Sharing Some Photos

The show photos of Walker's Group placements at the Des Moines shows arrived this week and are posted here. The other pictures are of Zach and Desi. Desi is the one with barrettes in her hair!

By the way, I've posted more photos of Zach and Desi on Facebook. You don't have to be my "friend" to view them, but if you want to "friend me," please look me up on Facebook and send a Friend Request.

This has been a slow week, although as I look back, here it is Thursday already! But I'm sure you have all experienced the same thing: the days themselves go by slowly, even though you are busy. I like workdays when I look at the clock and think, "Wow, where did the time go!" That is when I feel the most productive.

This week we are preparing for shows in Freeport, Illinois. The Lhasa entry is okay, certainly not majors, but enough entries that we'll be able to see some good friends again. Zach is one of three males entered. That is one entry short of a 3 point major. Belle is one of six females entered, again one female short of a 3 point major. Tonight they'll be groomed and trimmed. (The new scissors I ordered to replace those lost at the Des Moines show arrived on Tuesday.) Tomorrow they will be bathed, so Lynn and I have our work plan all made out for the next two days!

If you live near the Freeport area and have nothing to do Saturday or Sunday, stop by to see us. Lhasas show in Ring 2 shortly after 1:00 on Saturday and in Ring 3 around 10:20 on Sunday.

The other exciting thing going on is that we are expecting puppies! They are due around October 14. It's been nearly a year since we have had puppies, so this is a highly anticipated event.

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

Joyce

Updates

Pictured: Secret and the Invincibles toy that wasn't invincible!

First, an update on the Invincibles toy I bought for Secret, our resident "I-can-kill-any-squeaker-you-give-me" Lhasa. Recall that in a previous post I told you Secret would put to the test the Invincibles' invincibility. Sadly, the toy failed us! She had all three invincible squeakers dead in two days. I emailed the company to let them know my 10 lb. Lhasa had succeeded in doing what other larger, stronger-jawed dogs had failed to do. I emailed the company representative a digital photo of the toy so he would know which one I bought, and I also sent a scanned receipt from the show vendor as proof of purchase. The company is sending me a new toy, which I thought was very nice.

Since Walker will not be shown for a while, this week I cut about 2" off his coat. That was hard to do (not the actual cutting, of course…but getting myself psyched up to undertake the task). His coat is so long and pretty. The 2" merely took it to floor level, so although it no longer drapes on the floor, it is still quite long. Already I can see that the trimming resulted in healthier looking hair. It'll be in good shape for his next shows, and I think he'll actually be able to move better without all that extra length.

I am not-so-patiently waiting for the show photos from the Des Moines shows to arrive. As you read in a previous post, Walker took a Group 4 and a Group 2 at those shows. Evidently Sunday's judge mismarked her judge's book, indicating that the Shiba Inu was awarded the Group 2. AKC can straighten out the problem, but I need the photo for documentation.

Belle, Zach, and I will be in Freeport, IL for the shows on October 2 and 3. As much fun as it is to show Walker, I need to concentrate on the young ones for a while so he is staying home. It'll be relaxing to have only two to worry about getting groomed and into the ring. Three was crazy enough – and four made me a total wreck. I am always amazed at how the professional handlers manage so many dogs, so many different breeds, and so many ring conflicts.

With fall in full swing, our morning walks are resulting in the Lhasas' coats attracting a lot of leaves. We have quite a few maple and oak trees in our neighborhood. Picking leaves out of five long coats at 6 AM is not my idea of fun. At least the neighbor's gum tree is not dropping those prickly little balls all over everything right now.

I've been very remiss these past few months at maintaining our dogs' website. That needs to change! Anyway, I was surprised this week to get a call inquiring about the adult female I had referred to on the website. (That would be Secret!) I had forgotten that I had posted we had an adult female available! I had had no inquiries. So I was in a panic, thinking "no way can I let Secret go!" I responded in a very wishy-washy way on the phone. Later, I re-read my own article "How Can You Give Them Up?" and calmed down. She's my "always happy, always tail wagging, squeaker-killing sweetheart." Even so, I could do it. I think I could. I really do think I could. She'd be an absolute joy for anyone.

That's it for the update!

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

Joyce

Staying In Touch

One nice thing (and there are many) about being a breeder is the opportunity to meet and get to know many very nice people who purchase my dogs. While the majority do not maintain contact over the years, quite a few do keep in touch, sending photos and updates periodically about their beloved Lhasas. I enjoy hearing from them all!

For example, each year about this time we receive an invitation from Buster's owners, Bob and Jody, to join them to celebrate his birthday. Evidently, it's quite a party with many of Buster's two-legged admirers and four-legged friends in attendance. The presents Buster receives are donated to an animal shelter.

That's Buster you see at the top of this post. You can go online and vote for him to be a Chicago TV station's top dog of the month. Each contestant is featured in a short video. The URL is http://wciu.com/udog.php?section=vote

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

Enjoy your weekend!

Joyce

National Lhasa Apso Specialty

"Waggin' Tails West" is the theme of the American Lhasa Apso Club's (ALAC) 2010 National Specialty. This year's festivities take place at the Red Lion Inn Vancouver at the Quay in Vancouver, WA from October 25 through the 28. The Specialty logo is at the top of this post.

