Hot August Days

 

"The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone.” 

~ Natalie Babbitt

Happy August! I know it is probably a shock to see the blog early in the month, but the chaos of construction is still going on and, after a pause of a week or so (not our idea), the work will continue. I have resigned myself to the clutter but still cannot quite figure out why the contractors cannot just come in, get the job done, and go. It is been more than a month. They come, they do some work, they go, and sometimes don't come back for a week! This coming week they are planning to do some work in our office room, which means computer and printer shut down until they are done. So I decided to get the blog posted now,

I love August. It is my birthday month. I am a Leo. According to a website, Leo women are "known for their confidence, creativity, and loyalty. They are natural leaders, enjoy being the center of attention, and possess a strong sense of self. They are also generous, warm-hearted, and make loyal friends and partners. However, they can also be somewhat stubborn, possessive, and may have high expectations of others." 

I think it is that last sentence that may be the root of 

my problems with the contractors! Thankfully, my husband is much calmer.

So, I thought it would be fun to see what was said about a Leo dog. If your dog is not a Leo, just scroll down on the page and the other signs are listed.

https://pawp.com/leo-dog-personality-what-being-a-leo-says-about-your-dog/

 I did manage to "escape" the turmoil one weekend and took Haven to a show. She was awarded Winners Bitch both days, so now she has 6 points. She needs 15 for a championship, but the 15 must include 2 majors. A major is a win worth 3, 4, or five points. Points are based on the number of dogs of same sex, same breed in competition.

A highlight of the hot, hot Saturday was that Haven took first place in the Non-Sporting Best Bred By Exhibitor competition. She was still only 8 months old that weekend. 

Puppy News

There is no news. The puppies have gone to their new homes and are settling in well.

We will probably do one or two breedings in the fall.

Photos and Notes 

Lynn sent a picture of Autumn.

Amie's owners sent a picture to commerate Amie's 9th birthday. From Amie's owners: "Well our little precious one celebrated her 9th birthday on July 26. Can you believe that??!! Where does the time go? Robert & I feel like it was just yesterday that we picked her up in Loveland, CO!!!! She is adored & loved to pieces! May we celebrate many more years of her precious life with picnics & champagne."

Michelle sent this picture of her Sunny.

Lisa wrote about her Duncan."Duncan continues to be the most affectionate dog I have ever had. Every day he will come and lay himself halfway across my lap and rest his head on my chest then he looks up at me with those big expressive eyes of his. 

She went on to say, "Duncan has two safe zones – our home and the car. Increasingly, he has been more hesitant to go outside with increased bird sounds, delivery vehicles, etc. Sometimes I think he gets overwhelmed or overstimulated by what he perceives as possible threats such as people walking outside, other dogs, birds that swooped down protecting their nest, etc.." 

She asked for suggestions to help Duncan. If you have some ideas that may help, send them to me and I will post them.

Sally sent pictures of Ginger (gold) and Jaxon black).

Jaxon looks so regal and proud!

Stories

There is just one story to share today. It is from Lisa about Duncan: "Duncan and Dresden continue to get along very well. Today while playing, Duncan took a pillow and buried Dresden underneath and laid on top. Dresden didn’t mind at all."

Here is the photo to go along with the story.

From the Archives

This is Joyslyn's Lucy in The Sky. Call name Lucy.

I showed her for a while and she had some nice wins, but I never could break her of the habit she had of jumping over the tape that holds the ring mat down. It was funny but did not earn her points with the judges. She eventually left for a home in CA.

CH Joyslyn's Rebel At Heart. Call name Rebel.

Rebel is shown with Randy Arand who handled him for a while.

Here is CH Joyslyn's The Charmed One. Call name Piper. Another lovely Joyslyn's Lhasa. Outside on a really hot August day in MN.

CH Joyslyn's Secrets of The Heart. Call name Secret. As a puppy this girl did NOT want to show. So one day at a show I sat down with her at ringside and we watched another breed showing. I told her, "See, that's all you need to do!" When it was her time to go in the ring, she showed like a dream and won her first major at 7 months of age! All my friends watching from ringside were shocked. I was just thrilled!

