The Merry Merry Month of May

“Fair flowers are springing beneath thy genial ray,

and thousand happy birds are singing, all welcome to thee, May!” 
~ Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon

I know May 1 is a holiday of sorts but no one seems to notice that holiday anymore. "Way back when," I recall making May baskets and putting flowers and/or candy in them to give to special friends. We set them on the door steps, knocked or rang the doorbell, then took off running so they did not find out who left the basket. The baskets were not fancy. I seem to recall cupcake holders, construction paper, and pipe cleaners. 

May Day is also a day to celebrate 8 hour work days, thanks to all the workers who rioted until a shorter work day was implemented. Hurray!

Haven and I went to a dog show the first weekend in May. I was just recovering from an 8 hour trip home from visiting family in Nebraska, so was very grateful to our friend LaVonne for offering a bedroom and dinner. Haven loves going to LaVonne's and is so excited when I tell her we are going to visit. For some reason she thinks she owns the place and takes over Cooper and Misti's dog beds, toys, and white bones. Cooper and Misti are to be praised for putting up with her!

The show was fun, even with only 3 Lhasas there. Misti won Best of Breed and an Owner Handled Group 4 placement on Saturday. Haven took Best of Breed and Owner Handled Group 3 on Sunday. And then we packed up and set off for home.

Here is Haven waiting patiently in the grooming area.

And here is the pretty ribbon she won.

On the way home my phone rang and rang. I glanced at it and saw the caller was our older son. I was smack in the middle of heavy traffic so had to wait until there was a place to pull over. I called him back and received the great news that at the end of November we will have a new grandson!

Puppy News

Speaking of babies, we are awaiting puppies that are due on the 23rd, so...any day now.

Notes and Photos From Friends

Cyndy wrote, "our boy Luther turned 11. He's still pretty active and in good health. Of course, we love him more each year and are so thankful for him."    Maggie and Breaker are his sire and dam.

Sally sent this picture to honor Jaxon's 5th birthday. Archie and Winter are his parents.

 Victoria wrote that her Honey celebrated a birthday also: "Honey’s birthday was yesterday Wednesday May 6! She is 5 years old now, and she’s just the sweetest and most loving girl. Her favorite time of day is hanging on the sofa as she guards the front door from the window nearby and and of course when her family gets home from school and work. She is the best snuggler and gives the best licks! I hope you are well and enjoying springtime!"(Yes, Honey and Jaxon are litter mates!)

Elaine, who now has our Athena, wrote, "Everyone has bought her toys, so she is up to about 20, but she keeps lamb chop by her side. She was eating in the kitchen, turned her back, so I put lamb chop in the front load washer. She was like, "oh no" and she got lamb chop out of the washer. I wish I had a picture of that, cutest ever. So I wash it when she's asleep. LOL"

It seems like all dogs love the lamb chop toys!

Here are pictures of Athena (w/o lamb chop, but one riding in her new stroller).

Sally sent this photo of Ginger.

Ebony left for her new home last week and is now living with Judy and her other Joyslyn's Lhasas: Ty, Nyx, and Winter. Judy's first report said, "She loves to run in the backyard! ...The girls just look at her and continue to do their own thing. I don't see any problems... She loves the crate in the dining room. Nyx uses it when Winter gets to be too much. I have two small blankets that you have given us so she is quite comfortable with her toys. Right now she has the run of the house, but hasn't tried to go upstairs or downstairs. When I leave, I open the crate door and she jumps right in. She is quiet and I haven't heard a bark out of her.  She didn't bark when Ty ran into her. She isn't eating much, but I am sure that will change.". 

And that leads to a topic I have written about before but that I am posting again. What follows is an excerpt  from an August 31, 2009 post  Here goes:

How Can You Give Them Up?

"How can you do it?" people ask me. And often I ask myself, "How can I do it? How can I give her up?"

What I am talking about of course is giving up for adoption our retired champions. It is not easy. It is not fun. It is necessary.

Nearly every dog in my house was born here. I touched them as they were born; I tore open the sac that held them; I wiped their faces and dried their bodies – sometimes even before their mothers touched them. I fussed and fretted over them as they grew. I watched them with careful eyes to make sure they were eating, that their development was normal, that they were not getting ill. I proudly watched eyes open. "Welcome to the world little one," I always say. I proudly watched first steps, first tail wags, first bites of food, first attempts at playing with toys, first puppy battles. I evaluated as I watched. Which one will it be? Who's going to be the next Joyslyn's show prospect?

