Weekly Puppy Photos

Happy Friday! Those of you in warmer climates: Count yourselves lucky. We're freezing here! Being hearty mid-westerners, no one complains. (Just joking, of course! We are all griping about it daily.)

I want to remind everyone that the Joyslyn's email address has changed. Contact us now at joyslynslhasas@outlook.com. If you use the former email, it goes nowhere and no "undeliverable" message goes back to you. I know because I tried sending myself a message from the new account just to see what would happen.

Here are the weekly pictures of the puppies. Last week I reported that they were almost 100% as far as using the piddle pads. They then proceeded to make a liar out of me. Lesson learned. Never brag. This week they learned just how much fun it is to tear up piddle pads. They are very proud of themselves when they do! "Hey, mom, look what we did!!" They are a happy, fun-loving group of puppies -- and very, very charming too! Two of the girls are still available to the right homes.

Liam and Noah (Noah hates these weekly photo shoots! Can you tell?)

Cora and Abby

Mysti & Lacy

Coco

I received email this week from Renee in California about Jet (Raven and Maggie's litter brother): "Joyce:  just took this photo of Jet.  He had been working on making a throw comfy on the couch.  When u talk to him sometimes he'll move his head. Seemingly to look at us quizzically...He's definitely my most affectionate dog and his tail wags constantly.  We love him very much."

Jet

Ted and Ev in Canada sent me a photo and update on Lucky: "Hi Joyce. Time really flys by. In another couple of months Lucky will be 3 and he hasn’t changed a bit. Still as active as ever.  The big difference we have seen is that he listens and obeys most commands. Most of the time. Which is nice when he is let off of the leash in the park."

Lucky

I received an email from someone saying he'd just launched a new book about Lhasas. I checked out his Amazon link and from what I could see, it was one of those template-type books where the publisher just sticks in photos of each breed and the author changes the narrative where necessary regarding breed history, appearance, etc. so that it relates to the breed the book is about. Otherwise, the health and training sections are the same template. Nothing new or exciting.

I strongly object to the author writing that Lhasas require DAILY grooming. Nope, nope, they do not! If I had to groom each of my Lhasas daily I would never get anything else done. The Lhasas I've lived with all my adult life, even the show dogs, are groomed every three to four days, with headfall put up daily if necessary. If the dog is going through a coat change, then I need to groom more frequently to stay ahead of the matting caused by the changing coat. While that might mean spot grooming daily, that period lasts only a few weeks, not forever!

Grooming takes at most an hour and a half. I do it while I watch TV. I get so irked at all the books and "About the Lhasa" blurbs I read that refer to DAILY grooming. It turns people off to the breed and that is a sad thing because the Lhasa is a wonderful breed and more people should own one!

Because we Lhasa lovers all know that

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

Joyce

Puppy Photos and Letters from Friends

Lhasa pups make everything better. ~ Trevor Johanson


Happy Friday!

This morning when it was time to go to work, I had to put the puppies back in their pen for the morning. They'd been running around and, all tuckered out from their play, they all ended up in a pile on the dog bed. One by one, I picked them up. Under all the rest, I found little Coco, just chillin' out, with eyes half closed. She did not even move when I went to get the camera!

The puppies are now six and a half weeks old. Here are the weekly photos.

Liam and Noah

Cora and Abby

Mysti and Lacy

Coco

Everyone is using the piddle pads almost 100% of the time! They are enjoying their puppy food and, although eager to spend time with their mother, Windy soon tires of them and begs to be rescued. They mob poor Windy! They still sleep a lot, engage in minor puppy battles which seem to tire them out, and enjoy investigating the many toys that cover our family room floor. I seldom bother picking the toys up any more. What the older dogs don't drag out again, the puppies do!

I received some nice emails this week from people I had not heard from for a while. I tried to notify everyone on my contact list for our previous email account that we'd changed email addresses, and many responded with notes about their dogs.

