The Lhasa Apso originated on the Himalayan Plateau in Tibet, potentially as long ago as 800 B.C.. For hundreds of years, they were bred exclusively by nobility and monks in monasteries to act as an inside guard and protector. The Lhasa Apso was considered sacred because of its association with temples. According to Tibetan folklore, the protector of the country is a snow lion and Lhasa Apsos were believed to be representations of this protector. It was also believed that the soul of a deceased lama could enter the body of a Lhasa Apso as it awaited reincarnation into a new human body.