Greetings! Wow, a lot has happened around here since I posted in early May. Most of it has been good, but it seems like I have been on a wild rollercoaster ride for the last few weeks.
So, the title of this post should tell you a bit about what I have been up to. I don't even want to discuss the rain. So sick of it! It has not been helpful at the dog shows!
Puppies!
Yes! We have puppies. Four boys and three girls. I have been trying to contact people on my list to match people to puppies and am having some luck. Generally if I don't get a response within 3 days, I move to the next name on the list. I don't have time to mess around!!
We took some photos yesterday. They are not very good ones but we were in a hurry to get it done so I could post them. By the time we finished, I had to leave to go to a dog training class and I did not get home until 9:30. Class lasts and hour. The trip there and back is about 3.5 hours.
So here are the new kids, in this order: 2 males (one light gold, one dark gold); a gold female on the left, a gold male on the right; the black and tans - one of each sex; and the last is of the smallest of the crew, a gold female. They just started to open their eyes today.
Dog Shows
This has been a busy month for shows. We started on May 7 and 8 in Jefferson, WI. OMG...it was so cold there. The wind was blowing so hard, and I overheard a man telling his friend that he had checked the wind chill and it was 29 degrees! Brrr. We were not expecting the cold and hard wind, that is for sure, but worst of all, on the first day we had to show outside! You can imagine what the Lhasas' coats looked like in the strong wind.
Nevertheless, the dogs did well. Judge Joan Eversole awarded Millie Best of Breed over the two male specials. She also awarded Emmy her first point. Emmy thought the grass and wind were fun and showed very well. Millie went on to compete in the regular Non-Sporting Group and was awarded 4th Place.
Here is her photo after the win. Thanks to judge Eversole and breeder-judge Dana Read for recognizing Millie's quality.
Three days at home (and at the office writing a grant proposal -- did I mention my life gets crazy?) and we were on the road to Davenport, IA for the 4 shows (May 13-16) put on by the Burlington Kennel Club and the Scott County Kennel Club. The Lhasa entry was supported by the American Lhasa Apso Club. The Burlington Kennel Club provided the rosettes, and I donated prizes for all the winners. We had a major entry in bitches and people came from WI, MN, MO, and IL to participate. What a grand time!
The points were passed around and almost everyone came away with something. Tami's older puppy was awarded Winners Bitch two days, while the puppy's mother took Winners Bitch one day and earned the rest of the points for her championship. The fourth day, Karen and Jan's bitch was awarded Winners Bitch. Sandy's male took Winners Dog twice and Jan's dog took Winners Dog the other two days. Adrian's male Special took Best of Breed all 4 days. Millie took Best Opposite Sex all 4 days and is now a Grand Champion! Hurray!! LaVonne's male Special earned points toward his grand championship by being awarded Select Dog all four days.
Millie took Best Owner Handled two out of the three days it was offered. The first day, she was award NOHS Non-Sporting Group 1. Thank you judge Dawn Hitchcock! The other day we did not receive a placement.
Emmy met my goal of getting her tail up and keeping it up in the show ring. She got better each day.
Rusty was not old enough to enter the regular shows, but each club held a Beginner Puppy Competition (for puppies ages 4-6 months). On the first day, Rusty was awarded Beginner Puppy Non-Sporting Group 1. On the second day, he was awarded Beginner Puppy Non-Sporting Group 1 and went on to win Best Beginner Puppy in Show! I was so proud of him! We had an official photo taken but it has not arrived in the mail yet. I'll post it when it comes. In the meantime here are some pictures and video taken at the show. Thanks to Jan, Jane, and Sandy!!
On Sunday, the Scott County Club held a veterans' competition, so we entered our almost-13 year old, Breaker. He loved being back in the ring. Lynn tried to get a couple of pictures of him in the ring, but his phone does not take good pictures. I am posting them anyway, along with a photo we took of Breaker with his ribbon after we got home.
While Breaker did not win, he is a winner in our hearts! In order to be considered a veteran and be eligible for the competition, a dog has to be 7 years old. The dog that won had turned 7 just the day before! When the owner told the judge, the judge responded, "I wish you hadn't told me that!"
Okay, that's it about the shows. On Monday, I went back to the office and worked some more on the grant proposal. Other staff worked on it while I was away. Today we all but finished it!
A Gift Idea
Last Christmas my friend Marsha made some beautiful ornaments for me. Here are the ones she sent me.
The one on the left is has a picture of Breaker on it; on the right is a picture of Josh; in the middle is the logo of our national club (the American Lhasa Apso Club).
Marsha and another member of ALAC are making ornaments again this year. If you are interested in having one (or more) made with your dog's photo on it, these ornaments are great gifts for friends, family, or yourself!
Here is ordering information if you are interested.
Photos and Notes from Others
Mary wrote, "Hope all is well. I think spring is officially here... Three pics above; this was a day we had been outside a lot; yard work; dogs running.I had to scold Belle as she put her nose into something I wanted her to avoid; she had to come inside; be in the crate for a bit. When we all came in, into the tv room, she threw herself down and gave me a “stink eye”. Eventually she warmed up. She really can pout when scolded. Moka could care less. Rafe--very sensitive for a tough guy."
Michelle wrote about Sunny, "I just wanted to update you on Sunny. He’s got his Shiba Inu friend Kadan living with us for a few months while our daughter and her fiancé are building a new home. He absolutely loves having another dog here! He gets so excited to greet him every morning when Kadan wakes up. He’s also doing well with his training, we’ve had 2 private classes and now have him enrolled for the next group class which starts in June. He seems to be much more confident going on our walks and with all the noises that used to scare him and have him running for home...I feel very fortunate to have one of your dogs and really appreciate that you knew how much we needed him and that were able to get him from you! If I knew of anyone waiting for one of your dogs, I would tell them it’s worth the wait! Best of luck with all the dog shows coming up! I love reading about how all of your dogs are doing!"