I learned very early that "you can't keep them all." You absolutely cannot keep them all, no matter how much you love them, no matter how precious they seem. I've seen what happens to people who try. They become overwhelmed. They cannot care for all the dogs. They feel guilty. The dogs feel ignored. The show prospects that just HAD to be kept end up sitting around in a kennel, clipped down because the breeder is simply out of time and over her head. The numbers grow and grow. You can't keep them all. Because I'd witnessed many of my acquaintances who ended up keeping too many dogs, I determined early in my dog showing/breeding career that I could not be one of them.

So we let them go, starting with the puppies. Many a show prospect has left my home because I can't keep them all. I've met many wonderful people who have come into my home to buy puppies over the years. Some kept in touch for a year or so. Others still do after many, many years. I am so grateful for the stories they write me about their Lhasa, his/her antics and personality. I am so grateful for the "thank you" they write, even after many years.

As hard as it might be to let the puppies go, the heartbreakers are the adults, the champions I have slaved over to train, to groom, to take to shows. I've sat with them as they whelped puppies and calmed them far into the night as they labored to bring me my next champion.

And thus a bond is forged. It's a bond that is different from the bond between pet and owner. Not a better bond, just a different one.

My females generally have two or three litters and then I place them for adoption. That means their ages tend to be 5 or 6 years old. How can I let them go? Do I love them less for letting them go? No! I let them go because I love them. I let them go so they can experience being an only dog or one of two dogs in a home where they will get more attention than they get being one of many at my house. I let them go because after I steeled myself in the early years to give up the first few, and after I saw how well they adjusted and how they continued to flourish in their new home environments, and how much their new owners loved and appreciated them, I knew that, as hard as it was to let them go, it was best for them.

For those of you thinking about buying a Lhasa, never be afraid to ask a breeder if she has a retired champion available. Puppies are wonderful of course, no one will deny that. But don't discount one of the older dogs. They have much love to offer – as those of you who have adopted our adults can confirm. I know you are grateful for them, and I am grateful to you for loving them and caring for them as you do.

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From the Archives

This is a story about a Lhasa beauty named Joyslyn's Dance Sensation, AKA Dancer. Like Ebony, Dancer did not like to show. Oh, she loved going to the shows. She did not mind walking around the ring on the first go-round or being picked up and put on the table for exam. She stood during the exam and let the judge touch her. However, when I put her on the floor to do the down and back, she would walk a few steps then turn her head and give the judge a nasty look "How dare you touch me!" then continue the down and back with tail down.

I quickly got the message! No more shows for Dancer, but she had beautiful puppies. One of them was Rafe. Here are pictures of Dancer.

 

As I looked through pages of 1975 issue of Lhasa Tales magazine, I found the following article offering sage advice from well-respected Lhasa breeders some of whom have since passed away. I wanted to share it, especially with those who are or plan to be breeders.

You will need to click the images to enlarge the pages so you can actually read the print.

And last--but definitely--important is that May is the month we recognize our veterans in a special way.

From the internet:

The Honor and Remember Flag is perfect for both Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. It was created as a national symbol to acknowledge the sacrifice of men and women in the United States Armed Forces who have given their lives for their country in over two centuries of America’s history. 

• The Red Field represents the blood spilled by brave men and women in America’s military throughout history.

• The White Field below the gold star recognizes the purity of sacrifice; there is no greater pride an American can pay than to give his or her life in service to our country.

• The Blue Star represents active service in all wars from the American Revolution to present day.

• The Gold Star signifies the ultimate sacrifice of those who will not return home. Gold reflects the value of the life that was given.

• The Folded Flag signifies the final tribute to an individual life presented to the family for their significant loss.

• The Flame is an eternal reminder of the spirit that has departed this life yet burns on in memory for all who knew and loved the fallen hero.

Thanks for reading the blog! And special thanks to those who took time to share pictures and stories.

Joyce

April Showers and All That

 “But it is a sort of April-weather life that we lead in this world. A little sunshine is generally the prelude to a storm.”~ William Cowper

Greetings! Happy April. Haven and I attended one day of a show weekend in Maquoketa, IA. The weather was perfect for a show. No snow, no rain...just a blue sky and weather that was warm and cozy. Haven won Best of Breed over another bitch special so she earned another single point.

Here is the story behind what prompted me to add the following article to this blog: Haven does not like to stand to have her hair parted. She is lazy! I was having problems getting her part in straight. The part should follow the spine in a straight line. She did everything but roll over to keep me from achieving a decent part. Finally, I had what looked like success and that was good because friends were saying it was time to get to the ring.

