Is It Spring Yet?

It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!  ~Mark Twain

As I look at today's calendar, I realize that I had originally planned to take the day off, and yet I went to work, which perhaps explains why I so so badly wanted to leave as soon as I unlocked my office door!

I've received some great emails this month from people I have not heard from in a while, all of them writing about the Lhasas they got from us. Kathy wrote to say that Casey had recently turned 16 and to give me an update on his health. Cheryl did the same about Libby, who had her 15th birthday. Kristi wrote to me on Facebook about Autumn who had her 4^th birthday. It is so great to hear from people about their Lhasas. Notes and pictures are always appreciated.

Connor jumping for joy! It's spring!

 I also heard from Judy, Ty's new owner, saying he is full of energy and that one of her dogs tolerates him, another ignores him, and the third has adopted him and mothers him. Raquel wrote that the puppy formerly known on this blog as Socks is dealing her fits because he hates to have his eyes cleaned or his face combed.

I also received a nice email message from a man in Australia who wrote that they were buying their first Lhasa. He told me how much the information on my website had helped them. What a nice note! I always wonder if anyone reads the information on the website.

The new puppies are doing just fine. No pictures yet, but they are coming I promise. I don't know where the time goes, but each morning I remind Lynn, "We need to take pictures of the puppies tonight" and somehow we never get to it. The female puppies are all petite. The male evidently eats more than his share! I keep calling him Bruiser and need to stop before it sticks! I'll try to get pictures posted over the weekend.

The "three girls" have been officially named. Their AKC papers indicate that Maggie is officially "Joyslyn's Moonlight Magic." Whisper is "Joyslyn's Midnight Confessions." Raven is "Joyslyn's Midnight Enchantment." Maggie seems to be the 3^rd wheel in this trio and gets picked on by the other two. She's learning to hold her own, and the others get to hear me say "knock it off" quite often! They always look at me like "what?" — pretending they have no clue why I would chastise them.

Unfortunately, we have not been able to get to class this month as planned. So far we've had to miss two classes, and next week there is another conflict. I'm really hoping March 29 is a "go!" In the meantime, we have been practicing at home. All three of the girls are doing well with the lead training and walking down the street with ease. Last night they met their first bicycle riders pedaling by and that caused a bit of trauma for a few seconds. Maggie is the most stubborn about being on a lead (shades of Belle I fear!). I plan to enter them in shows in May. They'll have to take turns because there is no way I can afford to enter all three in every upcoming show. Raven is by far the most showy of the three.

Walker had his teeth cleaned yesterday and while he was "under," I asked our vet to flush his tear ducts. As a puppy (he is now 8), Walker had terrible problems with a wet face. I'd wash him, dry him, get him ready for a show and, the next thing you know, his face would be all wet and stinky. Come to find out, his tear ducts were so clogged that to clear them took six consecutive days of flushing. After that, he had no more wet face problems, but I still ask to have the tear ducts flushed every time he goes in for a teeth cleaning, just to make sure the ducts stay clear.

Speaking of clean teeth: another Lhasa breeder recently recommended to me a product called Tropiclean Clean Teeth Gel that is supposed to work great for getting rid of plaque without brushing. PetEdge and KV Vet Supply carry it, as do other online pet supply companies. I ordered some but have not tried it yet. I noticed Tropiclean also carries a teeth cleaning product that can be added to the dog's drinking water.

News that recently came from the American Lhasa Apso Club (ALAC) was that the petition submitted by ALAC's Native Stock Committee (NSC) to open AKC's stud book for Lhasa Apsos was approved by 2/3^rds of the ALAC membership. The petition encompassed two issues: (1) To allow the current breeding stock within the Gompa Lhasa Apso Preservation Program with intact United Kennel Club pedigrees full AKC registration and (2) To allow use of the AKC Foundation Stock Service ® (FSS) to record region-of-origin Lhasa Apsos.  My February 1^st blog goes into more detail about the two issues.

Finally, something to add to your calendar in case you don't have vacation plans and would like to spend a week with Lhasa Apsos: ALAC's 2011 National Specialty week is October 10-14. This year we will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Albuquerque Hilton. Monday is judging for the Top 20 Lhasas. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are confirmation judging days. Wednesday is the agility, obedience, and rally day.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce