Tibetan Kyi Apso Names, Kyi Apso Dog Names

The Tibetan Kyi Apso is one of the rarest of all Himalayan dogs, an ancient landrace guardian from the high Tibetan Plateau, traditionally found near sacred Mount Kailash. A close relative of the Tibetan Mastiff, it was bred for the same work -- guarding flocks, homes and monasteries against wolves, leopards and intruders across some of the harshest country on earth. It was unknown to the outside world until 1937, when a dog belonging to the 13th Dalai Lama was photographed in Lhasa; only in the 1990s were a handful of dogs brought out of Tibet and a breed club formed abroad.

Set beside the heavier Tibetan Mastiff, the Kyi Apso is lighter and shaggier. It carries a bearded muzzle without heavy dewlaps, long hairy ears, longer legs, a leaner frame and a tail curled fully over the back, standing roughly sixty-three to seventy-one centimetres tall. Its long weatherproof double coat is most often black, frequently with lighter extremities or a white chest spot, but greys, browns, reds, tans, golden, chocolate and white are all seen and accepted.

In character the Kyi Apso is independent, highly intelligent, alert and deeply territorial, devoted to its own people and naturally wary of strangers -- a true guardian rather than a pushover. Names can honour its shaggy bearded coat, its colour, its Tibetan roots, or its watchful heart. The dark coat suits Onyx, Jet, Shadow, Raven, Ebony, and Midnight; a shaggy bear of a dog wears Bear, Teddy, Simba, Leo, Fluffy, and Muppet; warm or golden markings suit Rusty, Copper, Ginger, Honey, and Goldie; and its Himalayan home is honoured by Zen, Karma, Buddha, Lotus, and Mystic.

Explore our full collection of Tibetan Kyi Apso dog names below. Filter by gender, save your favourites, and find a name as shaggy, ancient, and watchful as your Kyi Apso.