NGESONG Lhasa Puppy Guide

If your Lhasa does not have a thick eye fall and if she will wear barrettes, you can either brush the eye fall
back and secure it with one barrette or make a part down the middle of your Lhasa’s head and fasten a
barrette in either side.
If barrettes are out of the question, either because you have a male and feel funny putting barrettes in his hair,
or because your dog’s eye fall is very thick and a barrette simply will not hold the hair, or because your dog
prefers chewing barrettes to wearing them, you can use small latex bands to secure the hair. Brush the eye fall
straight back and put a single topknot on the head (modified Shih-Tzu style) or part the hair down the middle
of the head and put “pig tails” on each side. The latex bands come in a variety of colours from black to
electric pink.
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If you would like to try braiding your Lhasa’s eye fall, follow these steps:
1. Part the hair exactly in the middle of your Lhasa’s head.
2. Next you will need to section the hair that will be braided. The thickness of the section will depend on the
thickness of your Lhasa’s eye fall, but usually the section will begin somewhere between the middle and
outside corner of the eye and go back about two inches or so. You just have to experiment until you find an
amount of hair that is comfortable to work with and looks right for the shape of your dog’s head and eyes.
3. Divide the large section of hair into three equal smaller sections. Mist lightly with water, coat oil, or coat
conditioner to make it easier to work with. Coat oil or conditioner helps prevent matting and tangling.
4. Begin braiding by crossing the section closest to the eye over the middle section. Keep the braid close to
the Lhasa’s head and continue braiding until you run out of hair.
5. Fasten the bottom of the braid with a small latex band. The braids should lie close to the head. If they stick
out, you have done one of these: braided too tightly, tried to put too much hair into the braid, or started at a
right angle to the dog’s head. In any case, you will have to start over.
That’s basically it! The braids will have to be brushed out and re-braided every few days. Never leave them in
for more than a week without brushing through them, just in case tangles are developing.
Ears
Hair grows quite thick inside a Lhasa’s ears and must be removed to help keep the ear healthy and
infection-free. You can take your Lhasa to the vet to have the hair inside the ears removed; however, it’s a
grooming task that is easily done at home.
Apply ear powder to the inside of each ear, making certain the hair is thoroughly covered, especially at the
base. Wait a few minutes to allow the powder to dry the hair. It is surprising how much easier the hair is to
pluck once the powder has dried it and how much less your Lhasa will mind the plucking if the powder is
used.
Pluck only a few hairs at a time, since this is less irritating for the dog. You can use your fingers to pull out
the majority of the hair; however, if you prefer, you may also use a tweezers or haemostat. Ears should be
checked and cleaned often to deter infections and to keep them healthy.
Parting
Stack the Lhasa on a table and stand directly behind him. (Make sure the dog is standing straight so his spine
is straight.) Using the end tooth of a metal comb or a knitting needle and beginning at the base of the dog’s
neck, run the tooth of the comb straight down the spine, allowing the coat to fall to either side.
Once the basic part is in, sight down the dogs back from both front and rear to make sure the part runs
straight. If the part is basically straight except for a place or two, work with those spots a few hairs at a time
until it is straight.
Now spray the coat along the part with coat conditioner (not oil) and lightly mist the coat along the part to
keep it in place. “Setting” the part this way is necessary because, as anyone who has ever parted a Lhasa can
tell you, the first thing the Lhasa will do after he is groomed is shake.
Once the back’s part is set, work on the head and neck. Part the hair evenly on the muzzle; then run the end