Merry Christmas!! Happy Holidays!!

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." ~  Calvin Coolidge

It has been our tradition for many years to put up and decorate the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Heavy snow kept that from happening this year. We have a backyard shed in which the Christmas items are stored and neither of us wanted to trudge three times through the snow to carry 6 boxes full of Christmas items up and down 19 stairs covered with ice and snow.

As the days went on and the snow stayed, I told Lynn that we needed to get at least the tree and some decorations up. So we made our/slipped our way to the backyard shed and brought in the tree and only 2 boxes (contents unknown!).

Neither of those boxes contained the red and gold ornaments we always hang on the tree. What to do?? So I said, "Let's use the dog show ribbons." and we did! Here is the result:

At least it gave the show ribbons a new purpose!

On another subject: If you want to contact me use either joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com or 309-837-1665. Don't send a text message to that phone number. It is the land line. (and yes, I have a cell phone, but I don't share its number with the general public.) 

Puppy News

Let's put it this way: we are keeping our fingers crossed that a litter is on its way. A vet appointment has been made for next week to confirm what we are hoping for.

Notes and Photos 

Renee wrote on the occasion of Rio's first birthday.

"...sending a message with a photo of Rio today, on his first birthday. He seems very excited and even after Jim took him out for a longer walk this am, he’s been running around the house like a crazy guy.  We’re having a little pizza/salad party tonite for a couple of his friends (Rosie & Rocky)...He’s very friendly and loves other dogs and people.  Jim takes him to a large dog park about 15 minutes away, which he loves... He’s a love bug and continues to hang out in my arms, sometimes falling asleep even.  I’m hoping this continues as none of my other lhasas ever wanted to be held.  

   He still loves his daddy very much, an early attachment.

   Thank you for breeding this fabulous puppy for us."

Ed sent this photo of six-month-old Billy.

  Nanda sent this one of Ty & Gigi just chillin' on the sofa.

And Cindy sent this of Luther -- putting his dad's lap to good use!

Raquel sent this one of her Minnie.

Stories

Thanks Judy G for this following story about your beloved Izzy (Joyslyn's Is It the Wind)

"When I first became interested in the Lhasa Apso breed, I found Joyce’s website filled with useful facts and information. One day, I was scrolling down and saw the most beautiful Lhasa I had ever seen. She was looking right into my soul with a tiny smirk on her face, AND she was for sale. I had my beloved Odie who was in agility and doing very well. I convinced my husband that I needed another Lhasa.

   When we picked her up, she was more beautiful in person. I immediately pictured her as an agility dog with her beautiful tail flowing behind her. After months of practice, I entered her in an outdoor trial. She was the last dog entered. I placed her confidently on

the start line and she just sat there. No amount of calling, begging, or offering treats worked. Her agility continued with her leaving the start line, but choosing her own path of tunnels, jumps and wherever she wanted to run.

   So, I thought rally would be better for her. After months of training alongside Odie, we went to our first rally trial. She pranced into the ring and promptly laid on her side. Her dead dog act did not impress the judge. She never completed her rally novice title, but

she did earn a Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Trick Dog Novice (TDN) from AKC and a Spot-On from UKC. She told me she was done with rally when she refused to enter the building.

   She was very happy to deliver Meals on Wheels with me and visit her new friends. Her beauty was also inside her kind spirit. 

   She lived over 16 years, and she told me when she was ready to leave us and join Odie."                           

 If you have or have had a Joyslyn's Lhasa, I encourage you to write a story about him or her to share with others who read this blog. Lhasas are special and I know you all have tales to tell about yours. Please share.

From the Archives                                                                                                                 

The first picture is of CH Joyslyn's Keepin' The Magic. Call name: Keeper

The photo was taken after he received a Group 3 placement.

These photos are of CH Joyslyn's Playboy at Heart

Call name: Zach

Note: His call name changed later when he went to a new home. He was then called Zeus because the family had a friend named Zach.

Next up is a dog near to my heart.

GCH CH Joyslyn's Heart Breaker.

