Part II: American Lhasa Apso Club National Specialty - Results and Some Pictures

Wednesday (continued)

The Top 25 Competition featured an entry of 16 of the Lhasas eligible to compete. Of those, five were absent. The Competition was judged by three judges, AKC Judge JoAnne Schullier, Handler Judge Wade Koistinen, and Breeder Judge Ida Watts.

The Winner was GCh Ch Kumi Kian Mion Parti in the USA

The Runner Up Award went to  GCh Ch Windwick Hylan Shotru Hidden Talent

And the People's Choice Award went to GCH CH Ha-Lee Kiki-Ari Captain Morgan

Thursday

Thursday's judge for the ALAC Regional Specialty was Craig Grein.

• Best of Breed was GCH Kumi Kian Strike A Pose
• Best of Opposite Sex was GCH Ha-Lee Kiki-Ari Captain Morgan
• Best of Winners was Mokiemas Once Upon A Time from the 9-12 Month Bitch Class
• Select Dog was Ch Sundancers Rinchen Jimmer
• Select Bitch was Ch Black Boots Stars and Stripes
• Best Puppy was Mokiemas Once Upon A Time
• Best Bred By was Sundancer Gypsy At Heart
• Best Owner Handler Ch Black Boots Pardon Me Boyz
• Winners Dog was Ta Sen Westgate Michel Gonet
• Reserve Winners Dog was Riverview Hylan Shotru Our Wildest Dream (the dog pictured in the front of the line in the photo below)
• Winners Bitch was  Mokiemas Once Upon A Time
• Reserve Winners Bitch was Sundancer Gypsy At Heart

Josh took second in his 9-12 Month Class
Here's the lineup. The placements 1-4 were as the dogs are standing in the photo.

 Thursday evening was the Awards Banquet, Awards Video Program, and Auction. It began with a nice video presentation of the Top 25 Lhasa as puppies. Very cute! A second video featured the Lhasas who earned titles in 2013. Marsha Susag, pictured below, was awarded the Member of the Year Award.

Friday
The judge for Friday's ALAC National Specialty was Stephen Campbell.

• Best of Breed was Ch Black Boots Stars and Stripes
• Best of Winners was Ta Sen Westgate Veuve Clicquuot from the 6-9 Month Bitch Class
• Best of Opposite Sex was Ch Monarchs The Messenger
• Select Dog was GCh Red Fox Strike It Rich
• Select Bitch was GCh Kumi Kian Strike A Pose
• Winners Dog was Riverview Hylan Shotru Our Wildest Dream from the 9-12 Month Dog Class
• Reserve Winners Dog was Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker (my own Josh) from the 9-12 Month Dog Class
• Winners Bitch was Ta Sen Westgate Veuve Clicquuot from the 6-9 Month Bitch Class
• Reserve Winners Bitch was Sundancer Saskia Ladybug Fly Away Home from the 12-18 Month Bitch Class

Yes, you read correctly that Josh took RWD. The great thing about that is that there were enough males entered in this show to put into effect the AKC ruling that RWD earned a 3 point major! I was thrilled! I told friends (well, actually, anyone who was within earshot) that that is the first time in all my years of showing that I was thrilled to get reserve to the major. For those of you unfamiliar with dog shows and point awards, usually reserve is like 1st runner up in a Miss America contest. It's nice to be recognized but doesn't get you much unless the winner is somehow eliminated on a technicality.

This is the first year that ALAC has been able to present the 3 point major to a male. Last year there were not enough entries to make it happen.

Another nice thing that happened to me during the week was that Bobbie Wood asked me to show one of her Specials bitches in the Best of Breed class. She gave me her Lily to show and I just fell in love with Lily. She is beautiful and a dream to show. Here's a picture of me with Lily during Friday's Best of Breed. We made the first cut!

For those of you who want more information about the results - the placements in each class, the Awards of Merit, names of breeders and owners, etc. please go the the website of the American Lhasa Apso Club. The results are posted there.

