Lhasa Apso Blog: Happy 2015!

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I hope each and every one of you had a enjoyable holiday season. The time went quickly at our house. We are fortunate to work in a university environment that allowed us a 9-day break this year. The worst part for me was having to go back to work on the 2nd! Ugh...a Friday! I did it but ended up being the only person in my office. The staff all decided to use up vacation time instead.

We had a great family Christmas and a dull New Year's Eve. Both of us were down with colds on New Year's Eve and asleep long before midnight!

The holidays being what they are, we received annual Christmas greetings from some people who have Joyslyn's Lhasas and who keep in touch now and then (for which we are very grateful). Giza's owner, Sharon, sent photos and wrote, "I can't say enough to tell you what a special little dog she has been. So sweet, cuddling with one of us is her favorite thing to do…She loves large stuffed animal toys to play with that squeak…All in all she is a happy little dogs and loves everyone. She has a lick for everyone and we love her very much."Giza is 9 years old now and very beautiful. Here is my favorite of the pictures Sharon sent.

Mark wrote about Lili (pronounced "LeeLee" and known as Lila when she was at our house): "…her coat is incredible, the legs look she has pants on. Her personality is way too fun. This morning it was about 12 degrees, the cold doesn't faze her a bit, she lounges around laying with her legs spread out on the frost covered deck patiently waiting for Tam to do her business before she can come in! She is the queen at our vets office. They all love her .... She gets tons of love, and gives it back!"

We heard from owners of three of Rafe's littermates, Griffin, Gabe, and Zora. Penny wrote in her Christmas note, "Griffin is a wonderful little boy. We are so lucky!" Here is the picture of Griffin.

Mary sent a photo of Gabe.

Laurie and Matt sent a photo of children and their three Joyslyn's Lhasas (from left) Zora, Hunter, and Zeus.

The card noted that "Zeus, Zora, and Hunter are therapists to all." Knowing how much I enjoy hearing about the dogs, in a later email, Laurie wrote about Zeus, saying, "Zeus has decided he loves dog beds. He got really excited when I bought new faux fur lined dog beds…He knew that I bought them with him in mind. Some women collect purses and shoes; Zeus collects dog beds."

About Zora, she said, "Zora was so funny this Christmas. She kept finding my hiding place for her presents (lots and lots of squeaky tennis balls - she has a tennis ball obsession). She got really excited when we hung the stockings. The dogs have their own stockings, and Santa gives the dogs toys. Christmas morning she went flying downstairs and knew that she would have something in her stocking. It's like having a permanent 3 year old each Christmas."

She wrote that "Hunter is the family scapegoat, but he does not mind. As the third child he'll take all attention he can get. He likes to bark at noises outside. You can't look at his happy face and wagging tail without picking him up to give him a hug. Meaning he is both obnoxious and sweet at the same time. I laughed at paw prints at the first snow. Zora and Zeus have dainty prints. Hunter has big bear paw prints with big nails. His looked like a wild animal. He is so big - I tell him all the time that there must be some bear or Tibetan Terrier in him. He just wags his tail and agrees. Did you notice how pretty his adult face is?" (Yes, I did!)

Judy sent email about Raven and Maggie's sister, Whisper. "…she really wants to snuggle. She is still very kissy, but has leveled out a lot there, and balances it with snuggles. She wants the affection and affirmation, I believe. She loves to look at me and every single time I marvel at the beauty of her face and especially those small brown eyes that are just so bright and inquisitive. Whisper is still very attached to tennis balls and continues to play with them daily. It amazes me how many hours a day she can amuse herself by just playing with the tennis ball like a cat would play with a mouse."

Catherine posted greetings on my Facebook page along with a photo of Magoo and Mallory. They also have an abundance of coat!

Ken sent a card and letter about Davy, Ch. Joyslyn's Heartthrob, describing their nightly play routines and Davy's cute mannerisms, especially the parade of toys Davy drags out and displays for admiration. He said, "...he slowly marches each one to show me. Of course, I always act surprised [and admire each one]...and of course he just beams with pride. Each night it is the same routine. He never tires of it..."

Here are the latest photos of Luna, who has yet to receive an official AKC registered name. I've got a couple good ideas, all having something to do with the moon, of course! She is now 3 months old and looking good. She has a great attitude which I hope will carry to the show ring. She will need to go to conformation training class soon. We're putting off going to shows until Spring. Unfortunately, there are so few Lhasas being shown now that we have to choose the shows carefully, making sure there will be other entries before we write the check to pay entry fees!

An exciting event occurred on December 30—Windy had puppies. Labor and delivery went well. We had some nerve-wracking moments when one puppy was full of fluid and not breathing, but eventually we got that straightened out. Here is the group taken at one and a half weeks old. The first two puppies on the left are the boys.