In this photo, Secret has won Reserve Winners Bitch at a National Specialty.

This is CH Joyslyn's Paisley. Call name Paisley. She is shown after taking first place in a huge class of Bred By Exhibitor bitches. She earned her championship a month later.

The next picture is of a male, CH Joyslyn's Scamper O' Hooligan. He belonged to friends who used Randy Arand for his handler. Scamp and my Walker showed against each other frequently. Scamp finished before Walker did. 

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Why the Decline in Lhasa Apso Popularity?

by Joyce Johanson

Many of us who belong to the American Lhasa Apso Club have become concerned lately when AKC statistics demonstrate that Lhasa Apso popularity is declining. I'd like to share with you some of my thoughts on the subject. I think there are a lot of myths or untruths "out there" about the breed, especially related to grooming and temperament, that cause prospective newcomers to the breed to change their minds.

(1) Daily Grooming?? I recently read an article on one of those "find the right breed for you" websites that told people a Lhasa required DAILY brushing. UGH! Tell me that is not a turn off for anyone interested in the breed? I can tell you all that, while I often groom a Lhasa every day, I have never brushed the same dog every day. Even the champion I was specialing recently, who has a ton of coat, did not receive (nor did he require) daily grooming. About twice, three times a week at the most is all the long-coated dogs seem to need. Grooming is not difficult and it has to be done if you don't want the dog to mat, but EVERYDAY... ??? I. Don't. Think. So.

Most Lhasa owners buy the breed because they love its personality and most owners don't care about having a dog dripping in coat. Heck, even those of us who show our dogs almost always clip the coat once the dog has its championship! As I've been telling people for years, "A clipped Lhasa is a perfect pet. You can have a short-coated dog that doesn't shed! How can you beat that?"

(2) Nasty Dispositions?? Some people believe the Lhasa Apso is a "nasty" breed? Definitely not in my experience. So where did the reputation come from? I have some theories...

When the breed became popular back in the 70's and 80's, the puppy mill breeders jumped quickly on the bandwagon, purchasing and breeding Lhasas with no other goal than to produce puppies, sell them quickly, and make money. There were no thoughtful considerations regarding structure, health, or temperament prior to a breeding. The flood of cute fluffy puppies into pet shops, purchased by people attracted to their appearance with little knowledge (because, to be honest, very little knowledge had been published "back then") about the breed itself, did indeed result in Lhasas with quite nasty dispositions. The breed's reputation has been suffering ever since.

People who purchase a Lhasa puppy need to know that Lhasas are smart, independent, (some might say "stubborn") dignified, and easily offended. Their sense of right and fair play requires an approach to training that avoids yelling and physical punishment. By that I don't just mean "don't hit;" obviously you should not hit any dog. I also mean things like shaking the dog or jerking on his lead. Lhasas think highly of themselves and most are eager to please their people. They respond well to treats and praise and training games that are fun, upbeat, and intellectually stimulating.

Grooming is part of a Lhasa's life, so a large part of early training involves training the dog to be groomed. Although many people prefer to keep their Lhasas shaved or in a puppy clip of some sort, early training is still needed because those Lhasas will be visiting the groomer and need to know how to behave so they will be welcomed at the grooming shop. I honestly believe that one reason the "nasty" adjective became linked with the Lhasa is the fault of owners who "routinely" take their matted to the hide Lhasas to the groomer maybe twice a year. Those dogs don't behave well because they have not been trained to be groomed. The poor groomer has to face a dirty, matted, scared dog who associates being at the grooming shop with getting hurt. Growling and snapping does occur. I blame the owners for ignoring the dogs' needs and putting them in a situation for which they are totally unprepared to cope.

