Friday, June 26, 2015

China Claims Lhasas and Other Tibetan Breeds to be of Chinese Origin



If you haven't read about it already, here is a copy of an article regarding the FCI's decision regarding China claim to be the Tibetan breeds' country of origin.

Disgusting!

Here's the link if you'd rather read it from the original source.

http://www.bestinshowdaily.com/blog/fci-changes-tibetan-breeds-country-of-origin-to-china/

FCI Changes Tibetan Breeds’ Country of Origin to China


By Dog World-UK
Posted in: Dog World UK, Learn!, News Bites, Right Now!

Enthusiasts of the Tibetan breeds say they are outraged that the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) has changed their country of origin from Tibet to China.

And more trouble is brewing after it became known that a proposal is on the table to alter their country of patronage/development from the UK to China.

The change of the country of origin was agreed unanimously by the FCI’s General Committee in March – although this has only just come to light – following a request from the Chinese Kennel Union (CKU). This affects the Tibetan Mastiff, Tibetan Terrier, Tibetan Spaniel, Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu.

The proposal regarding the breeds’ development affects the Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu and Chow Chow, despite the fact that there is a general acceptance that China has played no part in developing and patronising the breeds in the show ring or establishing breed Standards.

Aficionados have called the moves ‘high-handed’, nonsensical and ‘a total betrayal of Tibet’.

In the midst of the hubbub FCI president Rafael de Santiago issued a statement on the organisation’s website saying: “Always attentive to the opinion of the breeders worldwide, we took note of the uproar concerning the attribution of the 2019 World Dog Show to China and to the decision regarding the country of origin of (these breeds),” he said.

“While we understand the concern expressed by the breeders worldwide about both situations, the FCI wishes to inform that the decision to grant the organisation of the World Show 2019 to China was taken by a decision of our General Assembly where 68 countries were present or represented and by a large majority of votes, in total transparency and according to the principles of democracy internationally recognised and accepted.

“That decision was made on the basis of a very open and complete presentation made by our Chinese member, CKU, during which (the Chinese) delegation clearly mentioned the cultural differences between China and most of the other countries in the world. The FCI sees it as an excellent opportunity to raise awareness among the Chinese population that the dog, our beloved friend, is a member of our families, a living entity and most of all man’s best friend.

“May we add that China won the right to organise this World Show over several other countries, namely Spain, Germany and Croatia, in a clear victory.

“In addition, we find it important to clarify that (the) CKU is an FCI full member. As such, it has the right to ask to be the country of origin of the breeds indicated above.

“It is important to know that any change in a breed Standard can be implemented worldwide if, and only if, the FCI General Committee, following recommendations of the FCI Standards and Scientific Commissions, approves it.

“Nowadays, the FCI is more than ever committed to the betterment and safeguard of the dog and to promoting its welfare, love and respect in the four corners of the world.”

In light of the announcement, supporters of the Tibetan breeds are hoping to form an international group through which to make their feelings known.

“The idea would be that all the breed clubs affected in each country unite by sending a letter to their kennel club expressing the concerns they have on the recent changes,” said organiser Yvonne Cannon.

“The FCI very clearly stated ‘contacts would be established between the FCI and its members – the relevant kennel club for each country – and not with the breeders and exhibitors.


The FCI’s decision has come as a ‘huge shock’ to Tibetan Terrier enthusiasts.

“We are asking for senior representatives of Tibetan breed clubs, be it a chairperson or secretary, to email me at cloughlea@gmail.com or Soffia Kristin Kwaszeno at soffia@dyrheimar.is if they are interested in such a group and we can forward our proposal.”

An online petition has been launched saying: ‘We, owners of the breed, do not agree with the decision. Our Tibetan breeds have a history from Tibet, they are developed in Tibet and just because China took Tibet our breeds are not changing their country of origin to China’.

The Kennel Club said it was concerned to hear what had happened.

“Without knowing the full background to the changes we would assume that this is perhaps a matter simply of geographical status and therefore should not present any issues,” said General Committee member Frank Kane. “However, we remain cautious of the situation.

