September: Haven Takes Over

 

"That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air...Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year's mistakes had been wiped clean by summer."

~ Wallace Stegner

    Hi, this is Haven! Mom said I could write this blog if I wanted to, and I did, so here I am. If you are new and have never heard of me, I am a Lhasa Apso puppy and a show dog. Also, People say I am pretty! They call me Haven but my AKC name is Joyslyn's Miss B. Haven.

So here is what happened. Mom went away for 6 days to a place called Florida. She was excited to visit the grandkids. I wished I could go because they came at Christmas time and played with me.

Anyway, before she left she had strong words with the contractor's project manager, but it did not help because nothing had changed by the time she got home. I do not know what a month is but I heard her say, "Three months! This is ridiculous!"

Then they "got in gear" and then the foundation company came back and repaired a six foot section of concrete that they had botched up. Even that took two weeks from mom calling them to come to fix it. It took only one hour. Mom said, "Hurray." The drywall guy is coming on Friday.

I heard her say she is leaving to visit her mom on her birthday. I met her at Christmas too. She is nice and held me. I don't know what 93 is in dog years but I think it is a lot.

We all miss Mom when she is on a trip. Dad takes care of us though. And he brushes me and Josh and Deacon. The other dogs don't have long hair anymore.

What?? Oh, Mom says, "Haven, get to the point." I am supposed to be telling you about me. So here is what I have been up to lately. So here goes...Two days after she got home from that Florida place, I had to have a bath and that usually means we are going to a show. Yep, we got up very very early and drove to a place called Lake Elmo which is in Minnesota. I know that because I listen when Mom talks. (OK sometimes I listen. You know, this would all be easier to tell if she was not standing over me!)

Anyway, I heard lots of bad words from Mom because the GPS did not want to take us to the Lake Elmo fairgrounds and got us lost and finally Mom found a gas station and a man gave her directions. We were going there because it was the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club's 50th Anniversary. That means nothing to me but oh well...Mom and her friends were excited about it.

TA-DA!!! I won a 5 point major from the Bred By Exhibitor Puppy Class. Boy was Mom happy. Me too because I got extra treats and new toys!

Here is my pretty purple ribbon!

Now, if you don't know about majors, I can tell you. Mom says I need two. Now I have one. I also have single points but I cannot be a champion until I get 15 points. Two of my wins must be majors (Mom is helping me here. A major is a win of 3, 4, or 5 points and points are decided by how many dogs or bitches are being shown in that competition.)

I still don't get it. I'd rather let Mom figure it out. I just like to show and play and get treats.

At the next show I took Reserve. That means second place. And then we went to a hotel and stayed with our friend Karen and her three dogs. We heard fire alarms but there was no fire in the hotel. But Mom and Karen were not happy the next morning when there was no elevator working and they had to make a lot of trips from the second floor to get us dogs, crates, and luggage to the cars.

Mom said, "Thank goodness we weren't on the top floor!"

We drove back to Illinois and I guess that GPS thing must have worked because we got here okay. I hardly had time to rest before I was given another bath and had to spend time under hair dryer. I mean, the baths are one thing but that time under the dryer is just plain boring.

Then we went to a place called Amana and stayed in our friend Jane's RV. If you don't know, it's kinda a house on wheels. Jane had two Shibas and a Norbottenspets with her. Also her mom. Her mom was nice but she told on me when I knocked over the exercise pen and started to search for Mom. Turned out she was just inside the RV but I needed to see her and was worried.

We were in the Amana place for four darks. There were 4 shows but Mom showed me in only three since I won those 3 days, she told me I had to give the other 2 girls a chance at single points.

Okay, this is bragging but at Amana, I took second place in the Non-Sporting Group Best Bred By Exhibitor competition and also won first place in the Non-Sporting Group Best Puppy competition. Then I was chosen as Best Puppy in Show. Mom was thrilled. I like it when she gives me hugs and kisses--and treats.

Are we done yet? Oh, no...the very next weekend, after yet another bath, we were in Des Moines for 2 more shows. I was the only Lhasa there and got lots of ribbons but no points. Mom called it an expensive training class. Ha, we had a hard time finding the hotel. This time it was Jane's GPS that was goofy. It kept taking us to a residential area and changing the address. But we finally got there after Jane used her phone and not the GPS.

