The first Lhasas to come to the United States were also gifts from the Dalai Lama.
A well-connected traveler, named Charles Suydam Cutting, visited Tibet in the 1930s with his wife, and they returned to the United States with two Lhasa Apsos from the 13th Dalai Lama.
Although the average lifespan of a Lhasa Apso is 12-to-15 years old, many can live to their late teens, and some beyond 20. In fact, the oldest Lhasa Apso lived to be 29 years old.