“What is obviously of great concern is the suggestion that the country of development for these breeds may be reconsidered. We would strongly resist such a change because the facts are clear – these breeds were developed in the UK by UK breeders and this should not be altered.”

Pat Tempest, chairman of the Tibetan Terrier Association, said her breed should be respected by the FCI which, she said, was acting in a ‘high-handed’ fashion.

“The first I heard of this was on Facebook and I actually thought it must have been a joke or a misunderstanding,” she said. “Unfortunately it wasn’t.

“I find it extremely difficult to find any justification to change the country of origin except for political reasons. It certainly has nothing to do with the improvement of the canine world. Historical records show that the Tibetan Terrier has remained unchanged for over 2,000 years having been evolved from dogs bred at one remote monastery in the Lost Valley of Tibet.

“All Tibetan Terriers were swiftly removed to remote monasteries for safe keeping when the Chinese invaded and overran Lhasa in the early 18th century.

“We are a breed that evolved in Tibet and our structure and breed characteristics are such as was required to survive in such a harsh environment. We are a breed steeped in history which should be respected by the FCI. And what next? The report of the FCI meeting records that future consideration will be given to change the patronage of several breeds from Great Britain to China. As far as I am aware there is a very small population of Tibetan Terriers in China. Who has the experience there to control the breed Standard and to ensure that the breed remains as true as possible to its origins?

“Great Britain has by far the biggest Tibetan Terrier population and the greatest number of people with knowledge and expertise to see that the breed stays true to type and origin. It was in 1934 that the first British Standard for the Tibetan Terrier was written. Since then it has remained fairly intact with some modifications to aid clarity and understanding.

“I hope that with the backing and support of the UK Kennel Club a steering group/committee can be established to protect the breeds under attack from this high-handed and unnecessary development from FCI. We cannot sit back and allow this to happen.”

DW’s Tibetan Terrier breed note writer Vita Davies called the move ‘a huge shock’.

“This implies that the Tibetan Terrier could no longer be called the Tibetan but the Chinese Terrier,” she said. “This would not be the first time that there has been a change of name since the very early days when they were called Lhasa Terriers, and would certainly be a huge shock to the Tibetan Terrier-owning public without any consideration for the views of them, with no invitation to comment on these changes.

“Many Tibetan Terrier followers in this country have given decades of loyalty to and for the development of the Tibetan Terrier, Surely consultation should have taken place with major breed clubs, and with the Kennel Club.

“The history of the Tibetan Terrier is inexorably linked with the part of eastern Asia called Tibet.

“Changing the country of patronage/development from Great Britain to China seems of more serious contention. Tibetan Terriers were first imported into this country in 1934 and have been caringly bred and developed here over the last 80 years It is now one of the most popular breeds in the country, which leads the world in detecting their general defects and analysis through DNA testing. Therefore patronage should definitely stay with this country.”

‘Total betrayal’

DOG WORLD columnist Mike Tempest said Tibetan Terrier fans worldwide were up in arms and called it ‘a total betrayal of Tibet’. This is because our much-treasured natural breed from Tibet has been given away by FCI to China,” he said.

“How do owners and breeders throughout the world fancy a change of the name of the breed to Chinese Terrier. Flippant? Don’t rule it out! Do you think that when the World Show is held in China that the Chinese are going to schedule a breed with Tibet in its name?

“The next target for China is apparently for it to be described as the country of patronage and development of the Tibetan breeds. The political interference with the correct country of origin of our breed, and other breeds, when these breeds have an enormous cultural heritage, just stinks.

“In my view this is a total betrayal of Tibet by the FCI. I even question whether the FCI has any authority to do this; certainly the country of patronage/development is accepted by FCI as being the UK. History tells us that China had nothing to do with the patronage or development of our breed – that was down to Dr Greig bringing them from Tibet to the UK, and their patronage and development is entirely British. Indeed this is recognised by FCI in the UK breed Standard which is given on the FCI website.

“The FCI should have had nothing to do with this when these breeds are of British patronage. It’s like the FCI giving one of our breeds away when it has no right to do so. We should be asking our KC to intervene and do something to protect our ‘British’ Tibetan breeds from this stealth.”

