Show Results, Letters, and Some Photos

The Waukesha weekend was a good one for the Joyslyn dogs - in spite of the weather. Friday morning the Lhasas were in the ring at 10:00 for the Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club Specialty Show. The sky was overcast and the breeze was chilly. It was threatening to rain!

This was the first show weekend for Raven's two sons, Duncan and Jimmy. Jimmy (formerly called Gus) is known to AKC as Joyslyn Golden Tu Mon Ami Inka Dinka Doo. He is owned by my friends Jan Graunke and LaVonne Bennett. LaVonne showed him on Friday only at the Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club Specialty. Not only does Jimmy look like Raven, but he also moves like her. That little guy is amazing!  He won the 6-9 puppy class and then went on to beat the Open Dog for Winners Dog and earn two points! His first show! Following in his mother's footsteps, like her at that Specialty show in 2011, he took Best of Winners.  When it came time for the Best of Breed competition, LaVonne had a Special she was showing, so I got to take Jimmy in the ring. I was thrilled to be showing him and, for not having seen me for a few months, he showed very well.

Windy showed nicely in the grass, which pleased me because this was her first show on grass. She took Reserve Winners Bitch.

Fortunately for Lhasa exhibitors and their dogs, the rain held off until we finished showing. The first few sprinkles began as we were through taking pictures.  Then the sky opened and it poured for most of the day.

I was glad that I thought to pack a sweatshirt and wished I had a rain coat! Other breeds were scheduled for the rest of the day, and I felt so sorry for the dogs and their handlers who were showing in the downpour! Many exhibitors had spent the morning washing, drying, and primping their dogs to look their best. Everyone came back in the building soaked to the skin!

Saturday and Sunday were cold and windy days. There was no rain. By Sunday, I was thinking, "why bother grooming?" since the wind was high and the dogs' coats were blowing all over.  I confess to not doing my usual thorough job! Windy took Winners Bitch on Saturday and Sunday. She now has 9 points, including one major. She needs another major and some singles to get to the 15 points with two majors required for her championship.

Duncan

Duncan made his ring debut on Sunday. He showed nicely for me but did not win. He took Reserve Winners Dog, which sounds good until you know that there were only two dogs entered! He had fun, was happy in the ring, and had a great first experience.

My friend, Jane, took some video of Jimmy, Windy, and Duncan. Jimmy's and Windy's videos were taken on Friday. We knew we were not going to be able to video Duncan on Sunday, so I walked him in the grass at the hotel and Jane took the video there.

In spite of the excitement over Jimmy's big win, Friday was also a bittersweet day. Mira left us for a new home with Sarah, Al, and their Lhasa Tashi (also a Joyslyn's Lhasa). Here is a picture of Mira and me in the car on Friday saying good-bye. It was pouring rain outside so we had to crowd into my car to stay "dry." Of course, we were soaked by the time we ran to the car! My hair and face were wet with rain, which helped cover up the teary eyes.

Sarah, knowing how hard it was for me to let Mira go, has sent a lot of photos and updates. Among the notes: "I just wanted to let you know that everything is going well with Tashi and Mira!  At first Tashi was a little shocked, but as per usual the lhasa girl is leading the way. She has found her favorite spot on my comfy chair with her bone…She has investigated the house, found it suitable and is now settling in. She has stolen Al's heart!" and "She has such a cute little growl/muff when she wants her way, and Tashi just jumps back as if he's seen a ghost! They run around together and behave very well on our walks. Life is so good when you have two adorable lhasas to love you!"

Tashi and Mira sharing the sofa

On Saturday, Violet, Roman, and their Lhasa Yogi drove to Waukesha from northern Illinois to watch us show, cheer us on, and visit with me. Yogi is nearly 11 years old. He was so calm and collected around all the hubbub of the show. Yogi is related to Walker. His sire is Walker's grandsire -- and I'll let you figure out the relationship! It was fun to see them all again. I had not seen Yogi except in pictures since he left our home. Violet and Roman came to see me at another show about 7 years ago when I was showing Connor but they left Yogi home that time.

It was fun on Sunday to see Pat W. at the Lhasa ring. Pat had a pet Lhasa for many years and really appreciates the breed. She shows a lovely Soft Coated Wheaten named Flynn, who had some nice wins on Friday and Saturday. After we showed the Lhasas, we went to Pat's grooming area to visit with her and to meet Flynn. He is 11 months old and such a sweetheart.