I guess I was bad again at the show site. One day, Mom and Jane took Rita--she is Jane's dog--away and I could not see where they went. I barked and they did not come back. I decided I would look for them. How could they just forget me? What if that GPS thing was wrong and they could not find the way back? So I figured out how to flip the latch on the crate and went looking for them. People chased me and I weaved and ran and no one caught me. Then I saw Jane and Rita and Mom walking back from the ring and was so relieved. Mom said, "Step back." to a lady trying to catch me and "Haven come here." to me and I was safe again. Next time I was in the crate, they put a clip by the latch. 

A good thing was we got to see Michelle and Mark. They came to see Mom show me. They liked me and held and petted me. They own Sunny and he is Josh's half brother. 

Just one more thing--about a bath. I do not get it. I am dry, she gets me wet, puts on stuff that makes suds, then washes the suds off. Why put it on just to take it off? Then the darn dryer. Why? I was dry in the first place!!

Now we are home and ...oops, Mom just said, "That's quite enough Haven." Must go now.

Oh, one more thing, wish me luck. We have another show at the end of the month. Probably means another bath!

Haven signing off...

Joyce's comments

That puppy is sure long-winded!! I am so proud of her and her accomplishments at her young age. She needs only a 3-point major to finish.

Puppy News

If you are on the list, keep your fingers crossed. One of the girls is in season and will be bred. The timing has to be right because of my trip to NE for Mom's birthday.

Photos and Notes

Raquel sent this photo of Minnie looking longly at Raquel's breakfast.

Here are pictures of Amie, whose picture I forgot to post last month

Nanda sent this photo of Ty and Gigi and wrote, "The world’s prettiest teddy bears. Sitting politely and waiting for the mobile groomer to arrive ."

Angela sent this photo of Louisa

Betsy posted this of Willow.

Doreen sent this of Henry.

Lori wrote, "Finn woke up to wish you Happy Birthday."

Lisa sent this photo of her Duncan (right) with his buddy Dresden. Duncan and his sister Ebony will soon be 3 years old.

Judy G wrote about her girls: "The pups are weathering the hot summer because "Who wants to go for a walk? Raise your paw."  No takers except Winter who wants to do everything. She is quite the girl. In excellent, we are working on her staying 6 feet away from me and then listening to commands. She can do it while in a sit or a down, but standing still is not in her vocabulary.

Nyx will finish her Intermediate title this fall, and then we start working off leash."

Later she wrote, "We attended a rally trial in Lowell, In yesterday. It was a small trial, but  Onyx received a third place in Intermediate. She has her title, but I decided not to move her up to Advanced. She would be off leash and she still tends to lag behind. We had this judge in March and she follows the dogs really close. So you know Winter. She started off with 8 perfect signs and then she noticed the judge behind her. Instead of walking between signs she twirled...not a good look. I pulled her off the course. We trial again in mid October in LaPorte."

Mary R sent this photo of Rafe and Mocha and she wrote, "Picture attached...Rafe, 13 yrs...Moka 16 yrs.  Hard to believe.  You can probably guess who's the Lhasa in charge--Moka. Even with minimal eyesight, poor hearing, a little unsteady, she forges on as the boss. She seeks out Rafe. He is very soft with her."

Renee sent an update on Rio. "Saw your July blog post. You talked about Judy O’Dell and her female.  I guess that’s where I got Namri - the best dog ever.  Never did get papers for him though from her.  He had such an amazing temperament and was off the charts smart.  I recently told my friend, Jan (who met Namri when he was two) that Rio is so much more work than Namri was and she said “Oh, Renee, Namri was a one in a million”. ...[Rio] does love to snuggle tho - he’ll lean his head on my shoulder while I hold him — and I hope that doesn’t change as he gets older.  He’s good at fetching both toys and balls, but finds doing his business in the area between the garage and the townhome “optional”...it took him awhile to get used to sleeping in with me, but now he’s done it.  He was afraid of cars at first but now has gotten used to them (we took him down the street and sat on the lawn next to a road that’s not that busy.  Now we’re working on golf carts and I need to start taking him for rides in our new cart.

