The "Lazy, Hazy, Crazy" July Days

The best joke I've heard so far this month:

A husband and wife were sitting on their deck, drinking wine, and watching a beautiful summer sunset.
The wife broke the quiet by sighing, "I love you so much. I can't live without you."
The husband chuckled and responded, "Honey, is that you or the wine talking?"
She said, "Oh, it's me...talking to the wine."





I confess that nothing too exciting has happened lately. The 4th of July passed uneventfully. Our town's fireworks display takes place at our university, which is only a few blocks from our house, but I had the radio on for the dogs and no one seemed to mind the "booms" that sounded frequently.

Josh went to class on the night of his 6-month birthday and seemed to enjoy being there with the other dogs. He is a lot of fun to work with and has a natural affinity for showing. I hope that attitude stays with him. At 6 months old, he is now eligible to compete in AKC shows for championship points. We're going to the Burlington Kennel Club show in Iowa in a couple of weeks. The Lhasa entry is small, but we're all planning on having a good time together. Three of us are starting puppies who just turned 6 months old.

When I last wrote, I told you how excited it was when Josh was chosen Best Beginner Puppy in Show at the Kettle Moraine show in WI. Here is the photo that was taken then. He was 5 months old.

Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker (Josh)

I've received some notes and photos also.

Renee has two Joyslyn dogs that are half-brothers. She sent photos and wrote,"Their personalities are TOTALLY different.  Dalai still acts like a 2 year old, does whatever he wants whenever he wants and doesn't care what we think (barking at critters in the back yard). But he's bouncy and lots of fun and loves to snuggle. Namri has always been an "old soul".  Calm, cares if I'm upset.  Doesn't bark much-- hangs out by himself on his chair in the office. "



Here is a photo of Namri and Dalai enjoying the warm California sun, followed by photos of them just relaxing around the house.

I received a lovely note from Andy's owners, who live in Canada. Regular readers may recall that Andy was the red male puppy sired by Rafe (GCh. Joyslyn's Inherit the Wind) out of Maggie (Ch. Joyslyn's Moonlight Magic). Here are parts of the the note, "Andy is doing great. He is a wonderful addition to our family and his antics generate smiles on our faces every day…He is a gentle, loving puppy who loves to be cuddled and who prefers to snuggle up to my daughter on the couch for his afternoon nap. "Me too" also loves to follow up wherever we go and eagerly greets the family when they come home from school or work. You will be glad to know he was the quietest and calmest puppy in Puppy Class…Every day we are thankful for this lovely pup that you raised with such care and love. We continue to marinate him with love on a daily basis and look forward to spending many wonderful years together…"

Letters and notes such as this are what come to mind when people see my puppies and ask me, "How can you ever part with them?"

Andy's people sent me some wonderful photos of him. Here are two of them:

Jimmy, Duncan's brother who decided that the show ring was not for him, is enjoying life and a new hair style. He has a new owner who says he is doing great. When I see this photo and look at how he holds and head and neck, I think how much he looks like Raven, his mother.

Raven's other son, Duncan, was the subject of photo session at our house Sunday night after his bath. We took a lot of great pictures of him but I'll share just a few. He is such a pretty dog. His color is unique and his head and expression are lovely! (The rest of him is very nice also!) He'll be 18 months old on July 23.

We've been waiting and waiting for Raven to come in season. She's now two months past the time I expected her to be in season, so if you are impatiently waiting for me to tell you puppies are on the way, you will have to join me and impatiently wait a bit longer!



Now is the time to make plans for the 2014 American Lhasa Apso Club National Specialty. Here is the update flyer of events and hotel information. If you live in the midwest and love Lhasas, drive to St. Louis that week and you'll see Lhasas from all over the U.S. gathered for the National!

You may recall in December or January I mentioned receiving an annual Christmas card from John and Sparky. John and his wife, who has since passed away, purchased Sparky from us 18 years ago. I was saddened by a voice message John left on our machine yesterday telling us that Sparky passed away on Sunday. I called to express my sympathy, and John told me how much Sparky meant to him and how much company Sparky was when his wife passed away. John said Sparky could no longer go up steps and could not see well but otherwise was doing fine. His death was caused by a reaction to a medication the vet had given him. John wants another Lhasa! Don't we all!

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

Joyce

Where Did June Go?

Just what happened to the month of June? Here it is July 1 already (thankfully payday!) and June went by so fast I have no idea what happened to it. I've certainly been "on the go" so that might have something to do with days passing quickly. From the 7th through the 11th I was busy driving to, attending, and driving home from the annual National Association for the Education of Young Children Professional Development Institute in Minneapolis. In addition to sitting in conference sessions all day, we enjoyed many fine Minneapolis restaurants, one of them being Hell's Kitchen. Here's a photo of our group taken after our dining experience.