And, yes, there are Lhasas that are just plain nasty to the core, just like there are nasty individuals of any other breed, and just like there are nasty people of all ages from all walks of life and all ethnic groups. In my opinion, we should not label an entire group as bad because some of its members are rotten. That goes for dogs as well as people!

(3) Lhasas and Children?? We breeders may be contributing to the decline in Lhasa popularity by the information we provide about the breed in our ads and on our websites. In an attempt to protect our dogs, we often end up giving the breed a bad image, especially when it comes to Lhasas and kids.

It is true that many Lhasa breeders refuse to sell puppies to people who have young children. I find that interesting because most of us are parents, and now grandparents. Our own children were raised with our Lhasas, and now our grandchildren get to visit and play with the dogs. In our case, we owned, showed and bred Lhasas for 5.5 years before our first child was born. The dogs and children were raised together and expected to get along! They did.

In spite of my good experiences with Lhasas and children, I am often leery about letting people with young children buy a puppy - and it is not because I distrust the Lhasas as a breed or my own puppies as individuals not to "be good with children." It's more that I don't trust other people's children to "be good to the puppy!"

For example, we once adopted a Lhasa female whose breeder had taken her back from the people she sold her to because the breeder heard reports that the puppy was being abused. As it turned out, the rumors were true. Chrissy was being poked at and teased when she was in her crate. The children would also put her on a lead and drag her on her belly down the sidewalk when she refused to walk. Now, what is true about Lhasas is that they have long memories, they bear grudges, and like any other dog or person that has been bullied, they reach a saturation point where they will retaliate. So, yes, Chrissy growled at the children, and even when she came to our home where she was safe, she was always touchy and protective about her crate. Some memories are just hard to erase. I'm sure other breeders have had similar experiences that have resulted in the "not available to homes with young children" statement in their ads.

A Lhasa Apso is fine in a home with children whose parents teach them respect for animals and other people. When people tell me they have children, I generally ask the ages. I ask them to be honest with me and themselves about how the children behave and if they, as parents, can honestly attest to how the children would interact with the puppy. Sometimes we come to an agreement that the situation is a good one for a puppy. At other times, the potential buyers opt to wait a few more years until the child is ready to interact appropriately with a puppy.

Some Lhasas, like some people, simply don't like children. Children's unexpected movements, screeching, general exuberance, and unconscious disregard for others are annoying.

Other Lhasas, like most people, love children so much! I once sold a young adult female to a single person who lived in a large city. The dog was born after our children were grown and before the grandchildren were born, so she had never even seen a child. Yet, her owner told me the dog loves children and when she went for walks and saw a child, she cried until her owner allowed her to greet the child. Liking or disliking children is a personal preference, not a breed characteristic.

My life has been truly blessed with an abundance of Lhasa Apsos since the happy day in 1973 when we bought our first Lhasa puppy. To be adored by such big, loving hearts is indeed a humbling experience.

If you read this and would like to share what is special about your Lhasa or why you are in love with the breed or why you think there is a decline in the breed's popularity and what we can do about it, email me at joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.

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!

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Finally, Just a reminder that the ALAC national Specialty is coming in October. If you want to see many lovely Lhasas and meet breeders from around the country, this is the place to be in October.

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

Joyce

July...At Last

 

My July 4 greetings are certainly late but the intentions are still applicable. We should be thankful daily for the freedoms we have and hope we never lose them!

First, apologies for being so late with this post and "thanK you" to all who called, emailed, or texted to ask if I was okay. We have had workers here daily except for weekends nearly the entire month, and it is not over yet. Things snowballed as one problem being addressed lead to another being found and needing to be fixed. I think most of you who are home owners have had similar experiences. We had to clear out our office area, the utility room, and the dogs' room so the work could be done. The garage and spare bedrooms are full of boxes. The dogs are in crates in our living room!! Finding things is a stressful chore.

Our internet was down. I had to create new passwords.

