Puppy Update - Photos At Four Weeks

Black males - 4weeks

The puppies are growing and getting cuter each day. I have not yet assigned them call names. I've given up on the "rain theme" because there are five puppies and, in spite of my own brainstorming and good suggestions from family, friends, and readers of this blog,  I came up with only three "rain-related" names I really liked! So that theme idea for the litter is out for now. Klara, our 6-year old granddaughter, wants to name one "Noah." Evidently, her kindergarten class was reading and talking about Noah and his ark last week and that gave her the idea.

Age 4 weeks - female

The female is very dainty but she is a pistol. She already lets her bigger brothers know that she is the boss! She is also the most inquisitive and the first one to go exploring.

Gold males - 4 weeks

Here are the pictures we took of them this AM. Enjoy!

(And, wow, I did not realize how bright my nail polish is until I saw it in the pictures against those black puppies!)

Rafe, Maggie, and I are off to 4 days of shows in Bloomington, Illinois, tomorrow. This show weekend is one of my favorites. Not only is it closer to home than almost every other show we attend, the show site is nice, the grooming area is spacious, and the two clubs do a great job of hosting. The Lhasa entry is small, but there are majors available in bitches every day unless someone doesn't show up. Having enough Lhasas of either sex to make a major has been difficult in the past few years, so the fact that we'll have four majors available is exciting.

For my non-dog show readers--a "major" is a win of 3, 4, or 5 points. The value of the major is based on the number of entries of each sex. Major wins are important because a dog has to have a minimum of two of them to be able to earn his/her championship title.

Speaking of non-dog show people, today two of my co-workers were asking me about my plans for the Memorial Day weekend. I explained that I was going to a dog show and was looking forward to showing Rafe on Sunday when he would be 6 months old at last and eligible to compete. Then I told them I was also looking forward to showing him because he was "such a nice puppy." From the looks they gave me, I knew that the word "nice" meant something entirely different to them than it did to me in dog show jargon! I was not referring to his personality, although he is a sweetie. The reference to him being a "nice puppy" was to his structure, movement, and conformation to the standard. I tried to explain but just got more blank looks. Obviously, his "niceness" excites me more than it does them!

Wish me luck at the shows!

Have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. As you celebrate, take time to remember those whose sacrifices have kept our country safe.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you! Give yours a hug!

Joyce