We set up the ringside table. She laid down. Part looked okay from where I was standing. It was not.

We went in the ring. We went around the ring. I put her on the table for the exam. The judge looked at her then at me and told me that her part was off center. He was right. About 1/8 of an inch. I was quite embarrassed! I fixed it before we went back in the ring for group judging!

The Important Part

by Joyce Johanson

A Lhasa Apso's coat seems to fall naturally to either side and form a part down his back. If you train your Lhasa's part to form a completely straight line from nose to tail, you will enhance his appearance for the show ring.

Different people have different methods of parting their Lhasas. Some like the dog to lie on his stomach while they put in the part. Others (me, for example) prefer the dog to stand. It's a matter of preference. The important thing is that the dog stand (or lie) straight and still. It makes putting in a straight part a lot easier.

When I put a part in, I stack the Lhasa on a table and stand directly behind him. Using the end tooth of a metal Greyhound-style comb (some people prefer to use a knitting needle or end of a rat-tail comb) and beginning at the base of the dog's neck, I run the tooth of the comb straight down the spine, allowing the coat to fall to either side. If the dog is standing straight so his spine is straight, there's a much greater chance of getting the part straight the first time.

Once I have this basic part in, I sight down the dog's back from both front and rear to make sure the part runs straight. If it doesn't, I restack the dog and start over. (If I am working on a younger dog that doesn't have the patience to stand still for long, I usually call for some assistance!) If the part is basically straight except for a place or two, I work with those spots a few hairs at a time until it is straight.

If I am training the part in a young Lhasa's coat, at this point I spray the coat along the part with a light hairspray or dab it with hair gel to keep it in place. At a show, I use a light gel or hair spray and mist the coat along the part to keep it in place. "Setting" the part this way is necessary because, as anyone who has ever parted a Lhasa can tell you, the first thing the Lhasa will do after he is groomed is shake.

Once the back's part is set, I begin work on the head and neck. I part the hair evenly on the muzzle; then run the end tooth of the comb from that part, between the eyes, over the head, and down the neck to meet the part I just put in the dog's back. Again, I usually have to re-do a spot here and there to get the part perfectly straight. When I'm satisfied, I "set" the part with a gel or light spray.

At home, I keep my Lhasas' eyefall in topknots or braids to help train the head part so that at shows it fall automatically into place.

Parting your Lhasa's coat may seem like a minor detail, but it's an important grooming practice that is a must for improving your Lhasa's appearance in the show ring. A crooked part often creates the illusion of a poor topline. It also makes you look like an amateur, haphazard groomer.

I won't tell you that getting a part trained is easy. Many of your first attempts may give your Lhasa's back the look of the "mark of Zorro!" The thickness and texture of your Lhasa's coat and its natural tendency to part (or not to part) are all factors to be taken into account. You will need a steady hand. Your Lhasa will need to stand straight -- and to stand still. If you have these things going for you, getting that part in right the first time is a cinch! If not, oh well. If at first you don't succeed...

Please note: Permission to reproduce and/or circulate 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!

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The major April holiday's came early this year. Our kids (if people in their 30's and 40's still  can be called "kids") do not come home for Easter so we celebrated by going to a restaurant after Easter services, and I, who had given up chocolate candy and ice cream (all flavors) for lent, ate a chocolate bunny! And it was yummy!

On April 15 we celebrated our 54th Anniversary. 

I was curious about other April holidays in addition to Easter, Passover, April Fool's Day, Earth Day. So I found a site that listed things to celebrate throughout the month. Here are a few of them:

National North Dakota Day, Lima Bean Respect Day, Poetry and Creative Mind Day, National Cheddar Fries Day, National Talk Like Shakespeare Day. 

https://www.calendarr.com/united-states/calendar-april-2026/

Our girl Athena left for her new home on the 11th. Her new people sent pictures and it sure looks like she is not missing us!! Here is Athena while she still lived with us. She loved giving kisses!

Before the end of the year, probably by fall, we should have another adult female available to a pet home.

Puppy News

We will find out by mid-May if we have at litter on the way.  Puppies should be some shade of gold as adults. If you asked to be on the waitlist, you are still there. If you once were but don't want to be anymore, let me know.

Notes and Photos from Others

From Sally: "Nothing exciting here - just wishing some day I would see a blade of grass.... still a good 3 feet of snow on the level. The only one who loves it is Ginger- she is delighted with the snow the silly girl. Jaxon remains more of an inside guy although will play out if I join him."