The problems, mostly related to the foundation, have been addressed, but things still have to be done (dry wall, floor tile replacement, putting the rooms back in order, re-doing the dogs' room) have to be completed, so I have a feeling we are not going to be finished until mid August. I am a person who thinks there is a place for everything and everything should be in its place, so this has been a nightmare for me. I admit to being stressed and bitchy. My husband should apply for sainthood. 

I am so eager for it all to be over!

Also, I want you to know that if I somehow failed to post a picture or note you sent, it was not intentional. Please send it again for next month.

Puppy News

The 3 puppies of Emmy and Cooper have left for their new homes. (They were lodged in a 3x3 in one of the extra bedrooms when the work began.) The strange noises, including 2 full days of jackhammering did not bother them. (It bothered me though!)

Here are photos of the puppies when they were 8 weeks old.

Billy

Mable

Louisa

As far as plans for another litter, we are hoping to have one other this year.

Notes and Photos

Here are a two photos of our Haven. We have not been to a show since the one in Burlington, IA in June. She has 4 points. She has a show coming up soon.

And these are pictures are of Aasha, Haven's litter sister, who now has 6 points:

Here is Pepper, one of the girls' litter brothers, sporting a cone following his neutering and obviously not liking the cone at all!

Courtney sent this picture of Amelia. She is so beautiful!!

Lori posted this of her boy Finn relaxing on a summer day:

Marilyn sent pictures of her Hunter and and Maci and wrote, "I wanted to send a couple pics of the pups a couple days before the fireworks. All I can say is thank God for trazodone. That helps get them through the worst of the loud booms. Hunter will be 8, July 25th, Maci is 10. In true Lhasa fashion, just when you think you have them figured out, they come up with a new wrinkle. We have owned a Lhasa since 1984, and we wouldn’t own any other breed. So glad we found you on the AKC web site."

Here are Hunter and Maci, all decked out in  4th of July finery!!

We are so proud of Misti's wins. She was bred by LaVonne and me. Some of you readers bought puppies of hers. Misti is almost 10 years old now and is doing quite well as a veteran. (AKC considers dogs that are 7+ years old as veterans.) She lives with and is shown by LaVonne. Here are some pictures of her latest wins, taken of her wins at the Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club Speciality show.

This is the "official" photo of Misti's Best Veteran In  Show win in Davenport, IA.

Judy G. sent me good news about Onyx and Winter: "Now for the news...we did virtual rally trials this morning at Canine Connect in Valparaiso. Nyx earned her 2ng leg in Rally Intermediate. Winter earned her first leg in Rally Excellent, and also earned her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and her Novice Trick Dog Title(TKN). She is a workaholic when it comes to training.

Stories

You may recall that last month I asked readers to send in stories about their Lhasas. I was disappointed that I did not hear from more of you with stories about your dogs and their favorite things, funny/not so funny antics, etc. I know you all have stories about your Lhasas.

I did get a few and thank those readers for participating!

Janice & Gigi sent this story about their Cinder.

"Cinder is the only dog I’ve had who sits down or lies down to eat her dinner. She wasn’t happy I interrupted her to take her picture! And, if you notice, behind her is her favorite toy – her new AFLAC stuffed talking duck. Every time she eats she takes him with her and she still sleeps with him. Aflac, Aflac, AFLAC!"

Judy L. about Raven: "I have the very best nurse and companion as I recover from my bionic knee surgery.

Raven stays by my side. She will come close and look at my face to see if I am in need of her sweet kisses.

Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.

But she never leaves my side except for necessities.

I love this girl so much."

Marsha S. wrote about Willow. "Willow and Baron are doing well. Willow loves David! She gets up on him when he lays down on the couch and tries to lick his face. I'm training David to say 'no lick,' but with limited success..."

Here is another of mine. Click to enlarge.