And for those of you who remember the old TV show "That Girl," starring Marlo Thomas, here we are at the statue of her in downtown Minneapolis.

Naturally, the night before we left we had to visit the Mall of American, where we did some shopping and where I succumbed to the plea of a co-worker to join her on a couple of roller coaster rides. Here are some links to give you an idea of the thrills. Twice was enough to last me for many years to come!

Home at last from Minnesota, I next packed for a trip on June 18 to Florida to visit our daughter and son-in-law and his family and to join in the baby shower celebration. The theme was "What Will It Bee," with decorations of yellow and black and cute little bees.  The visit was great but the trip home on the 23rd was hectic. The weather was stormy and flights were delayed. After a panicky few moments in the Miami airport, I found an alternate flight, thanks to a wonderful Delta representative. I was able to make my connection in Atlanta because of a flight delay there. It was great to arrive in Peoria where the weather was just fine for the drive home.

Our annual town celebration, called Heritage Days, began on June 26. Since I was leaving for a dog show the next day, I took my eight-year old granddaughter to the carnival for "armband night." We had a great time. I treasure such times because soon she'll be at the age where she no longer wants to hang out with a "grandma." However, a 12-year old standing in line behind us as we waited for a turn on a ride, commented that my granddaughter was "lucky" and had an "awesome grandma" and that it was "so cool" that I was going on the rides because her grandma "refused to do that, which was a good thing because she threw up just watching the rides!"

This carnival was really lacking a variety of rides, but we coped and had fun in spite of that. We discovered a ride called the Tornado and managed 4 or 5 rides on it. The big hit of the night was something called Gee Wizz. We got off and got right back in line every time. It was worth the wait.

So, if nothing else, June was a time for travel and some wild rides!

Then on the 27th it was time to hit the road again.  My friend Jane and I packed up my Impala and drove to West Bend, WI for the Kettle Moraine dog show. The Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club had its June Specialty show on Saturday evening, so across the two days, we were able to get in three shows. I took Duncan and Josh. Duncan took Select Dog on Saturday and did not place at the other two shows. He seems to like the going around the ring part of showing, doesn't mind the table examination, but hates the standing still to wait for the other dogs to be judged! I am so glad he is finished. Now he can sit home for a while and grow up in both body and mind! Speaking of him being finished, I finally have his finishing photo to share.

A great highlight of the weekend was the 4-6 Month Beginner Puppy Competition the club hosted on Sunday afternoon. There were 39 beginners entered. I had Josh entered. LaVonne had his sister Cinder entered. (If you remember the litter, Cinder was the black puppy that we called Cherry before LaVonne renamed her.) Josh won the breed. Then he won the Beginner Non-Sporting Group. Then he won the Best Beginner in Show! I am so proud of him. He loved being in the ring and was a true showman. We did not get any photos or video of him in the ring but we did get a professional photo taken which I will share when I get it in the mail. However, here is a photo of Josh at home. He sort of blends in with the floor tile!

Josh (Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker) 5 months

As you  might imagine, I received quite a few emails and photos while I was away. I'm sharing some of them below.

Lila (renamed Lili) has owners that dote on her. I asked for a photo because they wrote that she'd had a haircut. They responded, "She is hard to photograph , she is so fast , plus she doesn't sit still for very long. Miss Lili is a laugh a minute. She is an absolute beautiful dog , a perfect Lhasa Apso. The soft honey color of her coat is gorgeous......She is irresistible. I have to pick her up and give her hugs and kisses ...(you get  about two minutes max). She constantly follows Collin around and jumps in his lap the minute he sits down. He calls her Wild Ninja Dog. The other night we were eating dinner, and she got on a tear running in circles, then jumped & took the napkin right off my lap, and paraded in front of Tam 100 miles an hour to [entice her to] chase her!" (Note: Tam is their older Lhasa female.)

As difficult as it is to place an older puppy like Lila or even one of the adult dogs, it's notes like this one that warm my heart and tell me that I have made the right decision.

Mary's Belle is doing great with her agility lessons. Mary wrote, "Belle is climbing the A frame, without leash!!  It's at a lower level but she charges for it…We started weave pole class last week. Maybe by next winter/spring we can do a Teacup agility trial or start with CPE." I am so amazed. This is the little dog that absolutely refused to budge when I tried to lead train her and who resisted nearly every step of the way as we tried to finish her championship. She ended up needing a major win and a single point when Mary took her. And now? Belle loves the rally and agility. I am so proud of her and am so grateful for all Mary has done to enrich Belle's life. Here is the latest photo of Ms. Belle.