So, the show is over but the day is not. After the show ended, I ran back to my room, changed into comfortable clothing, and helped tear down and clean up the ballroom area and storage area.  Then I began packing items and taking them to the car. A nice meal with friends at Ruby Tuesdays, followed by a long talk, some popcorn, and wine with my roommate, it was time to sleep.

Saturday (the 7th day)

On the 7th day, I did not rest. Up at 5:30 I continued packing, taking things to the car, removing things I'd thrown in on Friday evening, reorganizing things so they would fit again, and shushing Josh whose cries could be heard down the hall because he was certain I was leaving him behind whenever I walked out the room's door with another load. Once the car was loaded, I drove to a nearby filling station, gassed up the car, set the GPS for my son's house in Edwardsville, and Josh and I headed north. A quick stop to see my son and give Josh a chance to romp and chase Trevor's cat, and then we were back on the road.

Josh with Trevor (the cat was hiding)

Trevor is a member of the metal band Black Fast. You can find them on Facebook and hear their music if you go to the Bandcamp website. I have to put a plug in for them because I am proud of the guys' accomplishments. Buy their album online and help support four "starving" young musicians.

Finally, I wanted to point you to an interesting article I found while I was whiling away the time at the agility trial on Tuesday. Check out the Canine Chronicle's article beginning on page 230, "Ancient Breeds: Shih Tzu, Tibetan Terrier, and Lhasa Apso" by Amy Fernandez. It's in the Volume 39, Number 10, October 2014 issue that has a Shar Pei on the cover. I hope this URL works to get you there. If not, google "Canine Chronicle" and you should find it. http://www.onlinedigitalpubs.com/publication/?i=228267&l=&m=&p=&id=8717

The End!

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

Joyce

Part I: American Lhasa Apso Club National Specialty - Results and Some Pictures

ALAC Specialty Week is chock full of activities. Of course, everyone attending has a different experience depending on their role in the club. A member who is only attending and showing a dog has a different experience than a member who is helping to put the show together, or one who is in charge of the raffle baskets, etc.

Sunday

This year, Specialty Week started for me on Sunday. The Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club members (of which I am one) were hosting Monday's sweepstakes and specialty shows. Thus we and a few other ALAC member volunteers were responsible for setting up the hotel ballroom for the show. First we had to roll out plastic to cover the carpet for the grooming area. Let me point out that there are no "spring chickens" among the people who did this. We were on hands and knees rolling out and smoothing adhesive-backed plastic. Below, Karen and I make our first attempt at the job. We later perfected our technique and things went much faster (and smoother). The award for Fastest Plastic Layers went to David and Marsha Susag.

Once the grooming area was covered, we all proceeded to the storage room where we began loading the hospitality bags with goodies for Lhasas and people. Afterwards, some of us stayed to help the show chair and her husband set up the ring, lay the matting, and tape the matting down. Once the matting was in place, the show chair and I taped the corners, while her husband kindly offered the hotel staff a hefty tip to finish taping the rest of the mats' sides. Thank goodness they agreed to do it! My legs and back are still "feeling it," but by golly the tape held all week! Later other GMLAC members set up the trophy table for Monday's show. It looked great.

Trophies for Best of Breed, Best of Winners, and Best Opposite Sex

Ribbons and Prizes for Winners, Reserve, Select, National Owner-Handler Series, Best Puppy, Best Bred-By, Award of Merit

 Monday

The GMLAC Sweepstakes on Monday was judged by Joan Lester. Winners were

• Sashellie Sundancer Rhapsody's What About Bob from the 6-9 Month Dog Class
• Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker from the 9-12 Month Dog Class
• Apsolutely Red Red Whine from the 15-18 Month Dog Class
• Bodnath Maharani from the 6-9 Month Bitch Class
• Riverview Hylan Shotru Oh What A Dream from the 9-12 Month Bitch Class
• Sundancer Sakia Ladybug Fly Away Home from the 15-18 Month Bitch Class

From among those class winners, the judge chose Riverview Hylan Shotru Oh What A Dream as her Best Puppy and Grand Sweepstakes Winner
The Best Junior was Sundancer Sakia Ladybug Fly Away Home

And thus the week of competition began!