From the Archives

This first photo is of CH Jofu Ladell Glitterbug, who was mine for only a short time. Judy O'Dell, one of her owners, and I first met at a National Specialty, but Judy actually met my mom first. Judy and I were raised in the same small Nebraska town, but she was older than I was, so although we attended the same school, we never met. One day on a visit from CA to her mom and her Nebraska hometown, Judy was walking a Lhasa and Mom was out walking also. Mom noticed Judy and especially her Lhasa that was in full coat. Judy told me later that first she was surprised when Mom complimented her on her pretty Lhasa. She said she did not think anyone in that small town knew about Lhasas!

Then when Mom told her, "My daughter has Lhasa Apsos," Judy was skeptical but that ended when Mom told her my name! Judy and I knew each other by name and reputation only at that time. We met at a National Specialty and both served on the American Lhasa Apso Club's Board of Directors.

Small world...

When I mentioned to Judy how much I liked her bitch, Glitter, she and Glitter's co-owner let me lease her for a breeding. 

Here is the beautiful CH Jofu Ladell Glitter Bug shown by Judy.

From Glitter Bug, we kept her daughter, CH Joyslyn Jofu Ladell Handiwork, whose call name was Hannah.

Look at that girl! She knew she was something special.

This next photo is of CH Joyslyn's My One and Only. Her call name was Lily and she was our daughter's dog. Erikka named her after a song by the Smashing Pumpkins, her favorite band at the phase of her life.

The next photo is of one of my heart dogs, Hooligan:

CH Mi Toya Joyslyn Hooligan. I met and fell "in love" with Hooligan's sire when I judged a sweepstakes in NY. When my friend JoAnn asked me who I thought we should breed our bitch Windy to, I suggested Skullduggery and that is how I got Hooligan.

The last dog for this post is one I bred but he was owned by Randy Arand. This is CH Joyslyn's Legendary Hawke. Randy was an Iowa Hawkeyes fan!

Where Have All The Lhasas Gone?

As a breed, the Lhasa Apso is way way down the list of popular dogs. Fewer people own Lhasas. Fewer people breed Lhasa litters. Fewer people show the breed. (Now, I know that most of you do not care about showing but I think it is important not only as a sport, but also as a proving ground for each breed as individuals are judged against the AKC Standard for each breed.) That is what keeps a Lhasa looking like a Lhasa, a Golden looking like a Golden, etc.

If you own and love a Lhasa and care about the future of the breed, I invite you to support the breed by joining the American Lhasa Apso Club (ALAC). I am the membership chair so all you need to do is email me at joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com, and ask for an Associate membership application form. The cost to join is just $35.

And Finally..

 If you want to see a lot of Lhasas together in one place, try to attend the 2025 ALAC National Specialty week. See below for details. Click it to enlarge the picture.

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

Joyce

 

  

Ahhh...June!

 "What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will never fade." 

~ Gertrude Jekyll

Happy June! I know by the time you read this, it might be July!!

Haven's second show weekend was in Bloomington, IL. That show is nearby and I hated to miss it, but we were expecting puppies that week and I decided to enter only one day "just in case." I am glad I entered only one day because Haven was the only Lhasa entered. Chalk it up to an expensive training class.

Sadly, in most parts of the US, we are seeing fewer and fewer Lhasas in the show ring. Fewer Lhasa litters are being born. People do not seem to be interested in our wonderful breed. It worries me as I think about the future of the breed.

Haven's third show weekend took place in Jefferson, WI. There were 2 other Lhasa females entered that weekend but they were no-shows, so again -- an expensive training class.

However, last weekend we went to a show in Burlington, IL and all our training paid off. She showed like she owned the ring, won both days over the adult female that was her competition, and earned two points. 

My friends LaVonne and Karen stayed in Macomb with me and we drove back and forth to the show site. We had a good time. LaVonne and her Misti took the breed on Saturday and went on to get 2nd place in the Owner-handled group. Karen's Floyd (a Chance son) took Best of Winners for a point on Sunday and in the 4-6 month class, her puppy took Best 4-6 Month in Show.

Puppy Update

The Cooper and Emmy puppies were born on May 18 and it was touch and go for a week and a half. The puppies were born early, Emmy's milk did not come in, puppies had to be fed with a dropper. They all weighed under 4 ounces at birth. We were sleep deprived with having to feed the pups so frequently. I now have more gray hairs!