Magoo's owners sent a photo of him and his big sister, Mallory. Both have Rafe and Maggie as parents. "Just a note to update you on Magoo!! First off, we love him!! He has been such a great addition to our family!! Mallory loves him, and our older Lhasa, Madison, can get into some barking showdowns with him which  Madison loves!! He is such a little character with a big personality - he's a HOOT!!  He has definitely found his voice.  He makes these  funny little noises that aren't really barking and not really whining!  He  will sit in front of his food dish and his bed just to talk (for lack  of a better word) to them. He loves Mallory's long hair and like the little boy he is, he likes to pull it.  He went to his first  grooming appointment on June 9th, and our groomer said he  was really easy to groom (her words were Mallory and Magoo were sweet  angels), and she, also, commented on his beautiful coat!  Just like Mallory, he is so lovable - he loves to sit in your lap and gives lots of  kisses!! Just like you, we have a ton of nicknames for him from  Boo Boo Magoo to Magoover!! His personality just calls for  nicknames!! We have tried several times to get a picture to send you, but it is  hard trying to get Mallory and Magoo to slow down long enough to get a  picture. Attached is a picture we were able to take when they took a  short break from playing…Thanks for our two Rafe and Maggie puppies!! Mallory and Magoo have brought so much love and laughter to our lives!!"

Carol sent a photo of Sadie (littermate of Magoo) and wrote, "My little girl is growing up!!  She's very social with everyone.  Human & Canine. Potty training going well & learning her manners, too.  She loves playing with all her toys.  I'm her favorite Chewy Toy!!"

I found a photo of another of the sisters on Dawn's Facebook page. This is Bailey.

The fourth puppy in that litter was Andy. His owners wrote a quick note saying all was going well and that he had started a puppy obedience class.

Helen sent a picture of Sassy (Josh's sister) after her bath. She said, "Sassy just had her bath.  After drying, we worked on parting.  Her face is sooo ticklish!!!  It's not perfect, but we got a part nose to tail:-). I think you'll see on her head how light most of the coat is coming in."

Another sibling of Josh's is Brigsley. Miranda sent this photo of him.

Judy sent me a picture of her lovely Whisper, who is a littermate to my Maggie and Raven. (Maggie is the mother of Andy, Bailey, Magoo, and Sadie. Raven is Duncan's mother.)

Raquel sent me a link to her Facebook photo of Hilo. Hilo is a son of our Ch. Joyslyn's Heartbreaker so is a half brother to Josh.

Sherri wrote about Libby, "It will be two years this July 4th since we adopted Libby (Liberty Belle).  I took this picture with my phone yesterday of her resting on our deck. She seems to prefer the cold weather but will rest outside in the shade if we are sitting with her!Libby is great and is the perfect little girl. She is so well-behaved and is great with other dogs and kids!  We take her to doggy day care every few weeks for 1/2 day just so that she can play with other dogs!  She has a "big dog" spirit and is not afraid or timid. Her health has been fantastic-no problems with anything! We love her so much!" Libby is pictured below. She is a half sister to Maggie, Raven, and Whisper and is also a Heartbreaker daughter.

I receive great photos and video all the time from Yogi's owner, Violet. Yogi is getting up there in years (he might be 10 or 11 now) and has never been around children, but recently a family has moved in with Violet and her husband. It turns out that Yogi loves children. Here he is making himself cozy in bed with one of them, after hopping from the other bed where he'd been snuggling with another child.

And then there is Henri, the Affenpinscher. He is our "grand-dog," staying with us until our daughter and son-in-law live where they can have a dog again. Henri has had to learn to share toys, dog beds, and people. He was an only dog before he moved in with us, but he's adjusting well. He has a cute personality and mannerisms. His favorite toys are latex balls. He will not share his favorite green one! (and I don't expect him too.) In Henri's perfect world, he'd be an only dog again. In the meantime, he's doing okay in the Joyslyn's Lhasa world!

People have been writing and calling to inquire about puppies. We have none. I was expecting Raven to come in season in June, but she did not, so that sets things back at least a month. We have plans to breed her when she comes in, but I believe all her puppies are spoken for. I have quite a notification list. We will also do a breeding sometime in October or November, so puppies will be available in late winter/spring of 2015.


I received an email from a friend saying she has a 2-year old adult that she bought as a show prospect and that just does not have the temperament for the shows. She is looking for a pet home for him, so if anyone is interested, email me at lhasas@joyslynslhasaapsos.com and I'll put you in touch with my friend.

As many of you know,

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

Spread the word!

Joyce