Here is a short video taken of Josh during the judging. He's the second dog.

That afternoon, Karen McFarlane judged the GMLAC Specialty show.

• Winners Dog was Black Boots Pimp and Shrimp from the Bred By Exhibitor Dog Class
• Reserve Winners Dog was Ta Sen Westgate Michel Gonet from the 6-9 Month Dog Class
• Winners Bitch was  Ta Sen Westgate Veuve Clicquuot from the 6-9 Month Bitch Class
• Reserve Winners Bitch was Sundancer Sakia Ladybug Fly Away Home from the Bred By Exhibitor Bitch Class
• Best of Breed was Ch Black Boots Stars and Stripes from the 7-10 Year Veteran Bitch Class
• Best of Winners was  Ta Sen Westgate Veuve Clicquuot from the 6-9 Month Bitch Class
• Best of Opposite Sex was GCh. Ch Ha-Lee Kiki-Ari Captain Morgan
• Select Dog was GCh Furchila Autumn Breeze from the  7-10 Year Veteran Dog Class
• Select Bitch was GCh Kumi Kian Strike a Pose

Josh took 4th in his class (of four) at this show.

Here is a movie of Josh's grandmother, GCh. MLS Desiderata Lindy, who competed in the 7 - 10 Year Veteran Bitch Class. Lindy is being shown by Marsha Susag, Josh's Co-Breeder.

Tuesday

Tuesday was a different story. Instead of conformation judging, this day was set aside for Companion Events, held at the Purina Farms Event Center. It's a wonderful building, designed especially for dog shows and companion events.

This was the first year that ALAC has held an All-Breed Agility Trial during our specialty week. The trial was a great success. The day was long for those of us who volunteered to help with the trial, starting long before 8:00 and lasting until shortly after 5:30. It was wonderful watching the dogs run the courses. The Lhasas did not do so well but provided some comic relief for sure. I took a couple turns as a leash runner and as a pole setter.

A Joyslyn's dog, Ty (half brother to Josh) was running in the trial. He gave up early on and decided to run the course the way he thought it should have been designed. Here he is with his owner, Judy.

Obedience and Rally were judged by Virginia Kinion.

• Obedience Novice Class B first place went to GCh Alasara Northwind Anbara Maestro BN, PCD, Rn, CGC with a score of 188.
• Beginner Novice A was Ch Sterlings Diamond in The Ruff NR with a score of 190
• Rally Advanced A was Ch Sterlings Diamond in the Ruff NR with a score of 85
• Rally Advanced B was Ch Kumi Kian Forget Me Not CD RAE with a score of 98
• Rally Excellent B  Ch Kumi Kian Forget Me Not CD RAE with a score of 96

Here's a photo of one of the Rally entries, Ch Takashi's Handsome Heartbreaker, who earned a score of 95 in the Rally Advanced B class.

Purina Farms is set in a lovely hilly countryside. Here are some photos taken from the parking lot in front of the Event Center. The fall day was lovely. Sadly, the photos do not do justice to the colors of the trees.

 Later Tuesday evening, ALAC held a Cut-Down Sweepstakes, an event featuring Lhasas with hair clipped to less than 2".  This Sweepstakes was judged by Donald Schwartz. The winner was Ch. MLS Dakota The Man in A Suit. Best of Opposite Sex was Ch. Hi Tide Evening Star.

Are you tired yet? We've just finished Day 2!

Josh -- Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker

 Wednesday

Wednesday's events included the Futurity,  the Maturity, and the Top 25 Competition.