Call name: Breaker

Breaker lived with us until he was 12 years old. At that time, a dear friend, Jill, whose home felt empty after the passing of her male Lhasa asked me if I had an older dog she could have. Lynn and I trusted Jill and knew she would love and care for Breaker so we agreed to part with him. Jill sends videos and pictures so we can watch him as he and her other Lhasa, Shadow, go for walks and chill out in the back yard. Breaker was 17 years old in August. I am so proud of him and so thankful to Jill for loving him as we did. I wish him continued health and more birthdays.

Breaker 7 months old:

Breaker after being groomed:

Breaker at a dog show:

********************

Something new I would like to try because I know I have readers who have Lhasas but not Joyslyn's Lhasas so they have not been able to share stories and photos. 

With that in mind, I have an "assignment" for any reader who owns or has owned a Lhasa. Sadly, the amazing Lhasa Apso's future does not look bright. Fewer people are showing, fewer people are breeding Lhasas, and it seems to me that as far as breed recognition goes, fewer people have even heard of a Lhasa Apso and ask "Is that a Shih Tzu?" when they see one.

So I am asking you all to be advocates of our breed. Why do you love your Lhasa? What personality traits endear that dog to you? How would you describe the breed to someone who had never met a Lhasa? What can we do to "sell" the breed? In short, how do we save for the future the breed we love?

Please send me your ideas! You don't need to write an essay. Maybe finish this sentence: "I love my Lhasa because (and go from there)..."

or "Here is how I would describe the breed..."

Send responses to: Joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com

I know things are busy between now and mid-January, but I'd like to have responses for the January blog.

Here is what all of us Lhasa owners know

I found the following poem on the internet and thought it represented not only the long ago days when it was written by Joyce Kilmer during WWI, but also the atmosphere that seems so prevalent in the world today. Yet there is hope. Good people do good things.

Wartime Christmas

Led by a star, a golden star,
The youngest star, an olden star,
Here the kings and the shepherds are,
Akneeling on the ground.
What did they come to the inn to see?
God in the Highest, and this is He,
A baby asleep on His mother’s knee
And with her kisses crowned.

Now is the earth a dreary place,
A troubled place, a weary place.
Peace has hidden her lovely face
And turned in tears away.
Yet the sun, through the war-cloud, sees
Babies asleep on their mother’s knees.
While there are love and home—and these—
There shall be Christmas Day.

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

"God bless us, every one!" 

Joyce

November (Finally!)

 

"November is a fickle month. Cold mornings, warm afternoons. Leaves of oranges, yellows, and reds decorating lawns, turning brown and dancing and crackling in the crisp November winds. Frost on windshields. A skiff of snow. A day to honor war heroes. A time to give thanks for the year's blessings. A time of transition. Winter awaits." ~ J.K. Johanson

What's Going On??

I suppose a better question is "why is this blog so late?" So here goes: As you know Haven and I went to the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty in Ohio at the end of October. You also are aware that for 4 months before that our house has been under some construction/renovation.

When I returned from Ohio, the renovated room for the dogs was done (hurray!) as was their new outdoor fence and their exercise area (hurray again). Lynn did a great job with the dog room renovation.He has saved us so much money by being a multi-talented guy when it comes to building things (and writing novels).

The next big chores were to touch up some painted areas, move the dogs and unpack many many boxes, make some "do we really need that" decisions, and put the house back together. That took days. I still cannot find a clock that I evidently put in a "safe place."

I wanted to share the results of the National but had to wait until the photographer sent the pictures.

You know from this year's blogs that we have been plagued with all sorts of problems, big and small. Most of them I have not written about because everybody has their own troubles. Our most recent ones are a dripping faucet that ended up costing nearly $400, making me wish Lynn was as capable of a plumber as he is a carpenter! Then on Thanksgiving morning we woke up to find a row of non-working electrical outlets in our kitchen. One of those outlets was for the refrigerator! We pulled it away from the wall and used an extension cord to pug it into another outlet. I am writing this on the day after Thanksgiving as I wait for 8:00 AM so I can call an electrician! (Lynn doesn't do electrical work either. 😀)

Puppy News

😞

Just one more thing gone wrong this year.

