I-Lhasa Apso iwuhlobo lwakudala lwezinja ezazalaniswa e-Tibet kusukela ku-Tibetan Terrier kanye nezinja ezifanayo zaseTibet. Ukufika kwe-Tibetan Buddhism ngekhulu lesi-7 AD kwenza i-Lhasa Apso yaba uhlobo oluhle kakhulu. Kuthiwa uBuddha unamandla phezu kwamabhubesi, kanti i-Lhasa Apso enezinwele ezinde, izinwele ekhanda, nombala wengonyama kuthiwa "inja yengonyama".
I-Dalai Lamas ayigcinanga nje ngokugcina i-Lhasa Apso njengezilwane ezifuywayo kodwa futhi yayisebenzisa njengezipho zezivakashi zokuhlonipha. I-Lhasa Apso, eyathunyelwa e-China, yasetshenziswa ekuzaleni izinhlobo ze-Shih Tzu kanye ne-Pekingese. I-Lhasa Apso ayizange isebenze njengesilwane esifuywayo kanye nomngane kuphela kodwa futhi njengenja yonogada ngenxa yokuqapha nokukhonkotha kabuhlungu.