The week is jam-packed with things to do. Activities include receptions, meetings, a seminar, the judges' education seminar and ringside mentoring, raffles and auctions, rescue events, a photo contest, a Parade of Titleholders, shopping opportunities at a variety of vendors' booths, the Awards Banquet, the Willamette Valley Lhasa Apso Club (WVLAC) Specialty on the 26th, Obedience and Rally events plus the Futurity on the 27th, followed by the ALAC Regional Specialty on the 28th and the National Specialty on the 29th. This week is always a special, exciting week and this year's show committee has been hard at work all year to ensure that attendees have plenty of fun, interesting, and educational activities from which to choose. And of course, everyone will be doing plenty of grooming to prepare their Lhasas for the ring.

The Breeder Education Committee and Native Stock Committee are co-sponsoring the seminar "Preserving the Future, Enlisting the Past." Led by Cassandra de la Rosa, a panel of breeders will discuss what genetic diversity has to offer the breed and why it is important to maintain landrace traits. A Gompa dog will be available for examination. The Native Stock Committee will have an FAQ sheet available. Following the presentation, panel discussion, and question/answer period, the documentary video "Ancient Treasure–The Remake" will be shown.

Judges are Chris A. Levy (WVLAC Specialty), Larry Bruton (WVLAC Puppy and Veterans Sweepstakes), Rosemarie Crandahl (WVLAC Breeder Sweepstakes), C.A. Primmer (ALAC Obedience and Rally events), Arna Margolies (ALAC Futurity), Jacqueline Stacy (ALAC Regional Specialty), Faye Strauss (ALAC Junior Showmanship), and Neil Graves (ALAC National Specialty).

The premium list is available from Garvin Show Services, www.garvinshowservices.com, 503-558-1221. Hotel reservations may be made by calling 360-694-8341. Mention the Lhasa Apso 2010 National Specialty to receive the specialty rates of $109/day single or $119/day double queen. Reservation deadline is September 25th.

If you like the Specialty logo at the top of this post but will be unable to attend the Specialty to purchase logo items, they may be ordered from Amber Chaviano, 843-685-5228. T-shirts and sweatshirts in white, natural, and light gray are available for $17.00 and $30.00, respectively. Nightshirts and totebags are each $20.00, and notecards (4 per package) are $10.

Normally, I would close the post about the ALAC National Specialty with words like "I hope to see you there!" and "If you come, be sure to look me up!" However, a scheduling conflict involving foot surgery prevents me from attending this year. I'll be there in spirit, which will be no where near as fun as being there in person!

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

Joyce

Show Results

The Des Moines weekend was tiring but fun. My sincere thanks again to Jane and Rebecca who held the dogs at ringside and kept them looking nice while I was in the ring, to Jane for showing Desi in the Winners Bitch class, and to Rebecca for showing Desi in the Non-Sporting Puppy Group.

As I predicted, Desi beat Belle and earned her first two points. Both Norman Patton and Peggy Haas thought Desi had the better movement and appreciated her showmanship over that of Belle. Belle showed fine (for her) but she does not show herself off and demand attention. She is just sort of "there." (Her days in the ring may be numbered.)

Walker was the only entry in Best of Breed, but both judges had nice comments on his size, movement, and coat. For a dog that will soon be eight years old, he is doing great! Mrs. Haas commented that it was nice to see a Lhasa that was the correct size.

Saturday Walker won a Group 4 placement under Francine Schwartz. Sunday he took a Group 2 placement under Sandra Goose Allen. Both judges were extremely complimentary. Sunday's judge commented that she liked him better that day than she did on Saturday when she watched him in Group. I think I know why...he LOVES applause and cheering. Saturday's audience was very quiet for all the groups with just spatterings of applause here and there. Sunday's crowd was more into the spirit of things and Walker responded accordingly. He thinks any cheering must be for him!

If any of you have Lhasas who love to kill the squeakers in toys and then pull out the stuffing, I found at toy at one of the vendor booths that may be the answer to the problem. The toy is called "invincibles." It looks like a snake with three body sections, a head and a tail. The tail has a rattle in it. The head has a piece of fabric in the shape of a forked tongue. I cut it off because I knew it would be the first thing to go! The tag says, "These fuzzy fun-loving snakes are the first of their kind -- always up for a good toss or tug, and able to keep squeaking after being bit, bullied, and beat up by your dog!" So I bought one, gave it to the resident squeaker killer (Secret) so she can put it to the test. Rebecca said the one she bought for her Shibas at the end of July is still squeaking, so that is a good indication of the toy's durability! I'll let you know what happens.

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

Joyce

Upcoming Show

How would I describe my mood lately? Despondent. Why? I can't quite say.

This week I'm preparing three of the dogs to go to the Des Moines, Iowa, shows. The fall shows there are always nice. The building is huge, the many rings are roomy, the weather is usually nice, and the many vendors make "shopping" fun. In addition, this is a show that has reserved grooming! For a few dollars each, a group of us has pitched in and reserved a large grooming area. This assures us that, even if we arrive late, we will not have to worry about finding a grooming space. Of all the things about showing, one thing that I dislike the most is the rush to claim a grooming spot. It's worth the money to me to be able to reserve a space.

Desi, Belle, and Walker are entered in the Des Moines show. Desi has been to fewer shows than Zach so I decided it was her turn to go. She is such a pretty mover. I don't care much for her coat right now and I wish her eyes were prettier, but perhaps the judge can overlook the eyes when he sees her move! We'll see…

Wish us luck!

Give your Lhasas a hug…

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

Joyce

P.S. The photo is of Joyslyn's Is It The Wind, taken a couple years ago on her first birthday. Just looking at her makes me happy. She lives in Indiana now and charms everyone she meets.