The Futurity and Maturity were judged by Catherine Marley.
Futurity Results

• Best Puppy was Ta Sen Westgate Vueve Clicquuot, from the 6-9 Month Bitch Class
• Best Junior was Westgate Monogram Samara Murphys Law from the 12-15 Month Bitch Class
• Grand Futurity Winner was Ta Sen Westgate Vueve Clicquuot

I'm proud to say Josh won the his class (9-12 Month Dog Class).

Maturity Results

• Best in Maturity was Furchila Sasha De Oro from the 24-31 Month Bitch Class
• Best of Opposite Sex was Ch. Apsolutely FFT Tell Me No Lies from the 24-31 Month Dog Class

I'll post more results in the next installment.

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

Joyce

Happy Halloween, National Specialty Preparations, and Some Pictures

On Halloween what you must do
Is pretend that nothing frightens you
But if something does and you want to run
Just act like it's all in Halloween fun.
~Author Unknown

Happy Halloween, everyone! If there is such a thing as a Halloween Scrooge, this year that is me. Halloween is a holiday I would not miss if it went away. I've hated costume parties for as far back as I can recall. My childhood memories about Halloween are lukewarm. I remember crying most years because my costume was never as impressive as I'd imagined it should be. (My poor mother!) I remember huge barn parties at my dad's cousin's place. All the kids in town were invited. It was a big deal. But, being a shy child, I was often the wallflower during the apple bobbing and other games. Once I grew up and had children, they gave me a taste of my own medicine about the costumes.  I am so very glad those days are over. (I did, however, enjoy raiding their Halloween candy. The Snickers were mine!)

So this year, I'm a Scrooge. No porch light will be on at my house for the cute little trick or treaters. One reason is that we have no young children in our neighborhood any more. The other reason is that I am just to tired this week to have to keep running to the door every time the doorbell rings.

Why am I tired? Well, as you probably know, the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty Week was held  last week in St. Louis. It was a great week. I was, for the most part,  pleased with Josh's performance in each of the 5 shows. It was fun -- but very tiring. Once home I had piles of laundry and other Lhasas that required grooming and bathing.

So here's what happened:

I spent much of the week of October 13th getting things packed for Josh and me. We had an entire week in a hotel to look forward to, so I tried to think of everything we would definitely need and then added a bunch of stuff that I hoped we would not need but that I wanted to take "just in case." On Saturday morning I finished the packing, took everything outside and spread it across the drive way, and then began to figure out how to pack it all in my car.

Speaking of my car, I have a new car. My previous car was a 2008 Impala. I loved that car. Its trunk was huge and all my show items, plus my friend's show items when I traveled with someone, fit in the truck quite easily.

But, it was time for a new car. Unfortunately, the trunk configuration of the 2014 Impala did not allow me to fit all my show things in it. Darn! Bless the salesperson at our Chevy dealership who patiently worked with me as we tried to load all the items in the 2008's trunk into the trunk of the 2014. Nope!

So, I went to the Ford dealership and bought a Taurus (red, of course). Here it is. 

The trip to the National Specialty was our first long trip together. We have a friendly relationship so far but a cautious one. I'm still getting to know the car and its features and am not quite comfortable with it yet. But, she got me there and back and was easily able to hold all my stuff, so high marks in that regard for her. Gas mileage was good - a bit over 30 mpg. It was also great that gas prices that week went down! In the St. Louis area, the lowest price I saw was $2.51.

To start with, I carry my basic show items in the trunk all the time. Those include two exercise pens, an ex-pen mat, a grooming table, three ringside tables, a grooming stool, a chair that fits in a bag, a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth, a bag containing a heavy-duty extension cord, another containing a lot of bungee cords, a tire inflator, an umbrella, and the trolley (or "wheels," as I call them). Here is what the trunk usually looks like.

(Note the old bedspread I use to protect the car's paint in case the car gets bumped during loading or unloading.)

