It was bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries, to alert the monks to any intruders who entered (guard dog). Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, and apso is a word from the Tibetan language. There is some debate over the exact origin of the name; some claim that the word 'apso' is an anglicized form of the Tibetan word for goatee ('ag-tshom', ཨག་ཚོམ་) or perhaps 'ra-pho' (ར་ཕོ་) meaning 'billy goat'. At this time, there was only one Lhasa Apso registered in England. The breed was at first called the Lhasa Terrier, later the Lhasa Apso. The American Kennel Club officially accepted the breed in 1935 in the Terrier Group, and in 1959 transferred the breed to the Non-Sporting Group. In the UK, they are placed in the Utility Group. Lhasa Apsos are also prone to eye diseases, such as cherry eye and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS or dry eye syndrome).