When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock,
And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,
And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,
With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock...
~from James Whitcome Riley's poem,
"When the Frost is on the Punkin"
What Does Fall Mean to You?
Now we leave behind those "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer" and its hot humid days, exchanging them for the cool nights, crisp mornings, and lovely warm days of October; watching as nature paints breath-taking pictures with leaves turning yellow, orange, and red.
For some of us fall is a favorite season, for others not so much, as the cooler weather reminds us that winter will soon be on its way.
I say that winter, spring, summer, fall are all good seasons to fall in love all over again with a Lhasa Apso. If you have one, think about love and companionship that dog has offered you. Think about the laughter as he/she tears around the house and yard with the "Lhasa zoomies". Think of the cuddles and kisses. Think about that special Lhasa-ness that compels us to say, "that's the breed for me."
The Breed For Me
When I saw my first Lhasa, a puppy, I fell in love with the breed, and over the 50 years of breeding, raising, loving and showing my Lhasas, I have not had regrets Everyone has to have a purpose and passion to "keep them going." Sadly, we see fewer and fewer Lhasas in the show ring. Now those of you who do not show might say, "So what? What's the big deal about showing?" Yes, it is a sport. Some who know no different think it's a beauty contest. But dog showing has a broader purpose because it is proving ground for each breed that competes. Each individual dog of a breed is judged (yes, subjectively) against the Standard for that breed. The Standard is a blueprint for what a breed should look like, how it should move, what its structure is supposed to be. Those of us who show try as best we can to breed dogs whose attributes adhere to the breed standard.
One reason I hate to think about growing old is giving up showing my dogs. I do not want to be one of the older folks I sometimes see hobbling around the show ring.
Many of my previous puppy buyers have contacted me recently and asked that I be sure to warn them when I plan to stop breeding so they can be sure to get one of the last Joyslyn Lhasas. Thanks to them all. I hope that day is still a few years off.
My ALAC National News
One show that many of us who show Lhasas look forward to is the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty. It has traditionally been held in October, but this year for a variety of reasons, it was held in September at Purina Farms. The venue was great. The many Lhasas were beautiful and, as usual, it was so nice to see friends and their Lhasas from across the country. This year I took Ebony (a mistake!) and Josh.
Ebony was a mistake because she was in full bloom season. Not a dog that enjoys shows most of the time, she was especially reluctant to have strangers touching her during the table exams. She did manage to take first place in her class during one of the shows.
Almost 10-year-old Josh, on the other hand, was happy to go on a road trip and to be back in the show ring as a Veteran. He showed so well for not being in the ring for a long time. He won his class in the first Veteran competition and went on to receive an Award of Merit and also was designated "Best Veteran In Show."
Here is a picture of Josh with me; the National Specialty Judge, Ron Crowder (holding the ribbons); and the ALAC President, Don Evans (holding the beautiful Best Veteran trophy that was donated by the Graunkes in memory of their beloved Lhasa Lumpy). Yes, I am very proud of my Josh!
A closer look at that trophy:
Jan and Mike visited us at the National Specialty at Purina Farms Event Center. Jan sent some photos and wrote, "Here are a few pictures I took on Wednesday...I can’t stop talking about seeing so many beautiful dogs. 🥰 And getting to meet Josh was definitely awesome." Thank you again for putting up with all our questions and introducing us to the dog show world.
Here are some photos taken at the show.
Photo of Josh and me in the Best of Breed ring
chatting with Patrick Cleary and his dog, Doc.
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| LaVonne with Misti. Some of you reading this have Misti puppies |
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| Josh and me |
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| Ebony |
A New Home For Archie
Our boy Archie has a new home. He is young and had contributed enough to our breeding program, so I came to the decision that he deserved a home where he could be an only dog and not have to share our attention.
He just left a few days ago so the adjustment period has only begun.
One thing he has to get used to is having all that long hair cut off!
Archie the day he left us
Archie taking a snooze in his new home
The Josh and Millie Puppies
All seems to be going well with Josh and Millie's recent puppies. They are now 3 months and 1 week old.
Jessie reported, "Qat is doing very well. He is super sweet, and we are enjoying him. All the dogs are getting used to each other."
Jessica sent a photo of her girls loving on their new puppy, Rhonda.
Heather wrote about Lila. "...Lila is doing so well too. Potty training is going well and she’s so smart and curious and brave. She hated grass at first but she is slowly coming around. She’s also nipping but I firmly say no bite and always try to have a biting toy nearby." and later: "Lila is still doing amazing. She is such a happy sweet, brave girl and we are enjoying each other so much. She loves to be with us so we take her with us almost everywhere we go. This past weekend we traveled a couple hours to Colette’s regatta in Indiana. We spent a beautiful day at the lake and she loved running around and sleeping in the warm breeze."
and here is our Deacon, who I hope will turn out to be a show-worthy Lhasa.