We have three cute-cute-cute puppies. Two girls and a boy. They are doing well and I would have posted photos but the puppies are being weaned and seem to think climbing into the food bowl is what they need to do. MESSY!

Emmy checks on them now and then but her basic feeling appears to be "My job is done."

Here are photos of Cooper and Emmy, the puppies' parents.

Cooper:

Emmy:

I have been going down the waiting list to contact people about the puppies' availability. Two have been spoken for and I am waiting to hear from the third person.

I am unsure about what should be our next litter. The ultrasound showed no puppies, but Ebony certainly acts like she is pregnant. Time will tell. She might just have one again. !!

When I got Athena in the spring, I was told she was due in season "anytime." I think the move affected her cycle, so we are just waiting--which, after the stress of the current litter, is fine with me.

An Article

This is what I tried to upload-without success in May! 

So… You Want Another Lhasa!

by Joyce Johanson

Oh, I totally understand wanting more than one Lhasa! After we bought our first Lhasa, Pheebe (on the right in the photo), in 1973, we fell in love with the breed and HAD to have another one. We bought a second female, Buffy (on the left), a month later and the two girls grew up together. We were very lucky that our two Lhasa girls grew up liking each other and not fighting to be "alpha." Of course, at the time we bought Buffy, we had no idea about "alpha dogs" and "pack leadership." We were just charmed by Pheebe and wanted another Lhasa to love.

As a person who has had multiple male and female Lhasas almost all her adult life, I can tell you that having two (or more) Lhasa girls works for the most part, but sometimes it does not. And often you really will not know until the younger girl reaches puberty and the older one realizes she might have a rival for top spot. So, many years (52 at this writing) and many Lhasas later, when people ask me about getting a second Lhasa, I have some experiences to back up my opinions. Let me share a few:

First, I discourage doing what we did and buying two puppies at the same (or nearly the same) time. Puppies raised together tend to bond more to each other than to their human family. Each may decide she deserves the alpha role.

Second, I learned over the years that not all females share an affinity for each other. The girls tend to be bossy and opinionated. Some (not all) vie for the alpha role, challenging the other girls, throwing their weight around, and even starting tooth-and-nail fights to prove who is the boss. Some females will let it go, kowtow to the alpha, and live a happy life together. Others? Not so much.

But what happens if you get two who want to be the boss? For example, one of my friends had a strong-willed Lhasa female (I'll call her "Mopsie") who knew she was the top dog. My friend's second Lhasa ("Roxy") was a happy-go-lucky, even-tempered girl who was willing to let Mopsie be boss. 

Then a young puppy ("Mindy") joined the group. One look at Mindy and Mopsie knew she would have a challenger. And Mopsie was right! However, my friend was adamant about the girls getting along, but they each had their own agenda and quite different ideas about what "getting along" meant to them. Each wanted to claim the alpha title. 

So as Mindy grew up the battles and skirmishes began, some more serious than others. Still my friend insisted on keeping them together. One day, she was standing on her deck chatting with a neighbor, Mopsie on one side of her and Mindy on the other, when the girls attacked each other. Who knows why? Perhaps one disliked the way the other looked at her! The result was a trip to the emergency clinic and a nearly dead Mindy.

Now I know that some of you are saying, "But my two female Lhasas get along great together." You are very lucky. So were we with Buffy and Pheebe. So are we now with the majority of the Lhasa girls we have had over the years. However, a firm believer in risk management, I advise people who come to me wanting a second pet Lhasa to "Get one of each sex" or to "Buy two males."

There are always exceptions to the rule, but generally a male and female will get along just fine. The boys tend to let the girls take over and boss them around and the girls, of course, think that is as it should be! When owners of a male come to pick up their new female puppy, I tell them, "Just watch, she's going to rule the roost in no time at all." I chuckle when I get the call or email saying, "You were right! He lets her do whatever she wants."