Flynn

Our next shows are this coming weekend in Burlington, IA. The Lhasa entry is all Joyslyn. Duncan and Jimmy are the only class males. Windy is the only bitch entered, and Rafe is the only Special entered.

I have been blessed again this week with emails from people who have Joyslyn's Lhasas. Some also included photos.

Mary sent a cute photo of Gabe. Poor Gabe has been ill with  an inflamed bowel and had to start a hypoallergenic diet. We're happy the vet was able to diagnose the problem because Gabe had stopped eating and was feeling low. With the new diet and some meds, his appetite has returned and he is himself again.

Gabe, just chillin'

 A note from Barbara reminds me how much she loves her Daisy:  "I pick up my Daisy, and her big eyes and look always perk me up - she always understands me - happy or sad!  Who needs a support group - get an upper like my Daisy!  All I can say is, thank you again and again from the bottom of my heart for my Daisy!  Just when one thinks she cannot get cuter  and smarter, she never fails to amaze me everyday.  Like Tom said, she is a PP - Precious Puppy!  Everyone loves her and then they want to take her from me - have you ever seen a protective Mom - no need to say anymore!!!!"

Laurie tells me that Hunter has learned how to go up the stairs and that he is growing fast. She wrote, "Hunter loves his time with the other dogs. Zora is teaching him how to have a really big bark (great). Zeus likes to play with him when Zora is getting groomed. Our puppy has brought much needed balance to the animal kingdom. Hunter is half snuggle bug and half stinker. He is so happy and his tail constantly wags. He so wants to run with the big dogs." She went on to tell me about his vet appointment and wrote "… he went on and on about how wonderful Hunter is. He is always impressed with your breeding program. Hunter charmed the people in the reception area. It's my little secret that as handsome as he is now, he is going to be even more gorgeous when he gets older."

Hunter learns to climb stairs

Laurie's Lhasa Trio: Zora, Hunter, Zeus

Ted and Ev wrote about Lucky's latest adventure. (Lucky is a half-brother to the Jethro/Hunter/Lila puppies. Mira is also his mother.) You might recall from previous posting about him that Lucky is trying out various jobs (e.g., WalMart Greeter and golf ball retriever).  Most recently Lucky decided to try on a new hat and become a geese chaser at the local pond. Ted wrote, "Lucky is walked daily in a park-like setting with homes on 2 sides and an open park on one side.   In between is a manmade lake that attracts hundreds of geese every year.   Some remain throughout the Spring to Fall. Lucky has walked past this lake numerous times with geese swimming around or just having a power nap.  The stench from the lake and surrounding area with all of the goose dumping  is high.  I’m not too sure why Good Old Lucky decided that he was going to chase the geese out of the lake, but he jumped in and started barking at them, making lunges towards them----the geese are honking away and Lucky is barking and charging them in the water.  This went on for about 5 minutes until he got closer to shore and Ev was able to scoop him out of the water. Like I mentioned the stench from the water and surrounding area is very very high so you can imagine what our  “guard dog” smelled like.  It was awful.   He had a ball and we had to scrub him down (a couple of times) to rid him of the stench…He is certainly a character and keeps us smiling and laughing at the various things he comes up with daily."

It might have been fun to see a video of Lucky policing the geese! I'm so glad I did not have to be in charge of that clean up. Ugh! Poor Ev!

An article by Frank Losey, "ASPCA Violates Dog Breeders"  discusses possible repercussions for hobby and show breeders (like me). And here's a little tongue-in-cheek poster to help you understand why breeders breed dogs. LOL

Life is better when you have a Lhasa (or two) to love you!

Joyce

"My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready to Go...."

...NOT!

The dogs are bathed, dry, and looking good. Their bags are packed and ready for the show. Mine, however, are not. I do have a list though and a couple hours before I need to have the luggage packed and the car loaded. All I can say about procrastinating last night is that the novel was more interesting than I thought packing would be.

We are headed to the Waukesha shows. What will be different this year is the weather. Usually, as I wrote before, the temps are beastly high and the humidity is too. This year, according to the Weather Channel's website, the temps will be in the low 70's during the day and close to 50 at night. I'm taking a jacket!  Except for the rain/thunderstorm forecast on Friday, it should be lovely weather for showing dogs outside.