He really is adorable...We’ve finally found a really good groomer and someone who is fabulous and boards mostly small dogs close by.  Does training too."

Nanda wrote, "We have 7 dog beds throughout the house. Plus, we allow our dogs on  all the furniture (yes they sleep in bed with us) but Ty likes to rest inside the toy basket. He’s always been a character."

Sally wrote, "Tried to get a good picture since today was grooming day but I wasn't very successful.... my typical luck. I hope all is well with you!!!

Can't wait to hear about dog shows!"

Stories

Special thanks to Judy G and Renee M for sharing stories about their Lhasas. The first is from Judy.

THE GINGERBREAD LHASA

Winter is a high energy Lhasa. She is busy all the time, and she loves to run. She and her best friend Onyx can open the glass front door. Jump high enough to hit the handle and we are free! Now the front door stays locked.

I was teaching a beginning stained glass class at the local Art Center and introducing the tools of trade. I received a panicked call from my husband yelling, “Winter got loose and she’s running around the neighborhood.” We live on a dead-end street, and he kept yelling on the phone that all the neighbors are chasing her because she runs in and out of garages and on and off porches. 

I raced back home and left the class astounded that their instructor ran out the door. I pulled onto our street to see people running around chasing the happy Lhasa. It was a scene right out of the beloved children’s book, The Gingerbread Man. I stopped the car and called her, and she raced right into my arms. She walked politely back into the house and waited for a treat. She did not get one."

Renee sent a story about Rio: "He loves tearing up paper and when we have guests tries to steal their paper napkins from beneath the table.  Likes to try to steal the airpods out of my ears (gives him access to clean my ears)."

Come on Readers. Haven, Rio, and Winter are not the only Lhasas who get into mischief or do something funny, sad, heartwarming, brave, or naughty. We all have stories about our dogs and their antics and adventures. Please share. joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com

From The Archives

I finally found an album I had been looking for. 

This first photo is of Joyslyn MLS Dakota Testin' The Limits, call names Tess, Tessa, and Tessy.

Tessa was a beautiful disappointment. She showed well but she ruined her coat by chewing off her rear skirts. I used Bitter Apple to discourage the chewing. I guess she came to like the taste! I'd get that hair grown back to an acceptable length and the next thing you know, she'd have chewed it off again. We finally gave up on her and she was sold to a pet home that kept her coat clipped down.

Here is a picture of Tessa. A lovely girl!

Not all dogs can be show dogs and that was certainly the case with Izzy, the beauty pictured below. Izzy was known bo AKC as Joyslyn's Is It The Wind. She was lucky enough to find a home with Judy G, who now owns Onyx and Winter. I imagine Judy has some Izzy stories to tell!

Next up for this month is CH Joyslyn's Miss Cheevy Us. Oh my goodness did I groan when I saw that name. Totally mispronounced!!. The word is pronounced like "mis chiv us." Don't believe me? Grab a dictionary. Anyway, I sold Missy as a puppy to a show home in Texas. They tried to show her but her heart was not in it and at the time the family was suffering the loss of their daughter who had been murdered. So Missy came back to me and I tried to show her. Again, no luck. 

So when my friend Karen called to ask if I had a female she could use for breeding, I sold her Missy.

Missy fell in love with Karen. Kared kept her in coat and when a show came up and Lhasa folks wanted to build a major, Karen said she would enter Missy as a "filler," which means a dog entered to build points and is not expected to win.

Karen showed the bitch she wanted to win and had a friend of hers show Missy. Well, Missy saw her beloved Karen in front of her and showed her heart out. She won! After that, Karen continued to show her to her championship.

Here are Missy and Karen with noted Lhasa Breeder/Judge Keke Khan on the day Missy earned her championship.

Finally for this month, out of the archives comes CH MLS Dakota Dancing in the Wind At Joyslyn. She was the only puppy in the litter born at Marsha's and bless my dear friend Marsha, she let me take Windy and co-own her. Here is a first photo of the 3 of us on the day Marsha brought her to me at a show in West Bend, WI.