DW’s Tibetan Mastiff breed note writer Jeff Springham also called the FCI’s decision high-handed.

“There has been for some time now a move afoot, in certain quarters, to promote a heavier, more molossoid type of Tibetan Mastiff which is alien to the original purpose of this particular breed,” he said.

“It had been rumoured that the FCI was due to split the breed into Tibetan and Chinese Tibetan – or some similar distinction. As we stand this does not appear to be the case, and one can only think that the population explosion of the heavy, immobile, short-legged ‘market type’ in China resulting from well documented crossbreeding with many varied breeds in order to add incorrect bone, size, flew and dewlap to what is essentially a mountain dog looks likely to be the reasons behind this decision, which would appear to be both political and economic.

“How will this affect the breed in the UK? I would like to say very little but, unfortunately, I have no way of knowing until we see what the CKU decides to do with their patronage of the FCI Standard. It should be noted that the patronage of this standard, Do-Khyi 230, has been with the FCI for many years now.

“Although we have come a very long way in the last few years the gene pool for the Tibetan Mastiff in the UK is far from large enough and, naturally, many UK breeders are looking to Europe for suitable stud dogs and puppies to enhance their breeding programmes. Currently, the majority of the Tibetan Mastiffs one encounters in Europe look very much like those you find in the UK, however the spread of the ‘market type’ is ongoing. Should the CKU decide to change the Standard to reflect their perceived preference rather than produce two separate Standards, UK breeders will have to spend much more time and effort when sourcing potential new bloodlines, although many, including myself, do not necessarily see this as a bad thing.”

DW’s Lhasa Apso breed note writer Pauline Torrance wondered whether the UK Kennel Club would champion the cause.

“I understand that in international law there is now no country of Tibet as it is an automatous region of China,” she said. “But having travelled to Tibet, our Lhasa Apsos are definitely Tibetan, having evolved over many years to cope with high altitude and diverse weather conditions.

“When in Tibet we saw, perhaps, one purebred Lhasa, and we also heard some. We saw many Tibetan Mastiffs, and when I asked our guide why we didn’t see any Lhasa Apsos in Lhasa he told us they were kept by the Tibetan nobility and these people no longer existed in Tibet.

“I understand that the next step is to change the country of patronage/development from Great Britain to China. At present all FCI countries judge the Lhasa Apso to the British Standard and therefore there is a reasonable amount of uniformity in the breed across the world. However, if China changes our breed Standard will the rest of the world have to follow that one? This would mean that as we are not governed by the FCI but by the KC we could be different. The Honourable Mrs Bailey, Lady Freda Valentine and a small band of people worked hard to bring these small dogs to Britain from Tibet in the 1930s – can we stand by and say nothing while the FCI and China at one meeting change all this? Will the next thing be a change in the name of our breed and the Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier and Tibetan Mastiff for FCI countries, and will Britain keep the current names?

“There are so many questions yet unanswered… will the KC champion these breeds and write to the FCI?”

Buddha’s lion

Tibetan Spaniel breeder and exhibitor, DW columnist and breed note writer Jane Lilley said fans of her breed spoke as one when they said it did not originate in China.

“Why is a Tibetan Spaniel described as such? Simply because it is a type of dog originating from nowhere other than Tibet!” she said. “There is no written or recorded history of Tibet before the seventh century, the origin of the breed is – and probably always will be – shrouded in deep oriental mystery.

“However, it is a fact that their ownership was always highly prized in ancient times, perhaps especially because of their similarity to the lion, this being of particular significance in the Buddhist religion, with Tibet becoming a Buddhist country in the seventh century, the lion, symbolising the power of the peaceful Lord Buddha over aggression and violence.

“Buddha had trained a lion to walk to heel like a faithful dog and, thus, it was easy to identify the small dogs who trotted along with the Tibetan Lamas with the symbolic lion of Buddha.

“Just to emphasise the point, Marco Polo, who spent much time with Kublai Khan, in fact likened the lions in the latter’s Imperial Menagerie to the ‘little golden coated nimble dogs, which were commonly bred by the (Tibetan) people themselves in their homes’, as he had seen during his travels.

