Pictures from the Past

As I look back at old photos, I think how remarkably fortunate I have been to have known so many beautiful Lhasas, beautiful inside and out. So today I decided to share some pictures and little stories about three of our Lhasas from the mid-to-late 1970's.

Ch. Joyslyn's Raggedy Rebel,  shown by Bev Thompson

Our first champion was Joyslyn's Piece of the Rock. I have described him in previous posts. His litter brother, Ch. Joyslyn's Raggedy Rebel, was also a beautiful Lhasa, as you can see from his photo. Rebbie was owned by my friend Beth James who lived in Omaha. He was handled for a while by a mutual friend, Bev Thompson, and later by Dorothy Kendell. Rebbie had a pretty head and bite. He was well balanced and a good mover. What attracted most people to him was his color. As you see, it was not really white, nor was it cream. It had a natural sheen to it that highlighted the light color.

Joyslyn's Well I Can Do That! ("Socks")

A disappointment (and there have been many over the years, my most recent being Belle!) was Joyslyn's Well I Can Do That. We'd named him "Socks" because as a young puppy the white socks on his legs were quite apparent. When it came time to register him, I tried to think of something that went with his call name and chose the title from "I Can Do That," a song from A Chorus Line. Why was Socks a disappointment? He never finished his championship, or I should say that the person who bought him intending to show him, never saw it through. That, of course, is the chance a breeder takes when she sells a show prospect to a novice. It takes a great leap of faith because, no matter how intent and fired up a novice to dog showing is, the fact is that showing is not as easy as it might look at first glance. It takes time, effort, and persistence that often discourage newcomers. That is what happened to Socks. His new owner just couldn't quite manage all that preparing him for the ring and showing him required. However, she loved him, and that was the important thing. In the photo, Socks is pictured with handler Marge Lewis.

Ch. Lutzmor's Ja-Ma Janie ("Fancy") was quite a character. She was also a challenge for a couple of reasons. First though, here is the story of how we came to have her. Our third Lhasa was Lutzmor's Dolsa Bo Jangles. I've written about Bo in previous posts. I bought him from Pat Lutz. In 1976, Lynn and I drove to the east coast so he could visit graduate schools he was considering. As part of that trip, we took Bo to a dog show and then visited Pat Lutz so she could meet him. She introduced us to Janet Whitman, who was to become a great friend and mentor. Pat and Janet had a litter and agreed that we could take a puppy home with us. At that time, when a person registered a dog with AKC, the registration paperwork required two names be listed as choices for the dog. Pat had written "Lutzmor's Ja-Ma Fantasia" as the first choice and "Lutzmor's Ja-Ma Janie" as the second choice. I disliked the second choice, but Pat assured me that AKC always gave the first choice so I should not worry. Well, that did not work out! We'd been calling the puppy "Fancy" since we took her from Pat, so Fancy she stayed, in spite of her official name.

Ch. Lutzmor's Ja-Ma Janie ("Fancy')

Fancy had fantastic movement and a lively disposition. She was eye-catching in all ways, except her head. She had a "down face," which greatly detracted from her appearance and earned her many side-long glances from competitors at ringside. In the beginning, she disliked the ring and lost at quite a few shows. I recall one in particular when Fancy was one of two in her class and the other bitch was rather long and caterpillar looking. The judge obviously preferred Fancy, but she was not putting her tail up, even though the judge gave her multiple chances. So, we took second and received a "too bad" from the judge. Competing for Winners were a puppy and the adult from Fancy's class. The adult won because the puppy was not behaving. Meanwhile, outside the ring another exhibitor took the wrapping off a cigarette package. (Yes, that was in the dark ages when people could smoke whenever and wherever they wanted.) Fancy perked up and got all excited, so I took the wrapping back in the ring as "bait." She showed like a dream. The judge said, "Now why couldn't she have done that in the first place?" as she handed me the Reserve ribbon.

Ch. Lutzmor's Ja-Ma Janie ("Fancy")

Fancy continued to show hot and cold, never quite sure if she liked it or not. The day I knew she'd be just fine was at an outdoor show in Paducha, KY. We were waiting at ringside and across the ring was a Doberman, just standing there minding his business. Fancy caught sight of him and started barking and barking! She was totally "on" in the ring that day and never turned off again.

I've posted two pictures of Fancy. I am with her in the show picture. And yes, those of you who know me, you are right. My hairstyle has not changed much over the last 30+ years!

In the spirit of the season, tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you who take time to read this blog. I wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving and hope you spend the holiday as you want to spend it—enjoying family and friends or just chilling out or maybe shopping 'til you drop at all the early Christmas sales.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you! I am thankful for each one of mine through the years, for their love and admiration, for the lessons they've taught me, and for the friends and acquaintances I've made because of them.

Joyce