Windy grew and was shown and soon finished her championship.

Windy was eventually bred to GCH CH Joyslyn's Heartbreaker ("Breaker") and they produced our Josh. Josh started his career as Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker. Josh has since added the following to his name:

CH - (Champion)

GCH - (Grand Champion)

GCHB - (Grand Champion Bronze)

NOHS-BIS (National Owner Handled Series Best in Show)

NOHS-S (National Owner Handled Series, Silver)

BVISS - (Best Veteran in Specialty Show)

He is also a ROM (Register Of Merit) Stud Dog

Thanks Breaker and Windy! You did well! 

Windy is now in her forever retirement home with a lovely older couple who have a beautiful garden for her enjoyment.

  

Other Stuff

=================

Here is an interesting article if you have a dog that thinks he/she is the Alpha in your pack/family.

https://www.southtexasaussierescue.org/whos-in-charge-here-a-lesson-in-becoming-alpha/

Thanks for reading and special thanks to those who sent stories, photos, and notes to make this post special.

Joyce

 

Hot August Days

 

"The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone.” 

~ Natalie Babbitt

Happy August! I know it is probably a shock to see the blog early in the month, but the chaos of construction is still going on and, after a pause of a week or so (not our idea), the work will continue. I have resigned myself to the clutter but still cannot quite figure out why the contractors cannot just come in, get the job done, and go. It is been more than a month. They come, they do some work, they go, and sometimes don't come back for a week! This coming week they are planning to do some work in our office room, which means computer and printer shut down until they are done. So I decided to get the blog posted now,

I love August. It is my birthday month. I am a Leo. According to a website, Leo women are "known for their confidence, creativity, and loyalty. They are natural leaders, enjoy being the center of attention, and possess a strong sense of self. They are also generous, warm-hearted, and make loyal friends and partners. However, they can also be somewhat stubborn, possessive, and may have high expectations of others." 

I think it is that last sentence that may be the root of 

my problems with the contractors! Thankfully, my husband is much calmer.

So, I thought it would be fun to see what was said about a Leo dog. If your dog is not a Leo, just scroll down on the page and the other signs are listed.

https://pawp.com/leo-dog-personality-what-being-a-leo-says-about-your-dog/

 I did manage to "escape" the turmoil one weekend and took Haven to a show. She was awarded Winners Bitch both days, so now she has 6 points. She needs 15 for a championship, but the 15 must include 2 majors. A major is a win worth 3, 4, or five points. Points are based on the number of dogs of same sex, same breed in competition.

A highlight of the hot, hot Saturday was that Haven took first place in the Non-Sporting Best Bred By Exhibitor competition. She was still only 8 months old that weekend. 

Puppy News

There is no news. The puppies have gone to their new homes and are settling in well.

We will probably do one or two breedings in the fall.

Photos and Notes 

Lynn sent a picture of Autumn.

Amie's owners sent a picture to commerate Amie's 9th birthday. From Amie's owners: "Well our little precious one celebrated her 9th birthday on July 26. Can you believe that??!! Where does the time go? Robert & I feel like it was just yesterday that we picked her up in Loveland, CO!!!! She is adored & loved to pieces! May we celebrate many more years of her precious life with picnics & champagne."

Michelle sent this picture of her Sunny.

Lisa wrote about her Duncan."Duncan continues to be the most affectionate dog I have ever had. Every day he will come and lay himself halfway across my lap and rest his head on my chest then he looks up at me with those big expressive eyes of his. 

She went on to say, "Duncan has two safe zones – our home and the car. Increasingly, he has been more hesitant to go outside with increased bird sounds, delivery vehicles, etc. Sometimes I think he gets overwhelmed or overstimulated by what he perceives as possible threats such as people walking outside, other dogs, birds that swooped down protecting their nest, etc.." 

She asked for suggestions to help Duncan. If you have some ideas that may help, send them to me and I will post them.

Sally sent pictures of Ginger (gold) and Jaxon black).

Jaxon looks so regal and proud!