“It then became the custom to present these ‘little lions’ to favoured guests and to those in other monasteries in Tibet, the custom growing as these dogs became more and more highly valued, to being sent as special gifts to the palaces of China and other Buddhist countries.

“These Tibetan dogs then became included as part of the annual tributes paid to the emperors of China by successive ruling dynasties at Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, and treasured as pets at the oriental courts.”

“It is thought that through giving them as precious gifts, the paying of tributes and thence via the Caravan Silk Routes from China to Europe, the Tibetan Spaniel became the original ancestor of many of today’s breeds such as the Pekingese and Japanese Chin, and may well account for the numbers of these type of dogs in Spain, Portugal and the South of France to name but a few.

“Just to quote a small, relevant postscript from Wikipedia, ‘The Tibetan Spaniel is a breed of assertive, small, intelligent dogs originating over 2,500 years ago in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet’, with the statement that they are also known as Simkhyi, ‘which means house dog, room dog or even bedroom dog. They are the dogs of highest order being kept as Lama dogs or with aristocrats’.”

Bridget Croucher, secretary of the Tibetan Spaniel Association, said she had ‘never heard such nonsense’.

“The Tibetan Spaniel came from Tibet and therefore that is the country of origin,” she said. “Just because China now thinks it owns Tibet doesn’t make any difference.

“As far as we are concerned it is a Tibetan breed and always will be.”

Chow Chow breeder and exhibitor Sheila Jakeman added her views.

“Within the Chow world it is well known that the Standard for the breed was drawn up in 1895 by the first committee of the Chow Chow Club,” she said. “We have, though, always declared the origin of the breed to be China.

“With regard to patronage/development it is clear that we were probably responsible for the continuation of the breed and its development into the examples we see here today. Those in North America are also linked to the original exports from the UK as are many throughout Europe, but not exclusively, of course.”




Monday, June 22, 2015

Now Seven Weeks...



Puppies are nature's remedy for feeling unloved, plus numerous other ailments of life.
~ Richard Allan Palm


Seven Weeks and Growing!


Vader 7 weeks

Hawk 7 weeks
Thor 7 weeks
Kimmi 7 weeks
Jenna 7 weeks
Bekka 8 weeks
Whoa!

Bekka?? Where did she come from?

Bekka is a half-sister to my litter. Breaker is also her sire and her mother is actually an "aunt" to Maggie, the mother of my five. Bekka came home with me on Saturday. She and the other five act as if she has been part of the litter from the beginning. I was having enough trouble trying to decide which of the two girls to keep. Now there is a third, and the decision is even more difficult!

What Next?

Josh, Luna, and I are at long last gearing up for shows this weekend. It's been well over a month for us so I'm more than ready and I think they will be excited too once I start pulling out the crates and the other show equipment. We're headed for West Bend, WI, for the All-breed shows as well as the Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club specialties. Riley, Josh's half sister will be coming in from Iowa to compete in the Beginner Puppy Competition. That should be fun! Wish us safe travel and some luck in the show ring!

Life is Better When You Have A Lhasa to Love You!

Joyce




Monday, June 15, 2015

Puppies at Six Weeks



"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain." ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I thought it appropriate to mention rain since, like many areas in the U.S.,  we've been getting a shower or thunderstorm daily for a while, sometimes during the day, sometimes during the night, often both times. It's getting tiresome, but there isn't much one can do about it.

The dogs hate the rain. They are always eager and poised to run outside once we get home from work, only to put on the brakes when the door opens and they see how wet it is outside. Why is it that the ones who have their coats clipped wish to avoid the wet while those in coat are ready to rush out the door and make a mess out of themselves?

People Sent Notes and Photos

This week has brought some nice notes and photos. Judy sent this photo of Raven. Raven has been with Judy for a couple of months now and as you can see, is happily settled in and enjoying Judy's bed! Doesn't she look happy and pleased with herself? Judy has written many an email describing Raven's transition from my home to hers.