But would the new car hold all the extra things I had to pack for the specialty? I knew from experience my previous car would have. Here are the piles of boxes, bags, luggage, and equipment that needed to fit on top of the "usual" trunk items.

Here are pictures of the trunk and car interior once I finished packing.  The trunk looked like this:

The back seat looked like this:

The front seat looked like this (until I put my purse and an audio book box on the passenger seat).

More about the specialty trip later. Here are some Halloween pictures people sent of their Joyslyn dogs.

First, Mary from MN sent this picture of Belle, writing, "Here's Belle, waiting for her broomstick express."

Caroline sent pictures of Magoo and Mallory all decked out for Halloween.

She wrote, "Magoo -- where do I begin? He's just a unique character! Our groomer says she has never experienced a puppy in all her years of grooming that is as laid back as Magoo is. I always say he's just an old soul. He loves his toys and loves playing with Mallory. He yawns every morning and you always know when he's yawning because he always makes a funny noise when he does. He also gives tons of kisses…his coat's absolutely beautiful -- it's so thick!"

About Mallory, she wrote, "Mallory is such a dainty little girl. She has the cutest habit of putting up her left front paw when she approaches you. It's almost like she is giving you a high five. She loves for you to hold her and gives lots of kisses. She loves to play fetch with my 84 year old father. She's just a bright light in our household! Also, she is such a beautiful dog...If you have not guessed Robert and I are crazy about these two! They have provided a lot of love and laughter to our lives!"

I also received other "non-Halloween" pictures and updates on two other dogs. First is Abby Gale, who recently passed away.  She was getting on in years and was ill. This photo was of her before she became ill. Our condolences to her owner, Marilyn, who loved her very much.

This picture is of Andy, a litter brother to Magoo.

And finally, you know we have two black female puppies from Raven. Here is their photo at age 2 weeks, taken the day I returned from the Specialty. They'd grown a lot in that week!

The next post will be about our adventures in St. Louis during National Specialty Week.

Remember, Life is Better When You Have a Lhasa To Love You!

Joyce

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

Oh, if only that were true! For the past week, my "packing preparations" for my trip to St. Louis for the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty week have taken up three rooms as I've decided
1) what I need to take,
2) what I want to take,
3) what would be nice to take if it'll fit in the car.

I'm leaving tomorrow, so tonight's the night to pull it all together. Right now, all I can tell you is that I think I have packed more "stuff" for Josh than for myself. I keep asking myself why one little dog needs so many things. The list includes, but is not limited to, his crate, his 2 x 3, exercise pens, a grooming table for the grooming area at the show, a grooming table for the hotel room, the tack bag, the tub containing grooming things that don't fit in the tack bag, food, water, bowls, water bottles, towels, crate pads, shampoo, conditioner .... and more!

The interesting part will come tomorrow morning when the driveway will be strewn with boxes, luggage, equipment, and storage tubs. I'll attempt to fit it all in my car. I have a new car and this trip will be its first long journey. This car is going to have to prove itself as a dog show vehicle.

Other news: I received some pictures of Sadie from Carol. Sadie is a daughter of Rafe and Maggie.  Carol wanted to show me how Sadie's coat color is changing and becoming more red, as you can see in the second photo.

Last week I wrote that Raven was going to have two puppies. She had them on Friday. We have two lovely black females. I know some of you are waiting for puppies but both of these have been spoken for. The sire's owner is taking one and I will be keeping the other.

Here is a photo taken shortly after they were born. They are easy to tell apart since one has a white mark on her neck.

Here are pictures taken this morning. They are one week old:

Tonight it is back to packing. Most of the items left to pack are mine so that part should not take long. Josh is getting a bath. Oh, and I should mention that we are having a birthday dinner for our son and his family. Am I cooking? I am not. I made a cake about 11:00 PM last night. We're doing Chinese takeout.