Well, the boys have gone to their new homes. Lila doesn't seem to care. She did not fuss when moved to her own crate. She plays with Duncan and manages to get under my feet wherever I walk -- the little dickens. For some reason she must think it is fun to live dangerously!

I've heard from the boys' new owners. Cindy wrote, "Jethro is settling in and getting acclimated...I thought we would have a quiet week and get a schedule worked out but there is nothing like a puppy to draw people and they all came with toys and treats.  Jethro loved everyone and all the toys!  He is really quick and so smart... Right now we are a household of two word sentences, go potty, no bite, no chew, lots of good boy, and kennel up.  He is doing really well with the potty training, really well... We visited the Contented Canines and signed up for beginning obedience starting in August.  I think those are mostly for the humans!..."

Laurie wrote this about Hunter, "...Every day the dogs get better together. Hunter is playing with both adults now. He's starting to hold his own.  Zora looked happy when I told him to cut it out this evening.  For once she did not get blamed.   She liked the one on one time while grooming her last night.  Tonight Zeus gets a turn.  Tomorrow is Hunter vet time.  On walks people in the neighborhood admire all the dogs, especially that cute little puppy.  Consider them your Chicago goodwill ambassadors..." 

Oliver - what a cutie!

And, I received a nice email from Ellen about Oliver, "Just thought I would send you an updated picture of Oliver. He has been so much fun this past year! He kisses more than any dog I've ever known. And he's got the true Lhasa stubbornness. I think I may take him back to school to refreshen what he learned last year. He's quite the barker, too! All in all, he's been such a wonderful addition!..."

That's it for pictures and updates this week. Wish us luck at the show! Sunday will be Duncan's first show. His brother Jimmy's first show is tomorrow. I'm so excited to see them in the ring. They are both lovely Lhasas.

For now...I probably should start packing my bags soon.

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

Joyce

Photos and Not Much Else

It ain't the heat, it's the humility. ~ Yogi Berra









This week has been rather hum-drum, except for the night we went to see the new Lone Ranger movie. Both of us are, of course, old enough to remember seeing the Lone Ranger movie when we were young children, and both were fans of the TV show. Ahh, Saturday morning memories....the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Sky King, My Friend Flicka...

Johnny Depp gave Tonto a whole new dimension! LOL

So, what I have for you this is week is nothing of any substance. Here are the most recent puppy pictures and some show pictures that finally arrived of Rafe and Windy.

Jethro, 10 weeks

Lila, 10 weeks

Hunter, 10 weeks

Not the best picture of Windy, but oh well...
And, seriously, I am wearing a shirt under that jacket. It's a pale coral color and evidently blends in with my skin tone! LOL I may have to rethink that combination.

Windy, Best of Winners, 2 point, GMLAC Specialty, Judge Richard Miller

 Finally, a good picture of Rafe! It took us a little extra time, but the result was worth the wait.

GCh. Ch. Joyslyn's Inherit The Wind

This has absolutely nothing to do with dogs, but I was reading a novel involving some courtroom drama and found some information that intrigued me. The expert witness for the defense was giving testimony about the unreliability of eye witnesses. He referenced a video on YouTube that made his point. It is a selective attention experiment. Watch it and be amazed.  After you have seen it, go to this site and do some short reading about the experiment if you have nothing else to do! ;-)

Windy and I are preparing for a trip to the Waukesha shows next weekend. The Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club is having a specialty show on Friday. I've entered Windy all three days and Duncan only on Sunday. It will be his first show. I hope he performs well. I'm keeping it a secret from Rafe, but he is not going. I hate the heat, humidity, uneven ring surfaces, clods of dirt and clumps of weeds/grass in the ring at that show. He doesn't need to be out in it. I go each year to support the club and because I enjoy being with my WI Lhasa friends, but I always question my sanity! I have a feeling Rafe's nose is going to be out of joint about being left home and hope he doesn't find a way to get even with me!

Have a great weekend everyone, and don't forget...

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

Puppy kisses

It's About Time!

How long a minute is, depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on.
    ~Zall's Second Law

Apologies for being so tardy with this post. So much has happened that I do not know where to begin when it comes to writing about it.

Apologies to those of you who were hoping to see updated puppy photos of our now 10 week old puppies. We just did not get around to taking photos,  something quite unusual for us.