Marilyn sent a photo and wrote, "Maci has the right idea for dealing with 97 [degrees] today. Just roll over on your back and let the overhead fan work its magic!"

Look at that cute spotted belly!
We also heard from Maci's litter brother's owner, John, who wrote, "Here is a picture of "Lucky" at four months. He is housebroken and doing well. He is a wonderful dog and a lot of company. He is also full of energy and never stops. He weighs 11 lbs. He is well worth the money to me." When John came to pick up the puppy, I asked him if he had a name for him yet. He told me that everyone in his small town told him he should name the puppy "Lucky," because any dog would be lucky to have him for an owner. John is pretty sure now that he is the lucky one!

John's Lucky
This note (but no photo) came from the Fowlers who got a puppy from us nine years ago: "Just in case you are still using the same e-mail address as nine years ago, we wanted to tell you that our Lhasa, named Cooper, continues to amaze us and our friends with his incredible personality... He is indeed the love of our life and we are forever grateful that you helped create such a wonderful friend.  I hope life has been good for you these past nine years and continues to be so.  Our life has been full of laughs and love, nearly all due to that wonderful puppy you sold us. Every month we travel to Canada, and a month later back to the US, and he is equally at home in both houses, with both sets of friends, and with the car travel in between.  He has almost never been on a leash as he learns immediately what his boundaries are and stays within them perfectly.  He has separate routines at each house, and separate games that involve the different layouts of the house or yard.  Takes perfect care of all his toys and is so cute in his sitting in Jackie's lap each night to watch television sitting up vertically with her arm around him that I get all choked up each nite.  Thank you, the Fowler's."


New Photos of Maggie and Breaker's Puppies


Yesterday the puppies were six weeks old. I attempted to stack them so you could see more of them than faces. Every one  but Jenna cooperated well. She wanted no part of that, thank you very much. As a result, even the best photo of her stacked is not very good. But, it is what it is. Better luck next time and all that!

First,  two photos of the black and tan male, Vader.



Here are two of Hawk.






And two of the third male, Thor






Kimmi was very cooperative for her photo shoot.






Jenna was not.






The American Lhasa Apso Club National Specialty

The flyer is out for the ALAC National Specialty in October. Here is what's on the schedule so far. The specialty is a great place to meet people and Lhasas from across the country -- and Canada too! You don't have to show Lhasas to be able to enjoy the events.


Life is Better When You Have a Lhasa to Love You!


Joyce


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Weekly Puppy Pictures and The Moving Story


"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." ~Robert A. Heinlein



The Moving Story

You may recall from last week's post that I was bemoaning the fact that our son and his family were moving two and a half hours away to a home in Iowa. I also expressed some trepidation about having to drive there with their two cats.

One reader, Cindy, wrote, ""I hope this finds that you had a PURRfect drive with no CATastrophes! And...were able to say a goodbye knowing the family is still the family no matter where they may be." So I thought I'd let you all know just how the day went. (Skip this part if you are eager to get to the puppy photos.)

The move was scheduled for Monday, June 1. Our son called early that day to say that the 26 foot U-Haul they had reserved for pickup in Macomb at 8 AM was not there so he would have to go to Keokuk, IA (about an hour away) to pick up a truck, but it would not be available until noon. This was a setback because we had planned to have it loaded and be well on our way to IA by 11:00. Also, our son had many friends lined up to help load that morning, so he had to call and tell them to show up at 1:00 instead.

We got to the U-Haul place in Keokuk at noon. No truck! The people who were supposed to return it that morning had not done so. So the U-Haul people called them and said it had to be returned (do not ask me why in the heck, knowing we were scheduled to arrive at 12:00, they had not tracked the slackers down when the truck had not shown up by, let's say, 11:00!!).  We were advised to go get lunch and told they would call us when the truck was ready.

We were all irked. We knew how many hours of packing, travel, and unpacking were ahead of us. Our son texted all his friends again about the delay and we went to lunch.

