"O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall:
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild;
Should waste them all."
~Robert Frost, "October"
Well, we've said good-bye to September, another busy month around here. Highlights included:
1) a 4-day outdoor dog show over the Labor Day weekend in Amana, IA, where the weather was perfect and Pearl won all four days and came home with 9 points toward her championship and a lot of pretty ribbons! Here are some photos taken of her at the show.
3) We had puppies!! There are 8 of them. Some pictures will be posted next month. Looks like reddish golds, golds, blacks, and a black and tan.
4) We traveled to Nebraska to celebrate my mom's 90th birthday. Actually, the first celebration was hosted by the Boone County Health Center, where Mom worked in admitting for 46 years. Her last day at work was the day before her retirement party. On Saturday, my sister and I hosted an Open House, which was overwhelmingly attended by family and Mom's many, many friends.
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| Left to right: Me, Mom, My Sister |
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| Mom surrounded by grandkids and 4 of her 6 great grandkids |
In one sense that trip was difficult for us. Because of the dogs, my husband and I seldom go on any overnight trips together. One of us stays home with the dogs. Nine years ago we went to FL for our daughter's wedding and the next trip together was the one to NE for Mom's birthday. We hired a dog sitter and left the poor woman with copious notes! (I am notorious for being a worrier!) She did a fine job, as did my friend Jane, who served as her backup! All was well when we arrived back home.
And before we knew it, October arrived!
Did you know October has designated holidays for each day? Before we even get to Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day and Halloween, some of the holidays include National Homemade Cookies Day, National Cinnamon Rolls Day, National No Bra Day, National Grouch Day, National I Care About You Day, Black Cat Day, National Caramel Apple Day...and the list goes on!
October began with another dog show, this one only 2 days, in Freeport, IL. Again, we had beautiful weather during the day (but chilly mornings and nights - Brrr!)
Pearl again showed well and earned a point each day. She is now up to 11 points, has both major wins, and just needs 4 single points to finish. I showed her in the NOHS (National Owner Handled Series) and she won second place in the Non-Sporting NOHS group. Here she is with her ribbon. We took this photo of her yesterday afternoon.
What's next? Why, the National Lhasa Apso Specialty of course! This year it is being held in St. Louis on October 18 - 21 at the Holiday Inn St Louis SW, Route 66, 10709 Watson Rd. The shows are held on the 18th, 19th, and 21st. The 20th is set aside for meetings. If you live near by, you should come to watch. There are 42 Lhasas entered from across the country, so you'll be able to get a big "Lhasa fix" that week. Go to lhasaapso.org for information about each day's schedule. As of this writing, the times for the competitions are not available.
Notes and Photos
Jessie sent this photo of San.
Sally wrote, "I sent you these 2 pictures of Jaxon so you can see his colors. My niece asked if I highlighted his hair which of course I didn’t. It’s a mixture that’s for sure and so thick dear lord 😂" Here is one of the pictures she sent. What a beautiful combination of colors!
Stephanie wrote to let me know Auggie had been neutered. "His discharge paperwork said that "Auggie is a very sweet and absolutely gorgeous boy!" Of course, I agree with that professional assessment. And when I went to pick him up, the vet told me that one of the staff members said he is so cute & perfect that he should be on a shelf in a toy store!..He is full of personality and is such a happy-go-lucky little fella...I love this picture of Auggie and LadyBug playing "mind tug-of-war" with the ball. They have plenty of balls, but they always seem to want the same one. Auggie ended up winning this stare down. They play really well together and I believe they are thankful to have each other."
Paul wrote, "This is what happens when you pay too much attention to your phone and not your daughter."
From Marianne about Kaiju: "...thank you once again for him he is just such a good puppy. He recently realized that the window behind the couch is the best place to watch the neighborhood. Now I catch both my guys checking out what is going on. He is just such a happy cuddly little guy... well not so little he is 17.2 lb now. We love him dearly and he is not spoiled at all."
Priscilla wrote about Trixie: "Trixie has been a delight. She is so happy, sweet, and serene (most of the time, LOL). She tells Ozzie when she wants him to play with her, so she is starting to boss him around a bit. She is walking outside fairly well while wearing her harness. She knows how to ‘sit’ but is pretending not to understand other commands. Training with treats has commenced!
She is into interior decorating with the dog beds, which she drags onto a pile—like a fort. And after she has finished, she smiles proudly at us! I’ve attached a somewhat recent pic of her—she’s up to 10 1/2 pounds now."
Paula sent this photo of Eleanor helping with homework.
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| Sporting his new shades! |
Resources
AKC has many good resources available on its website.
Here is one that might come in handy:
AKC: Introducing AKC GoodDog! Helpline Video Chat
Also, I recently received a copy of a new book about the Lhasa Apso: The Complete Guide to The Lhasa Apso by Vanessa Richie.
I was immediately put off when in the Introduction she wrote, "At just a foot in height at the shoulders..."
That is so wrong, which makes me wonder if she referred to the Standard at all when she wrote about our breed!
From the Standard: "Size: Variable, ideally between 10 and 11 inches at the shoulder."
This is a case where size does matter!
I skimmed through the book and noticed it had a lot of general knowledge in it that applies to any breed, and like similar books of its kind, just sort of plugs in the word "Lhasa" and provides Lhasa photos in those sections. It contains some nice pictures and quotes from Lhasa owners and exhibitors.
There are 18 Chapters in the book. Chapters include Is the Lhasa Apso Right for You? Breed History of the Lhasa Apso, Lhasa Apso Attributes and Temperament, Finding Your Lhasa Apso, Preparing Your Budget and Family for Your New Lhasa Apso, Preparing Your Home and Schedule, Bringing Your Lhasa Apso Home, Introducing Your Lhasa Apso to Your Other Dogs, etc.
The book sells for $19.95. Publisher is LP Media
Speaking of the Lhasa Apso Standard, here is the section on the forequarters and shoulders:
Forequarters: Shoulders - Well laid back. Elbows close to the body. Shoulder blade and upper arm are ideally equal in length (i.e., length from point of withers to point of shoulder and point of shoulder to point of elbow should be equal.) Viewed from the front, the rib cage is oval in shape. Legs - Heavily furnished with hair. The legs are straight from elbow to pastern. The vertical distance from the withers to the elbow equals the distance from the elbows to the ground. Pasterns - Strong, perpendicular. Dew claws - may be removed. Feet - Well feathered/heavily furnished, should be round and catlike, with good pads. The hair may be trimmed for neatness.
With that said, remember that Life is better when you have a Lhasa to love you! Indeed it is!
'Til next time -- thanks for reading!
Joyce