We have also found that our puppy buyers (with three exceptions that I am aware of) have had great luck with two males as long as both are neutered. One exception involved a dog who was so attached to his owner that he just did not want to share her affection. He resented any attention she paid to the new puppy, who eventually went to a different home for his own protection.

Another strong recommendation: When you have two Lhasas, give each his/her own crate to sleep in and feed them separately (i.e., don't require them to share a food or water dish). Don't give them a reason to become upset with each other over resources such as food, water, toys, bones, AND family members. Sure, you might find them sharing these things willingly, sleeping in each others' crates, or sleeping in one crate together, but that needs to be their choice, not something you force on them. Sharing is hard - ask any toddler (and even some adults!).

So, should you get two Lhasas? More than two? By all means if that is your desire! Life is great when you have a Lhasa to love you! Two just doubles the pleasure!

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!

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For more particulars and/or help if you are having a problem with your dogs getting along OR if you are planning to bring another dog into your home, go to https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-get-dogs-to-get-along

Notes and Photos

I received a nice surprise--an email from Kathy M about her Jampa. She wrote, "It's been a long time since I last wrote to you! Jampa is doing great. He turned 6 in March this year and is as energetic as ever. He enjoys playing with his toys (shakes them hard to "kill" them, then proceeds to rip them apart!). We have a nice big pen for him in the yard where he runs and plays, chases his fabric frisbee and a ball or two. He's not a retriever, never brings anything back, just waits for us to throw it again. :-) He enjoys the snow in the winter as much as the grass in the summer, rolling and running around. I brush out his coat daily and brush his teeth regularly and he goes to the groomer every 6 weeks for a trim. They like him at the groomer and they say that he's very good for them. I think they are very good to him, too. He comes out looking smart and happy...Thank you so much for Jampa! He gives me lots of joy and companionship. And I attribute a lot of his temperament and good behavior to your skillful breeding and puppy raising! I hope you are enjoying your retirement from school and your continued work with your glorious Lhasa Apsos." 

Kathy also wrote that Jampa had 2 broken teeth that had to be removed so they are now not giving him the antlers to chew on and have stopped playing tug with him. I have probably written before that our Josh lost teeth for the same reason. In his case the culprit was a choo hoof. He loved those things and chewed long and hard on them.  Here are Jampa's photos:

Nanda sent this photo of Gigi and Ty.

Lynn K sent photos of Autumn (who is Emmy's mom) after she was groomed. Here is one of them.

Gigi wrote about Cinder: She was groomed yesterday. Isn’t she beautiful?! And with my MuffinAnn (a lhasa) and Sugar Bear (a Scottie), she is the smartest dog! We are down to one dog now, and that’s hard.

 Thank you for the love, joy and amazement. I love this dog!

Lisa sent a picture of Duncan after his summer clip.

Mary R. sent some advice from her new vet and gave me permission to share: "I wanted to mention the new vet Rafe has wanted me to try Selsun Blue shampoo for his skin..a lot of sores, blackish skin...same thing last spring..on several rounds of antibx. He is on cytopoint injection..helps itching. I kind of rolled my eyes. I usually use expensive sensitive antiseptic shampoo, Pet Silk, as one of his lathers. I'm not a real fan of the chlorhexadine stuff. Anyway, tried the Selsun blue. Sores started healing up after 2 grooms. Now, skin much improved. I guess the "old fashion" vet was right. He said in his younger years he recommended it for "elephant skin " looking skin on dogs...He told me to get the "medicated" version. Will say 'medicated' on bottle. I can't remember active ingredient..

Should let the shampoo set on skin 5-10 min...like most pet medicated shampoos. Rinse..rinse..rinse or will leave blue cast on light areas.The first time I used it, it left blue cast on white areas of Rafe's paws. [For the] next groom, I massaged 2nd, 3rd lathers better, rinsing more.

Credit goes to my vet. Dr. James Wood, Lake Animal Hospital. He has been in practice maybe 30 yrs." 