The truck was returned by 1:00. By 1:30 we were on our way back to Macomb, arriving at 2:30. The guys went to the house with the truck where the friends were waiting. Our granddaughter and I went to the bank, then to the store to get me a 5 Hour Energy because I knew I'd need it for the drive home, then home to put the dogs out. We then picked up the two cats and were on our way by 4:00. We arrived at 6:30. The guys did not get there until shortly after 8:30.

It took 2.5 hours to unload, another half hour to return the truck and keys to the nearest U-Haul business and say good-byes. We were on our way home by 11:30 and fighting sleep the last 45 minutes. (So much for the "five" in  5 Hour Energy). We arrived home by 2:15 AM, put dogs out, and basically fell into bed, although I did manage to wash my face and put on pajamas.

As for the cats, they were a bit freaked out but their crates had been lined with favorite blankets sprayed with calming spray. Once we were on our way, Zartan slept quietly. Belle was more vocal. We noticed that every time we talked to each other, she fussed, so we stopped talking and listened to an audio book. Once in the new house, the cats were really upset and disoriented. They first found the litter box (thankfully) that my daugher-in-law had prepared for their arrival, and then took up residence on a closet shelf, where they stayed for the duration of the unloading.

The Puppies at Five Weeks


These five weeks have gone quickly. The puppies are growing and getting cuter each day. They are exploring, playing with each other and the many toys scattered all over the floors, and starting to eat puppy food, although they still prefer to nurse. Maggie is not so excited about that part and is showing strong signs of letting me know that it will soon be my job to clean and feed them.

Vader - the black and tan male
Hawk - the gold male (I love his head and face!)

Thor - gold male with white stockings - very flashy
Kimmi - gold female, petite
Jenna - gold and white female. Everyone comments on her markings

Notes and Photos from Friends

Kim wrote about Snickers and sent a couple photos. Snickers is also a Maggie son. "Here is a picture of Snickers. He is an amazing dog… He brings us so much love and laughter…We took this picture of him holding his favorite toy. He loves to carry it all over the home.  Hope you can see in this photo how just so adorable and full of character he has. He is smart, caring and full of love. We all love him so much." 

Snickers

Tammy sent a cute photo of Sugar, one of the Duncan and Windy puppies born at the end of December, and a quick update letting me know Sugar is doing well. She also said, "She is very sweet but very much “wants” to be in charge are everything!!  We couldn’t love her any more than we already do!"

Sugar
I am thankful that many of our puppy buyers keep in touch. It's fun to get the photos and read about the dogs.

Watch for new photos next week.


Life is Better When You Have a Lhasa to Love You!

Joyce



Monday, June 1, 2015

Puppy Update





Today is a bittersweet day, the kind of day that all parents experience when their children move away. Our oldest, his wife, and daughter have spoiled us by living in the same town as we do. They are now starting a new adventure in life, moving from our smaller Illinois town to a city in Iowa. I am happy for them and all the new opportunities that await, but sad they will be farther away than "just across town." Most of all, I am bummed because they insist on taking my granddaughter with them!



Puppy Update

The puppies are doing well. Over the weekend, they also moved. They left their whelping box for a larger pen that allows them more room to play and explore. They are also exploring our family room, and I have learned that the new sofa and loveseat have just enough space under them for small puppies to crawl and hide! A couple more weeks of growth and they will be too big to venture under the furniture.

So, here are the weekly photos, this time with names under them. I have to call them something to distinguish one from another. This first photo is of the black and tan male. His future owner decided to name him Vader.


The other two boys also have future owners, but since at this time we have no idea which new owner will get which puppy, I gave them call names myself! The first puppy is Hawk. The second is Thor. (Vader was originally going to be "Tony Stark," but his new owner beat me to that with "Vader!" (Lucky puppy!)



The girls are Kimmi and Jenna. I plan to keep one of them, but have no idea which one it'll be.






I also wanted to share the photo of Josh's Owner Handled Group 1. The judge is Richard Miller.



A few hours from now, I'll be on the road to Iowa, following the U-Haul. I've been told the two cats are riding in my car. Oh joy!

Never having transported cats before, all I can say is that next week when I write, I hope what I am writing is, "The cats were surprisingly calm and quiet. I did not hear a peep out of them the entire trip."

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


Joyce