ALAC National Specialty

I am happy to report that the Joyslyn's dogs did quite well at this year's National. Here is the line up of friends with Joyslyn's Lhasas.

From the left: LaVonne with Misti, Karen with Floyd, me with Haven, Jan with Aasha, and Courtney with Amelia

And here are official photos of their various wins.

First, Jan went home with a Champion, Aasha (Haven's litter sister) won twice, earned 2 majors, and finished her championship! Jan owns Aasha and Haven's sire.

Another major win was Amelia, owned by Courtney. Amelia's parents are my Pearl and Chance. This was Courtney and Amelia's first National. They did very well.

 Here are pictures of Karen and Floyd. Floyd is the son of Millie and Chance. He was Reserve Winners at one show and earned Best Opposite Sex for the National Maturity competition. Karen kindly asked me, his breeder, to join them for the Maturity photo.

LaVonne and I co-own Misti, but 10 year-old Misti loves only LaVonne and merely likes me! Misti was shown in and won Veteran competitions. She is only a few points away from earning her AKC Grand Champion Silver status. 

You have heard the phrase "always the bridesmaid..." I am sure. Well, that was Haven at the National, always high in the ribbons, needing to win just once, taking first place, then reserve. I will say though that when she lost, it was usually to Aasha or Amelia, so I still was proud. 

Haven won Best Bred By Exhibitor twice -- and she may have taken that honor more times had I been paying attention. I missed 3 of those competitions. Duh!

Here are photos of Haven.

Waiting to go into the ring.

Back home:

Someone needs a bath!

Much better!!

We are done showing for the year. If the weather is decent, we hope to show in WI in February.

Notes and Photos From Readers

From Lynn K about Autumn:

I couldn’t resist sending you a couple of pics following our bath and grooming yesterday. She looks so pretty and proud!  ….and is so good and patient!
I give her intermittent kisses on the top of her head and she gives me lovies on my hand or cheek.

Sally sent pictures of Ginger and Jaxon

Lisa sent this photo and wrote, "Duncan continues to be the most affectionate dog I have ever had. He has influenced Dresden to climb up on my lap for some attention."

Judy L. posted this picture of Gus with his groomer.

Tom and Penny sent news of Griffin: "Griffin celebrates his birthday today.  Other than loss of most of his hearing, he is in good health, never going to the vet except for yearly checkup and teeth cleanings.  He is still handsome, turning heads and generating smiles while on walks,  especially when the sun shines brightly.  Griffin has been a great gift to us; he is a large part of our lives and brings us much joy.    We hope you and family are well."

And Mary R sent this photo of Rafe in honor of his 14th birthday. Rafe and Griffin are brothers.

Stories

From Elizabeth about Mabel:
"Mabel is busy! She's curious, into everything, and always has at least 10 toys out. She's my constant shadow. When she's not playing, she likes to curl up on my chest and my head. Late night cuddles quickly turned into Mabel sleeping in my bed. She's still quite small but manages to take up the entire bed!
Mabel is the most popular resident in our neighborhood. People see us on their cameras and come out to pet her. Our house is now known as “Mable’s house.” Mabel is the darling of my friend group. She is affectionally known among them as, "The Mayor."
Mabel comes to work with me two to three days a week. Here she is, on her favorite spot in the office, my desk!"

"Mabel brings me joy everyday. I always kiss her head and tell her that I waited for her. Somehow, I think she knows. Needless to say, Mabel is very loved. Thank you for all the care that went to bringing her into being. She's wonderful."

And here is a story I found among the items that were packed in our many boxes! Click it to enlarge for easier reading.

We all enjoy a good dog story. If you have something to share about your Joyslyn's Lhasa, please send it to me. 

From the Archives

 The first photo is of Ahna (CH Mi Toya Joyslyn Whirlwind), whom I co-owned with my friend JoAnn. When JoAnn became ill and passed, Ahna came to live with us.

Here is Ahna at a show with JoAnn and noted Lhasa breeder and judge Keke Khan.