Here is Ginger, the snow lover, exercising her right to "chill!" 

and here is Jaxon chilln' with his Lamb Chop and keeping warm!

Have you all noticed how much Lhasas love the Lamb Chop toys?

Lisa sent this picture of Duncan (right) and her other Lhasa, Dresden (left) enjoying some April sun.

Nanda sent this of Ty and Gigi on a shopping spree with her.

LaVonne sent this photo of Misti, taken at a recent show. So so pretty! 

An Article From Long Ago

As I was browsing through my store of Lhasa Apso magazines, I happened on this article that appeared on page 12 in the February 1976 issue of Lhasa Tales. Just click it should enlarge.

While we are on the subject of articles, here is one written by my friend Judy Gregurich, who is the American Lhasa Aspso Club's Chairperson for AKC companion events. Judy gave me permission to use it for my blog. While I may be all about showing, Judy makes it clear that AKC offers dog lovers many other options for taking part in events for your dogs.

Thank you for reading and special thanks to those who contributed pictures and articles.

Joyce

 

Marching Toward Spring

 "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." ~ Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Hi and Happy "Almost the End of March." First, I was waiting for the show photographer to send me the photo of the day Haven finished at the show in Madison. Then it arrived before my friend Jane and I were leaving for a show in Louisville and with all the grooming, packing for both Haven and me, and getting food prepared for the trip (we were traveling in Jane's RV), I just did not have time to write the blog.

The show in Louisville was fun, in spite of the fact that Haven did not do any big winning. I think we maybe came away with 1 Select Bitch point.

The weather was crazy with nice spring days and not-so-nice rainy and windy days. The trip home in the RV was hair-raising because strong wind gusts kept trying to push us off the road--for 6 long hours. I was glad I was not the driver.

Once home, there was unpacking, laundry, and repacking the show equipment and grooming items in preparation for a show the following weekend in Maquoketa, IA. We went for Saturday only. Good thing too, because by the time I got home from 7:30 AM church on Sunday, all I wanted to do was sleep. So I did - the rest of the morning and into early evening!

Anyway, here is Haven's winning photo taken at the show in Madison.

She finished the first day of the 4-day show by winning the final major she needed, but at the request of the other Lhasa exhibitors, I agreed to show her in the classes rather than move her to the Best of Breed class. Majors are hard to come by and had I moved her to Best of Breed, the major would have been (in dog show vernacular) "broken."

She continued to win the next 2 days. On the 4th day she lost (even I was glad!) and that meant that majors went to 2 of my friends. 

In addition to the regular show photographer, the venue provided a "selfie booth" for casual pictures. Here is Haven's...oh, excuse me...Princess Haven's! 

Since the Louisville show was just before St. Patrick's Day, many exhibitors and specialty clubs had shamrocks and other Irish green decorations on their tables.

So, even though it is after the fact, here are some interesting facts from the Internet about St. Patrick.

He was not Irish: St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy Roman-British parents around 390 AD.

He was once a slave in Ireland: At age 16, he was captured by Irish pirates and spent six years as a sheep herder in Ireland before escaping

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He used the shamrock as a teaching tool: Legend states he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) while preaching Christianity.

He originally wore blue, not green: The color historically associated with St. Patrick is "Saint Patrick’s blue," a light shade of blue, not the green worn today.


He never banished snakes: Ireland does not have snakes, but this is due to its separation from mainland Europe after the Ice Age, not because of a miracle.


St. Patrick was never formally canonized as a saint by a Pope, but he was recognized as such in early church history.
We appreciate him and enjoy celebrating his special day anyway!

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Puppy News

There is not much to tell at this point. We bred one of our girls recently, so if you are waiting for a puppy from us, keep fingers crossed that we will have a litter in May.

Notes and Photos

Jan sent this photo of her CH Aasha. (Litter sister of Haven)

Karen shared two photos of Floyd on his way to his championship. Floyd's sire and dam are Chance and Millie. She wrote, "He is such a good looker, and has a personality that is just so great."

From Janet about Pebbles: "Can you believe it’s March already… AND can you believe this beautiful girl will be 7 on the 31 of March.  Where has the time gone? I can still remember walking down your steps not knowing which little girl would be mine. And there she was. I have had such a full heart of love EVERYDAY since you handed her to me. Thank you again for letting me be her person."