Thanks for sharing that, Mary! 

Janet wrote about Pebbles: "Seems like forever since I sent you a picture of Pebbles. She still makes us laugh everyday.  This picture is so her.  'Yes I AM BEAUTIFUL.  But I don’t have to have my hair perfect everyday. As long as I have my ball ( which by the way, I have 11 of and 9 in storage because they do not make my size anymore). And my favorite resting place, life is BEAUTIFUL'. 

I can’t  believe she turned 6 in March. The time has flown by.

And last, but never least, Raquel's Minnie. Small but mighty!

Thanks to all who make the blog more interesting by sending photos and notes about their Joyslyn's Lhasas.

The ALAC National

People have asked about the 2025 American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty. Here is what I copied from the ALAC website for you. Go to lhasaapso.org if you want more information.

(I think if you click the photo it might enlarge.)

From the Archives

Boy did I goof when it came to organizing my show photos! I made the list for this month and then discovered another album with older photos! I was glad to find it, don't get me wrong. But the part of me that likes things to be in order was upset until the part of me that is sensible said, "Oh well, worse things have happened!"

So you are seeing what was originally selected for this month. The others are for another month.

Here are pictures of four littermates who became champions. They were sired by GCH CH Mon Ami's Late Night Shadow (Winslow) out of CH Joyslyn JaMa Dancing By The Light Of The Moom (Luna).

GCH CH Joyslyn Beethoven's Fifth

CH Joyslyn's Moonlight Beckons (Bekka)

CH Joyslyn's Moon Shadows (Chance)

CH Joyslyn Golden Tu Karlyn Fire N Ice (Gabby)

This is the spunky Onyx (AKA Nyx)

Ch Joyslyn's Onyx

The next pictures are of the same Lhasa at different stages of her show career.

First as a 7 month old puppy taking a Reserve Winners Bitch award and a 3 point major at the ALAC National Specialty. Then as an adult winning Best of Breed.

MBISS GCH CH Joyslyn's Wind Song (Autumn)

(Yes, the same Autumn now owned by Lynn K. Never be afraid to add an adult Lhasa to your family. They make life better also!)

A New Idea!

As I was going through the albums, I ran across certificates I was given for sharing some of my stories as part of a contest.

We all have great stories inspired by our Lhasas.

I thought it would be fun to share my stories and invite you to share your stories here also.

We all know our Lhasas do silly things, brave things, messy things, etc. We laugh, we cry, we love them!

Let's share our Lhasas' antics.

Send stories for upcoming blogs to me at:

joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com

You can send them any time, but I'd appreciate getting them before the 15th of each month.

You can send pictures to accompany your stories also!

Here is one of mine (You might click to enlarge):

All of you have stories about the good-bad-ugly-funny-heartwarming things your Lhasa has done, and I invite you to share them with those reading this blog. We will make it a feature until you all run out of stories.

Marsha S. had some Oreo stories she shared: "One of our forays into an obedience trial novice A class was a great lesson in proofing a dog to unexpected things happening. We were doing our off leash heeling exercise and as we are going around the ring, a voice from the next ring says “Sit”, then a bit louder and finally an extremely loud “SIT” is heard. I kept walking even as I hear some laughter……turns out Oreo SAT on the third call for sit and I kept marching. When I turned the corner, I saw him sitting so beautifully; if only it was the sit/stay exercise! We did not get our qualifying leg of course.

In the agility ring, local club members enjoyed watching Oreo and me try to navigate the
course. He discovered that if he pranced between obstacles and looked at the crowd on the other side of the ring barrier, they would smile and laugh at us. This became a habit of his. Another time he noticed the spectators when he got to the top of the dogwalk…..he stopped and wagged his tail while the crowd giggled.

I loved that dog from the moment I saw him. He taught me a great deal about Lhasas,
life and brought Joyce into my life. Thank you Oreo! Thank you Joyce!"

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

Joyce