I'm looking forward to attending the national. Josh is being shown five times: in the Monday sweepstakes, in the Monday GMLAC Specialty Show, in the ALAC Futurity on Wednesday, in the ALAC Regional Specialty on Thursday, and in the ALAC National Specialty on Friday. I am eager to see people I have not seen for a couple of years since I was unable to attend last year's specialty week in California. Over 100 Lhasas are entered. It's going to be a great week. I'll tell you all about it next time.

Wish us luck!

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

Joyce

Lhasa Apsos and Children

Gold and red leaves nod to the soft breeze,
As it whispers, "Winter is near;"
And the brown nuts fall at the wind's loud call,
For this is the Fall of the year.
                                  ~from " A Fall Song" by Ellen Robena Field



An important link on the Joyslyn's Lhasa Apsos website is the one that asks, "Is A Lhasa Apso for You?"  One that link's page, I wrote,  "As much as I love them, I know that not everyone appreciates a Lhasa Apso. Here's a brief checklist which may help you decide if a Lhasa Apso is the breed for you." This is followed by a brief description of some Lhasa characteristics:

(1) Lhasas are indoor dogs. They like to play outside but they should live inside with their families.

(2) Lhasas bark. They are not nervous, yappy barkers, but they have great hearing and like to bark at noises, even if no one else can hear them.

(3) Most, but not all, Lhasas like children. (Sort of like most, but not all, people.) Teach the kids to respect the dog's rights and you'll have no problems. If you have rotten kids, don't buy them a Lhasa—or any dog for that matter.

(4) Lhasas are intelligent, independent, and sometimes stubborn. They do not respond well to anger. Training is most successful if it is approached as a game. Lhasas like lots of praise and doggy treats.

(5) Lhasas require a lot of grooming. If you don't have time to groom or don't want to groom, then buy a short-haired breed or plan to keep your Lhasa's hair cut.

Today, I want to focus on #3 "Most, but not all, Lhasas like children."

Several of my articles about Lhasas are posted on Ezine. Each month Ezine sends me a report regarding how many views each article has received and what the three most popular articles have been that month. The article about Lhasas and children always ranks high. For that reason, I decided to repeat it here.

Lhasa Apsos and Children

We Lhasa breeders may be contributing to the decline in Lhasa popularity by the information we provide about the breed in our ads and on our websites. In an attempt to protect our dogs, we often end up giving the breed a bad image, especially when it comes to Lhasas and kids.

It is true that many Lhasa breeders refuse to sell puppies to people who have young children. I find that interesting because most of us are parents, and now grandparents. Our own children were raised with our Lhasas, and now our grandchildren get to visit and play with the dogs. In our case, we owned, showed and bred Lhasas for 5.5 years before our first child was born. The dogs and children were raised together and expected to get along! They did.

In spite of my good experiences with Lhasas and children, I am often leery about letting people with young children buy a puppy - and it is not because I distrust the Lhasas as a breed or my own puppies as individuals not to "be good with children." It's more that I don't trust other people's children to "be good to the puppy!"

For example, we once adopted a Lhasa female whose breeder had taken her back from the people she sold her to because the breeder heard reports that the puppy was being abused. As it turned out, the rumors were true. Chrissy was being poked at and teased when she was in her crate. The children would also put her on a lead and drag her on her belly down the sidewalk when she refused to walk. Now, what is true about Lhasas is that they have long memories, they bear grudges, and like any other dog or person that has been bullied, they reach a saturation point where they will retaliate. So, yes, Chrissy growled and snapped at the children, and even when she came to our home where she was safe, she was always touchy and protective about her crate. Away from it, she was happy and loving with the kids. Some memories are just hard to erase. I'm sure other breeders have had similar experiences that have resulted in the "not available to homes with young children" statement in their ads.