Decaon has been a visitor at two training classes. He accompanied Ebony. The first night he just observed and then I stacked him on the table for the trainer to examine. Last night was his first time on a lead. As long as I walked backwards and held out a treat he walked -- until he decided he'd had enough of whatever game I thought I was playing. Then he pancaked!
So far his favorite past time seems to be de-stuffing the dog beds! He may think "No Deacon" is his name. Not sure...
Notes and Photos from Others
Breanna wrote, A few years ago in 2019, I bought a puppy from you. I named her Sunny. Having her in my life has been nothing but joy."
and later a report on Nyx's run: "Last night Nyx went to LaPorte for UKC jumps and tunnels. At the first trial she jumped the first jump and tried to leave the ring! At the second trial she jumped the first jump, skipped the second one and raced through 3 to 11 jumps and 2 tunnels. Unfortunately, there were 13 obstacles. She stopped at the 12th and wouldn't move. The audience was cheering her on, but she was done. Oh well!"
Lisa wrote, "Duncan turned one on September 26th. The photo of him and Dresden on the sofa are them sharing the Kong comfort plush toys which has been discontinued. I know they are discontinued because I bought one that the boys were fighting over. I took photos and reached out to Kong which confirmed they are no long distance available. I lucked out and Petco still has some in stock online. I ordered multiples! Thought I would send you a photo of the toy in case you want to see if your dogs react to it the way that mine do...Duncan is definitely more of an inside dog. He is scared of noises outside including trucks, beeping alarms on delivery trucks, etc…. Wish I knew what I could do to make him less fearful outside. Duncan loves to hide toys and treats. I have never seen a dog raise a blanket or throw as high in the air in the process or hiding a “treasure.”
Sally's Ginger is afraid during thunderstorms. I suggested Sally try using Blackwing Farms Drama Trauma product. She did and later wrote, "So the good news is the drama- trauma worked well. Thunder started early this morning and so I sprayed a bit around us on our bed. And Ginger just snuggled up by me and went back to sleep. Usually she sits up and pants and paces around on the bed during a storm. Thanks again for the great tip! 😊"
Kathy wrote, "It’s hard to believe that Sophie will be 8 years old on the 28th of this month! Where do the years go?... We have rented a condo in Gulf Shores, for the month of November, so we are looking forward to that. Sophie is going with us, although she is usually reluctant to leave her “kingdom”! LOL" and later, "She is doing very well (has never been sick or had to have any type of surgery except a tooth removal) in her almost eight years! She is as feisty as ever, and “lovingly” known on our block as“The Enforcer.” LOL She continues to give us a laugh or a smile every day."
Shelly posted this photo of Tucker on my FB page and commented, "Celebrating lil Tucker’s 3rd Birthday today! Happy Happy Birthday Tucker aka TDeaux! He keeps Pearce and I on our toes and laughing every day. We are very lucky to have him part of our family! Love ya Tucker!
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Celina took Dora on a European trip. She reported, "Thought I would send you some pictures of Dora from last month in Italy on the beach. She also went to Germany. We were not sure how she would be on the plane and were a little worried in since she is always so vocal at home, but she was a good girl the whole flight and the perfect travel companion."
Jill sent this picture of Breaker (Josh's sire) teasing Shadow by not letting her come in the house. Note the look on her face as she appeals to Jill for help!
Jody and Robert hosted a birthday party for their Bernie. Friends and dogs of all breeds and sizes attended. Jody sent me a video of the activities. Dogs jumped through hoops, ran through a variety of agility equipment, and basically wore themselves and their people out. It was a high energy birthday party! A great time was had by all and I imagine that dogs and their owners all slept well that night. Here are some photos from the video.
Puppy News
We have new litters (yes, plural) due this month and next. It is exciting to think about new puppies but now that we know the girls are pregnant, I frequently ask myself, "What were you thinking?" So if you are thinking you need a Lhasa to love you, send me an email! A reminder from our website:
"Joyslyn's Lhasa Apsos is dedicated to raising happy, healthy, loving Lhasa pets and show prospects that conform to AKC's standard."
We have done it for 50 years!
Just for Fun
I saw a sweatshirt on a person who does obedience training with her dog. It read "Obedience, when ordinary humiliation is not enough," and I laughed and loved it and thought (especially with Ebony in mind), I want one that says "dog showing" instead of "obedience" on it and then thought the word could be replaced by "rally," "agility," "fast CAT," and all other sports we do with our dogs. Then, thinking back to the years when my kids were growing up, I decided "Children" would work also.
Thanks for reading.
Regards,
Joyce
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