book, in 1888. In 1892, the first Pom was entered in a dog show in New York. The AKC recognized the breed in 1900, and Pomeranians quickly grew in popularity in the United States. In 1909, the American Pomeranian Club was accepted as a member club of the AKC, and the club was designated as the Parent Club for the breed. Today, Pomeranians rank 14th among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC.

The Lhasa Apso originates from Tibet, and they take their name from the city of Lhasa. For thousands of years, the Lhasa Apso was bred solely by nobility as well as monks in monasteries, to act as a guard and protector. They are known in their homeland as ‘Abso Seng Kye’, which translates roughly to « Bark Lion Sentinel Dog. » The Lhasa’s thick coat is protective; their native climate is often one of intense weather, varying from severe cold to blistering heat. Recorded history of the breed goes back to 800 B.C. The first known Lhasas to enter the United States were given as gifts by the 13th Dalai Lama in 1933 to C. Suydam Cutting, a noted world traveler and naturalist. Cutting owned Hamilton Farm in Gladstone, New Jersey, and the two gifted Lhasas became the foundation stock for his kennel, where many of today’s U.S. Lhasa lines once originated. The American Kennel Club accepted the Lhasa Apso as a breed in 1935.