All dog breeds are the result of convergence of evolutionary factors and crossbreeding. Some breeds are produced by man, and some - in a natural way, there is hardly any influence on their shape and function on the ability of natural selection. For example, the bulldog breeds were a “backward” breed and bred to create a long leg, a more lively version of the original dog breed.
Of the Tibetan breeds, Lhasa Apso, a Tibetan terrier, is more likely a product of evolution than human influence. Of the five recognized Tibetan breeds; Tibetan Terrier, Tibetan Spaniel, Do-hiy (Tibetan Mastiff), Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu, Lhasa is one of the breeds most exposed to strong climates associated with Himalayan Tibet.
This is due to many reasons. First, Tibetans only began selectively breeding Lhasa about 800 years ago in the city of Lhasa, the capital and home of the Dalai Lama. However, the breed traces its origin about 2000 years ago in the Tibetan environment.
Secondly, historians very clearly indicate whether these Tibetans really tried to use the complex practice of selective breeding that is so popular today. The early Tibetans were hunters and shepherds who depended on Tibetan dogs to hunt, protect herds, and serve as guard dogs and companions for the people. The natural tendencies of the Tibetan breeds created by the evolutionary forces were more than enough to ensure the survival challenges faced by the Tibetans.
Thirdly, the physical form of Lhasa Apso has remained largely unchanged compared to its original form, since it is still able to retain heat when needed. Cold adapted animals have bodies with a higher ratio of muscles and fats compared to the mass of other breeds that had to adapt to a warmer environment.
The amount of heat produced by an animal is directly proportional to its weight or volume. The larger the body, the more heat it produces. It is known that heat loss is also proportional to the surface area of the body; the larger the surface, the faster the heat is lost. Preservation of heat depends on the ratio of body weight in relation to the area, which with the surface itself loses heat faster.
Because the body of Lhasa Apso is shorter and rounded, it has a smaller surface area than longer, equal in weight, warmer surrounding cousins. The same forces also determine the type of body; Eskimo people have shorter, more massive bodies and a smaller surface mass than a uniformly weighted equatorial person, who has a longer, more compact body and a higher surface area. In short, to limit the loss of heat in the cold, the animal is better served by the body, which is as compact and short-legged as possible.
Nature adapted the body of Lhasa Apso to suit the hills and villages of the Himalayan Highlands. This breed is built for endurance, not speed, for walking, jumping and climbing, and not as the bodies of other dog breeds.