Elizabeth wrote, "When Mabel isn't being ornery, she's incredibly sweet. Mabel is intelligent and very much knows it. She often looks at me as if to say, "I know more than you." Mabel is an effective communicator and enjoys herding me to the sofa for a snuggle. Thank you for entrusting me with the care of this magnificent little dog. It's a privilege to be loved by her. ." and included this picture.

Just for Fun

My sister recently sent my husband this card for his birthday. every time I look at it hanging near my computer, I laugh. I hope it at least brings a smile to your face.

And on that note, enjoy the spring...and send pictures!!

Thanks to all who send notes and photos and to those of you who read this post!

Joyce

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!

I'm not just February

With winds that blow

All day, and piled-up snow;

I’m Washington and Lincoln, too,

Who kept our country’s flag for you!

I’m Valentine of airy grace—

With golden hearts and hearts of lace

And pretty cards that people send,

Quite as a secret, to a friend.

Though I am short of days and small,

I’m quite a big month, after all!

~ Annette Wynne

I have no excuses for this blog's lateness! However, I do have a reason: I knew I had a dog show coming up on February 19-22 and I wanted to be able to report on it, just in case Haven won the last major she needed to finish her Championship. The show was held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI. And, yes, it was really COLD there!!

The previous week and days before we left were taken up with training classes in Milan, IL (an hour and a half drive to and from), grooming and bathing Haven, and -- since this was our first show of the year -- taking stock of all the show equipment.

The show was fun! I was especially glad to see friends from WI and MN whom I had not seen since August and October. We all had good luck and each of us with the class dogs won majors, while those with Best of Breed exhibits took turns winning. A nice surprise: we were visited at ringside on Sunday by friends Lisa and Stacey who live in Madison and who own two Joyslyn's Lhasas, Lola (15) and Enzo.

Haven did win the last major points and can now be addressed as CH Joyslyn's Miss B. Haven. I was, and still am, thrilled. We had the show photographer take an official picture and if I like it, I will post it.

In the meantime, we took advantage of the selfie photo set-up, a black background with a gold and black throne. Her she is "in all her glory."

What is next for Haven? Well, since we have no puppies at this time to raise and train, I will continue to show Haven and try to get some Grand Championship points.

Puppy News

I wish I had better news and I thank those who are waiting for news of a litter. I have 3 breedings planned. The girls are due in season within the next two months.

In the meantime, here is a cutie for those of you who love to see Lhasa puppies.

Notes and Photos
Pam and Paul sent this picture of how Rusty handles the cold weather -- by hogging the heat register! Look at the satisfied expression! 

Sally wrote about her Lhasas and how they handle the many feet of snow in MI: "... just wanted to show you how happy Ginger is. Jaxon doesn't stay long but Ginger would be there all day if I let her. She should live in Tibet  They're on my deck that I can't even get shoveled so I got it down to the top railing so they can climb up."

 Stephanie wrote: "It’s hard to believe Auggie is 4 today!  He’s a happy fella. He’s my first boy dog and definitely the prissiest Lhasa I’ve had (he’s my 4th)!  He loves to be told how handsome he is…and he knows he’s a cutie pie!! He loves to cuddle when I sit down in the evenings and is a very loving pup. He “boops” my leg when he wants something and he’s usually wanting treats or a bite of whatever I’m eating. Ha! I am definitely blessed to share my home and life with him! And I’m so thankful to you for all you’ve done for this wonderful breed & for breeding this amazing little fella! Happy Birthday Auggie! With the help of AI, here is his birthday pic. He’s just the best!"

From Autumn (via Lynn): "Lynnie had more of my beautiful hair cut because it was taking her about 45 minutes to brush/comb through me every other day. I love grooming time but this did get to be a bit long for me.

My paws don’t look really good in these pics. But they look beautiful. Lynnie tells me every day that “today “… I’m Best in Show. She tells me what a good girl I am and you know what ? I am. Yesterday when I jumped up against her leg to get pieces of apple-treat, she kept saying no..get down. And then I got my treat. Today I never jumped up. I just patiently waited. And she was really happy with me. She thinks she changed my behavior. You know that it was I who made that decision HA! Once an Alpha always an Alpha. But really … I am such a good girl.
I always sleep in my crate when Lynnie leaves for a while. Otherwise I can choose my crate or my bed or “Big Bed” where Lynnie sleeps. Last night I got in big bed and headed directly for Lynnie’s pillow which was the perfect size fit for my entire body HA! HA!
I really love being an only child here… But I’ll always miss you….
Love, Autumn"

That's it for February!! Thanks to those who sent notes and photos and thanks to those who take time to visit this blog.

Joyce