Angela wrote, "Loki is doing well and has the text book Lhasa temperment.  She requires reminders that she is not the head of house every once in a while but for the most part is a source of laughter and joy.  Her favorite thing in the world is to take one of Kramer's extra large toys away from him and drag it to her bed.  Kramer has been trained that she is the boss of him so he just lets her do it but he will run over to the door and start barking which distracts her and he steals it back.  The two of them will go at this for hours! Kila is always happy and bouncy.  She only barks when Loki tells her too and has no idea what she is barking at." Angela went on to say that she has some concerns about Kila's back legs and is taking her to the vet soon. Loki and Kila are Lhasas. Kramer is Boerboel, a breed originally from South Africa, bred as guard dogs. The Boerboel was recently recognized by AKC. You may see one if you watch the group judging for the Westminster Kennel Club show next week.

 Marsha, who has Jimmy, Duncan's litter brother, sent me an update: "He is very loving and loves to play with me and his toys. Also loves to watch squirrels,birds and rabbits in the yard. He is happy in the house or yard as he seems to be secure there…He is very sensitive to anything new or changed in the house.  We celebrated our joint birthdays on January 23, guess he's my soul mate."


I'd heard that Judy's dog, Odie, had done well at a recent agility trial, so was glad to get her email about her Lhasas. Ty and Izzy are the two she bought from us. She wrote, "Odie and Ty were the only Lhasas there. Odie was a rockstar scoring 100% on jumpers and weaves and earning his third leg on Saturday. He moves up to open competition.  On Sunday, he earned his first leg in novice standard. That's only the second time he was entered in standard. He scored 95% with my mistake. He loves standard because of all the contacts...Ty is such a character! On Saturday I only planned on jumping him on the first seven jumps and he did fine. On Sunday the start line was very close to the area where everyone sits…Well he stood at the start line and only looked at the crowd. He jumped the first jump and ran around the next two.  So last night at class he did everything because I had a net bag filled with liver sausage and smelling wonderful to him. I had to throw it as he jumped. He even did 12 weave poles for the liver sausage… Izzy is still a wonderful doctor and knows she is the smartest dog ever. She now loves to hid when it's time for everyone to come in at night. She peeks around the corner of the house, and thinks I don't see her.  She plays this game until I say good night, and then takes her time to come in."

I also received a brief note and this photo from Violet. Yogi is 12 years old now. A half-brother to our Walker, Yogi enjoys sleeping in the sun.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Til next week...

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

Joyce

Weekly Puppy Photo Update, Vaccine Protocols, and Links to Training Information

“The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest.” ~ Martin Luther


Our puppies greet each day with joy. They are happy and inquisitive and seem to have a love of life. Of course, we'll soon be into that "in to everything, let me follow you around and make you trip over me" stage, but for now, things are easy.

They've begun eating a bit on their own and Windy is showing signs of being ready to turn their feeding and care over to me. She's a good mother and enjoys playing with them.

And, they wear themselves out quickly. We'll often see a pile of snoozing puppies.

Here they are at 5 and a half weeks old.

Liam and Noah

Cora and Abby

Mysti and Lacy

Coco

In light of the recent measles outbreaks in preschools and day care centers and the debate among everyone who has an opinion (educated or not) on the subject of vaccinations, I thought perhaps it was time to revisit the topic of over-vaccination of our dogs. Like many others, I've always wondered why, when an infant can be vaccinated and that vaccination protection is life-long, do we have to vaccinate our dogs annually. But that has just been a feeling, a question. Now there is some actual research on the topic that you may be interested in reading. Of the many pages on the internet (just google "canine vaccination controversy" and you'll see what I mean), I've selected three and am posting links to them.

Currently, the American Animal Hospital Association's canine vaccination protocol recommends a 3-year span between core vaccines. This protocol has been around for a couple years or so. Some vets have changed their practice to coincide with the AAHA's recommended protocols. Others have not. Naturally, we are all at the mercy of our vets and their own philosophies and practices. But if you have some background in the research, at least you can approach your vet with some reasonable questions about his/her practices.

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

I know that some of my readers are puppy buyers who will be coming to pick up Liam or Noah or Cora or Abby or Mysti or Lacy or Coco in a month or so. So, for you folks (and any of the rest of you who want to), while you are waiting, I'd like you to read some articles that I think are good ones about training and socializing puppies.

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

Joyce