Stories

There is just one story to share today. It is from Lisa about Duncan: "Duncan and Dresden continue to get along very well. Today while playing, Duncan took a pillow and buried Dresden underneath and laid on top. Dresden didn’t mind at all."

Here is the photo to go along with the story.

From the Archives

This is Joyslyn's Lucy in The Sky. Call name Lucy.

I showed her for a while and she had some nice wins, but I never could break her of the habit she had of jumping over the tape that holds the ring mat down. It was funny but did not earn her points with the judges. She eventually left for a home in CA.

CH Joyslyn's Rebel At Heart. Call name Rebel.

Rebel is shown with Randy Arand who handled him for a while.

Here is CH Joyslyn's The Charmed One. Call name Piper. Another lovely Joyslyn's Lhasa. Outside on a really hot August day in MN.

CH Joyslyn's Secrets of The Heart. Call name Secret. As a puppy this girl did NOT want to show. So one day at a show I sat down with her at ringside and we watched another breed showing. I told her, "See, that's all you need to do!" When it was her time to go in the ring, she showed like a dream and won her first major at 7 months of age! All my friends watching from ringside were shocked. I was just thrilled!

In this photo, Secret has won Reserve Winners Bitch at a National Specialty.

This is CH Joyslyn's Paisley. Call name Paisley. She is shown after taking first place in a huge class of Bred By Exhibitor bitches. She earned her championship a month later.

The next picture is of a male, CH Joyslyn's Scamper O' Hooligan. He belonged to friends who used Randy Arand for his handler. Scamp and my Walker showed against each other frequently. Scamp finished before Walker did. 

-------------------

Why the Decline in Lhasa Apso Popularity?

by Joyce Johanson

Many of us who belong to the American Lhasa Apso Club have become concerned lately when AKC statistics demonstrate that Lhasa Apso popularity is declining. I'd like to share with you some of my thoughts on the subject. I think there are a lot of myths or untruths "out there" about the breed, especially related to grooming and temperament, that cause prospective newcomers to the breed to change their minds.

(1) Daily Grooming?? I recently read an article on one of those "find the right breed for you" websites that told people a Lhasa required DAILY brushing. UGH! Tell me that is not a turn off for anyone interested in the breed? I can tell you all that, while I often groom a Lhasa every day, I have never brushed the same dog every day. Even the champion I was specialing recently, who has a ton of coat, did not receive (nor did he require) daily grooming. About twice, three times a week at the most is all the long-coated dogs seem to need. Grooming is not difficult and it has to be done if you don't want the dog to mat, but EVERYDAY... ??? I. Don't. Think. So.

Most Lhasa owners buy the breed because they love its personality and most owners don't care about having a dog dripping in coat. Heck, even those of us who show our dogs almost always clip the coat once the dog has its championship! As I've been telling people for years, "A clipped Lhasa is a perfect pet. You can have a short-coated dog that doesn't shed! How can you beat that?"

(2) Nasty Dispositions?? Some people believe the Lhasa Apso is a "nasty" breed? Definitely not in my experience. So where did the reputation come from? I have some theories...

When the breed became popular back in the 70's and 80's, the puppy mill breeders jumped quickly on the bandwagon, purchasing and breeding Lhasas with no other goal than to produce puppies, sell them quickly, and make money. There were no thoughtful considerations regarding structure, health, or temperament prior to a breeding. The flood of cute fluffy puppies into pet shops, purchased by people attracted to their appearance with little knowledge (because, to be honest, very little knowledge had been published "back then") about the breed itself, did indeed result in Lhasas with quite nasty dispositions. The breed's reputation has been suffering ever since.

People who purchase a Lhasa puppy need to know that Lhasas are smart, independent, (some might say "stubborn") dignified, and easily offended. Their sense of right and fair play requires an approach to training that avoids yelling and physical punishment. By that I don't just mean "don't hit;" obviously you should not hit any dog. I also mean things like shaking the dog or jerking on his lead. Lhasas think highly of themselves and most are eager to please their people. They respond well to treats and praise and training games that are fun, upbeat, and intellectually stimulating.