A Lhasa Apso is fine in a home with children whose parents teach them respect for animals and other people. When people tell me they have children, I generally ask the ages. I ask them to be honest with me and themselves about how the children behave and if they, as parents, can honestly attest to how the children would interact with the puppy. Sometimes we come to an agreement that the situation is a good one for a puppy. At other times, the potential buyers opt to wait a few more years until the child is ready to interact appropriately with a puppy.

Some Lhasas, like some people, simply don't like children. Children's unexpected movements, screeching, general exuberance, and unconscious disregard for others are annoying. Other Lhasas, like most people, love children so much! I once sold a young adult female to a single person who lives in a large city. The dog was born after our children were grown and before the grandchildren were born, so she had never even seen a child. Yet, her owner tells me the dog loves children and when she goes for walks and sees a child, she cries until her owner allows her to greet the child. Liking or disliking children is a personal preference, not a breed characteristic.

With that as a prelude, I would like to share a great story sent to me by Doreen, who owns two Joyslyn's Lhasas, Winston and Bentley. Both boys are nearing senior status and, although Doreen's great-niece had visited her home before, this story is about the dogs' first interactions with her on the floor. 

Doreen wrote, "Hi Joyce, I just wanted to share with you a lil' story about these 2 sweeties you gave me. My niece had a baby 4/4/14 and she is the first great anything for me--and granddaughter for my sister. Let's just say the sun rises and sets on Ms. Piper. Anyway, she has been to my house in the past--however, now she sits up by herself and is really becoming a little person. She and her Ma stopped by last night and we sat her on the floor with Win and Ben to see what would transpire. 

At first, they both went up to her to smell her and she reached out to touch them. Then, Bentley ran and got one of his prize possessions..... a ball. He ran up to her with it and dropped it--then took his paw and kind of back flipped it so the ball slowly rolled between her legs. All the while his tail is going 100 miles an hour. She did touch the ball--but of course didn't throw it which is what he lives for. 

I threw it a couple of times but then we got busy talking. He kept bringing it back to her and when I didn't throw it he barked. Well, this scared Piper and she started crying. We held her till she stopped and then put her back on the floor with them. Winston positioned himself between me and Piper and there was no way she was getting close to his Mommy. Bentley, however, came back with his ball. This time he took his paw and started batting her on the leg to get her to throw it--so I picked it up and threw it. He then came back, rolled it again, and softly reached out and batted her on the top of her head. We about died laughing and Piper just looked at him. 

I swear--they are the smartest, sweetest dogs I've ever had. The neighbors love to see them come by while on a walk and they always want to hold them. Thanks again for the blessing of these two guys. Hope things are well with you and all of your Lhasas."

I responded that I sure wish she would have taken a video. It might have gone viral. How can you go wrong with babies and dogs?

In the good news/disappointing news department, the good news is that Raven is due to have puppies any day now. The disappointing news is that she is carrying only two puppies and both are already spoken for (one for me, the other for the owner of the stud dog). 

Here is their first photo.

I know that many of you have been waiting and waiting for us to have a litter or two. We do have another breeding planned for the fall. Keep your fingers crossed that it is a successful one.

I was pleased to get a nice note from Judy, who owns Ty. Ty is being trained for agility and will be at the All Breed Agility Trial that is being held in conjunction with the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty on October 21. I am eager to see him and Judy again and to watch them in action. Below is the photo of Ty that Judy sent with her note. Ty is a half brother to Josh. Breaker is the sire of both.

I look forward to specialty week. Many great activities are planned. I hope some of you who live close enough to travel to St. Louis will take a vacation day or two to come to the hotel ballroom and watch the Lhasas that will be there from all over the U.S. Confirmation judging starts in the hotel ballroom at 10:00 on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. The obedience, rally, and agility events are at Purina Farms and begin with agility at 8:00, followed by obedience and rally at 1:00. Wednesday's Futurity judging starts at 1:00. 

Here is a schedule by day:

The hotel is the Holiday Inn, Route 66, 10709 Watson Rd., St. Louis, MO 63127. 

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

 

Joyce