This is Conner (CH San-Dhi Joyslyn Icon), a male I bought from Sandra Devlin. Sandy tried and tried to find a way to get Conner to me from where she lived in NM. He was supposed to hitch a ride with some folks from the mid-west as they came this way for a show, but a couple of their dogs got sick and we certainly did not want to expose Conner. So she ended up having to send him on a plane. The poor guy! When I got him and took him out of the crate, he latched on to me like I was his lord and savior. Since that day, he loved me so much and he produced some lovely puppies. Here are some pictures of him.

This one was taken on the day he became a Champion.

This one is a head study taken at a show in Louisville.

And this one shows him jumping up and down in a pen.  The camera caught him at a great time! He loved to jump but never wanted to jump out.

This is Davey (CH Joyslyn's Heartthrob). He and I were like water and oil. Our personalities just did not mesh! I showed him a few times and gave up and passed him to my friend Jane. He much preferred her! She showed him to his championship. Afterwards he went to a retired professor. Their admiration for each other was mutual and Davey lived a life where he was much loved and very very spoiled! Davey ended up in just the right home for him!

This next dog is Duncan, CH Joyslyn's Highly Classified. I would put him on the table for the judges to examine and they would always--every one of them--ask, "What do you call that color?" and I would always answer, "Beautiful and unique!" They would agree.

Duncan was with us for a few years and sired some nice puppies, but none inherited his unusual coat color. One day, a woman came to get a puppy and fell in love with Duncan and convinced me to part with him.

Next up is Flame (CH Joyslyn's Winds of Fire). She and Davey were littermates, but unlike him, she liked to show and she loved me! After having a litter, Flame went to live with my friends Shari and Courtney, who now owns Amelia.

Flame was a gorgeous red color, thus her name!

And, yes I am fully aware that I have been blessed with wonderful Lhasas!

An article from the archives:

Lhasa Apso Color Choices

by Joyce Johanson

In his column in the American Lhasa Apso Club's April/May 1993 The Lhasa Bulletin, the following explanations of the new color choices were given by Mr. Norman Herbel, who was at that time the Chair of the ALAC Breed Standard Committee:

Standard Colors
Black (Solid Black),
Golden (Pale gold to wheaten),
Grizzle (Bluish-gray or iron gray color due to an admixture of black and white hairs. Red grizzle is an admixture of black and red hairs),
Red Gold (Dark apricot to light red),
White (Solid White),
Black & Tan (Typical black & tan markings; i.e. black body color with tan spots above eyes, on cheeks, on muzzle, chest, legs, and vent),
Cream (Almost white to darker shades of cream),
Red (Solid red with shades of Viszla red to Irish Setter red).

Alternate Colors
Gray (Light charcoal or blue or grizzle),
Silver (Admixture of cream and black, charcoal or gray; i.e. cream sable or cream grizzle),
Liver (or brown or chocolate--deep reddish brown with self-colored liver skin pigment),
Charcoal (Dark slate gray; i.e. faded black),
Blue (A dilution of black, either light of dark blue gray with self-colored blue skin pigment).

Markings
Brindle (A color pattern produced by the presence of darker hairs forming bands and giving a striped effect on a background of cream, gold, or red),
Sable (A color pattern produced by black tipped hairs overlaid upon a background of gold, cream, red or red gold),
Parti-color (a color pattern broken up into two or more colors, one of which is white, in more or less equal proportions),
White markings (White on colored background usually on one or a combination: chest collar, blaze, muzzle, or tail tip),
Black tips (black tipped hairs; i.e. sable),
Black mask with tips (Dark shading of varying degrees about the head, ears, and tail; i.e. dark points).

Caution: Before you register your puppy, REMEMBER that most Lhasa puppies do tend to change color as they go through that first year. Typically, colors will lighten; a puppy that looks "Brown" at ten weeks may be "Gold" at ten months, or one that looks "Gold" at an early age may prove later to be a "Cream." Sometimes you can get a good idea of the puppy's "real" color by checking the hair color close to the roots. If it seems quite a bit lighter, choose the lighter color choice. 

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!

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

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

In this season of Thanksgiving let's remember to count our Lhasas among our many blessings. 

Joyce