Grooming is part of a Lhasa's life, so a large part of early training involves training the dog to be groomed. Although many people prefer to keep their Lhasas shaved or in a puppy clip of some sort, early training is still needed because those Lhasas will be visiting the groomer and need to know how to behave so they will be welcomed at the grooming shop. I honestly believe that one reason the "nasty" adjective became linked with the Lhasa is the fault of owners who "routinely" take their matted to the hide Lhasas to the groomer maybe twice a year. Those dogs don't behave well because they have not been trained to be groomed. The poor groomer has to face a dirty, matted, scared dog who associates being at the grooming shop with getting hurt. Growling and snapping does occur. I blame the owners for ignoring the dogs' needs and putting them in a situation for which they are totally unprepared to cope.

And, yes, there are Lhasas that are just plain nasty to the core, just like there are nasty individuals of any other breed, and just like there are nasty people of all ages from all walks of life and all ethnic groups. In my opinion, we should not label an entire group as bad because some of its members are rotten. That goes for dogs as well as people!

(3) Lhasas and Children?? We breeders may be contributing to the decline in Lhasa popularity by the information we provide about the breed in our ads and on our websites. In an attempt to protect our dogs, we often end up giving the breed a bad image, especially when it comes to Lhasas and kids.

It is true that many Lhasa breeders refuse to sell puppies to people who have young children. I find that interesting because most of us are parents, and now grandparents. Our own children were raised with our Lhasas, and now our grandchildren get to visit and play with the dogs. In our case, we owned, showed and bred Lhasas for 5.5 years before our first child was born. The dogs and children were raised together and expected to get along! They did.

In spite of my good experiences with Lhasas and children, I am often leery about letting people with young children buy a puppy - and it is not because I distrust the Lhasas as a breed or my own puppies as individuals not to "be good with children." It's more that I don't trust other people's children to "be good to the puppy!"

For example, we once adopted a Lhasa female whose breeder had taken her back from the people she sold her to because the breeder heard reports that the puppy was being abused. As it turned out, the rumors were true. Chrissy was being poked at and teased when she was in her crate. The children would also put her on a lead and drag her on her belly down the sidewalk when she refused to walk. Now, what is true about Lhasas is that they have long memories, they bear grudges, and like any other dog or person that has been bullied, they reach a saturation point where they will retaliate. So, yes, Chrissy growled at the children, and even when she came to our home where she was safe, she was always touchy and protective about her crate. Some memories are just hard to erase. I'm sure other breeders have had similar experiences that have resulted in the "not available to homes with young children" statement in their ads.

A Lhasa Apso is fine in a home with children whose parents teach them respect for animals and other people. When people tell me they have children, I generally ask the ages. I ask them to be honest with me and themselves about how the children behave and if they, as parents, can honestly attest to how the children would interact with the puppy. Sometimes we come to an agreement that the situation is a good one for a puppy. At other times, the potential buyers opt to wait a few more years until the child is ready to interact appropriately with a puppy.

Some Lhasas, like some people, simply don't like children. Children's unexpected movements, screeching, general exuberance, and unconscious disregard for others are annoying.

Other Lhasas, like most people, love children so much! I once sold a young adult female to a single person who lived in a large city. The dog was born after our children were grown and before the grandchildren were born, so she had never even seen a child. Yet, her owner told me the dog loves children and when she went for walks and saw a child, she cried until her owner allowed her to greet the child. Liking or disliking children is a personal preference, not a breed characteristic.

My life has been truly blessed with an abundance of Lhasa Apsos since the happy day in 1973 when we bought our first Lhasa puppy. To be adored by such big, loving hearts is indeed a humbling experience.

If you read this and would like to share what is special about your Lhasa or why you are in love with the breed or why you think there is a decline in the breed's popularity and what we can do about it, email me at joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.

Please note: Permission to reproduce and/or circulate information in this article is granted. However, the article must be disseminated in its entirety and credit must be given to Joyce Johanson, Joyslyn's Lhasa Apsos. Thanks!

-------------------------------------

Finally, Just a reminder that the ALAC national Specialty is coming in October. If you want to see many lovely Lhasas and meet breeders from around the country, this is the place to be in October.

Thanks for reading and special thanks to those who sent photos and notes to make this post special.

Joyce