So...here is what we've been up to. The first couple days in July were spent getting ourselves and the dogs ready for us to leave for Miami, where our daughter lives and where her wedding was taking place. I drove to Burlington Monday AM to pick Mom up from the Amtrak station there. She rode the train from Nebraska so she could go with us to the wedding. We spent the rest of Monday and most of Tuesday grooming and bathing all the dogs. A few went to the veterinary clinic to be boarded and the others stayed home. I hired a dog sitter to come in to care for them. (She did a great job!)

We left for the St. Louis airport early Wednesday AM. Unfortunately, delay after delay for our departure seemed to be the theme of the day. The major worry was that we would miss our connecting flight in Atlanta. All the later flights to Miami were overbooked and we'd have to wait until Thursday. Fortunately, Atlanta weather caused delays there also and, following a mad dash from one concourse to another, we made our flight.

The visit was great. The wedding was beautiful. The reception was fun. Our son-in-law's family was warm and welcoming.

All too soon, Monday morning arrived and it was time to fly home. It was so hard for me to say good-bye. I miss my daughter a lot!

Unlike the flights to Miami, the return flights were on time and we arrived in St. Louis ahead of schedule. Soon we were back in Macomb and being happily greeted by the dogs who seemed thrilled to see us again.

Fortunately, I'd made arrangements with my friend Jane for her to groom Rafe once while I was gone. I should have done the same for Windy! Oh...hindsight is wonderful! Evidently Windy decided that the week I was gone would be an excellent time to go through a coat change. I also think the rain and high humidity exacerbated the problem. When I picked her up from the vet's office where she'd been boarded, I could feel how tightly packed the mats were on her sides and chest. My heart just fell. I know we were "in for it."

Thus began Tuesday's marathon grooming session. My husband spent over two and a half hours grooming Windy Tuesday morning. He had to stop since both he and Windy were getting tired and more than ready to have the session end. After taking Mom back to the train station Tuesday afternoon, I had my turn tackling the severely matted Windy. I also spent a little over two and a half hours grooming her. What came out was soft undercoat, which we refer to as "the scuzzies." By the time we finished, the pile was huge. Here's a picture.

The pile of Windy's undercoat after 6 hours of de-matting!

I feared that Windy would be bald. She was not. I think we're going to be okay, but I am very glad we returned home when we did.

Then Rafe had a turn and I was so thankful Jane had groomed him a few days earlier. He was easy to do compared to Windy.

Right now, we have only three dogs with long coats. Breaker has an easy-to-care-for adult coat and took less than an hour to groom out.

Windy after the marathon grooming session

Since then, it's been back to work where we've spent a lot of time catching up on all the things that piled up during our time off.











So, here are pictures from the wedding and the reception. I have more, of course, but I know how boring it is to look at other people's vacation pictures, so I'll limit the number I post.

Erikka with me after Friday's ceremony

Our daughter and son-in-law

Lynn with me at the wedding reception on Saturday

I also received a great photo of Tashi from Sarah. It was good to see him again. He has such a pretty, expressive face.

Here is a funny picture Lynn took of our granddaughter as she jumped into the pool at our Miami hotel. He caught her just before she went into the water. When we saw the photo, we laughed and I commented that we always knew she was perfect but evidently she walks on water!

We also spent an enjoyable afternoon on South Beach and Lincoln Road. It was a perfect day for visiting the beach -- clear blue sky with just wispy clouds; gentle cooling breezes; lots of sun, sand, and warm ocean water.

I got a kick out of speaking to Miami people about weather. They seemed to think they had the market on heat and humidity and, it seemed to me, did not quite believe me when I assured them that the midwest did indeed have high summer temperatures and many horrible humid days.

Hearing we were from Illinois, people automatically assumed "Chicago."  We had to explain that Chicago is NOT the only place people live in Illinois.

Two of the babies will be leaving soon. We'll be keeping Lila and hoping she will enjoy the show ring. Duncan loves to play with the younger puppies, but he has a tendency to be a little rougher with them than I'm willing to tolerate. Lila has learned to give it right back to him and is already establishing herself as the "boss." Those Lhasa girls! Since she and Duncan will soon be traveling to shows together, it's good she's establishing some boundries.

Duncan's first show is coming up at the end of this month. I hope he remembers his ring manners. Our training classes don't open again until August and, obviously, I haven't had time for a couple weeks to work with him. Rafe is staying home from those shows so I can focus on Windy and Duncan. Rafe's going to be upset!

Nutura is recalling some of its dog food. If you feed that brand, check the list on this site.

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

Joyce