October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came—
The leaves by hundreds came—
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
Professor Wind the band.
The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky...
~ George Cooper
Here it is: The end of October already! I am packing for the trip to PA for the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty. It is always a nice week, especially seeing Lhasas and their exhibitors from across the country. Deacon is blowing coat and is staying home. I am looking forward to giving the Lhasa Judges Education seminar.
Results of the Survey of Lhasa Owners Who Purchased Their Dogs As Adults
My September blog post resulted in an additional survey return. So...here are the results. Twenty three people were emailed the survey. Two emails were returned as not deliverable. Of the 21 who received the survey, 10 (48%) responded by the end of September.
Four of the 10 (40%) had purchased more than one of my adult Lhasas. Those people filled out survey forms for each of their dogs. Altogether, I received responses for 15 adult Lhasas, 11 females and 4 males. The ages of the dogs at time of purchase ranged from 1.5 years (youngest) to 16 years (oldest), with the majority between ages of 3.5 - 6 years. All ten respondents reported this was not their first Lhasa.
Regarding the dogs' preference for a family member in the new home: 12 dogs had preference toward the female in the family, 2 had preference for the male, and 1 was reported as preferring both equally.
In response to the question "Based on your experience with buying an adult, would you do so again?" the majority (11) said "Yes" and 4 said "No," but three of those explained that it was only because they were getting too old to get another dog.
The question regarding the dogs' ease of integrating into the household routines resulted in 10 responses from "fairly easy" to "easy" and 5 from "tentative" to "challenging." Four of those 5 qualified their statements by writing that it was nothing that time and trust did not take care of.
Responses to a question asking how long it took the dogs to "settle in" ranged as follows:
Right away (2)
A week (4)
3 weeks (1)
2 months (1)
3 months (1)
6 months (2)
Over a year (1)
Hard to say (1)
No response (2)
One question asked respondents to describe the dog's personality and/or favorite activities. Here are some of the responses:
About Flame: "She was so outgoing but sweet. The sweetest Lhasa we have
ever had. She loved to give kisses and snuggle. She was just as sweet with
other animals. I can’t recall a time she ever growled outside of play. She
enjoyed walks and hiking and being outside in general. Her favorite toy was a
cat wand."
About Baron: "Watching for squirrels on the ground out
the patio door. Even the birds on the
ground will get a “Wuff” and scratch at the door. What a joyful run he has across the yard to
stand and be disappointed the fence or a tree took his critters."
About Maggie: "little bit sassy, extremely loving, gives sweet kisses, loves cuddles, gives high fives and does wonderful morning stretches on her front
and back legs. Favorite toy: her toy you sent with her (it was a frog). Favorite activities: being with her people.About Izzy: "Izzy loved everyone.
She never met a stranger. She was a showoff in the agility ring, and chose the obstacles
she wanted to do, so I tried rally with her and at her first trial she laid
down at the start line. I got the message."
About Raven: "Raven loves to race the
inner perimeter of the yard when I arrive home. She is the fastest runner of
all the Lhasas. She can leap/fly/ through the air for maybe 4-5 feet. She is so
graceful and confident in her movements. Raven doesn’t really play with toys –
no ‘baby’ held in her mouth."
About Belle: "Belle had many “little buddies”: The stuffed toys were placed in the bars of
her wire crate. She would pull one out, play with her. Lamb chop was probably her favorite."
About Winnie: "Pretty laid back, just wants to be near us, mainly wife."
About Onyx: "She loves going to rally and agility class. She greets
everyone and their dogs. She loves her walks.
She never pulls and changes her gait perfectly in rally class. Going to the garden center is a favorite spot
to walk the aisles and get treats from the employees. We have “Schwan Service”
(ice cream and frozen food) stop every 2 weeks. She sits by the truck and
patiently waits for her treats."
About Rafe: "Rafe is some lazy; does only a trot for his fastest movement
outside. We do some tricks before
mealtime. He loves the tv room, stretched
out, snoring. His favorite toy right now
is a stuffed animal “sloth”; “monkey” is
a close second. He will play fetch with his stuffed animal. He likes to raid the toy bins and return to
his crate with a prize. He likes his
kong with treats. He now gets excited
when we get ready to get in the car. "
About Chewie: "Chewie loves
his walks. We go for 3 long walks a day
which is good for me since I retired last year. He has a toy bin in the family room and
loves to grab a toy for us to play fetch. He loves to chew on his non rawhide bones and he also likes puzzles with
treats. He’s pretty good with those
puzzles. He also loves to watch TV. He actually watches the shows. If an animal
or minion or something he doesn’t recognize pops up he runs over to the TV and
barks. He also loves watching football. He is a big Packer Fan."
About Willow: "Any of the toys that you sent with them
she loves. She likes to shake them and growl, bop them on the floor!
Baron is also a favorite “Toy” of hers."
About Winter:"She is a high energy dog with an over the top personality.
She is active all day, and when it’s Wednesday she knows it’s rally day. She loves to practice the rally signs and run the agility
course in the backyard."
About Cinder: She is loving and very smart, and
very funny. She learns quickly and easily. She relates very well to our 16 year
old Scottie. As you know, her favorite toy is any AFLAC duck that talks. She
loves and plays with the ones that don't talk any more, but she goes quickly to
the others if they call her -
"Aflac!!!"
Cinder's newest procedure is a morning ritual. Janice rises before I do and goes into the office. Cinder gets up with me. When we go into the office, I say, "Go get Mama Janice!" and with that she runs across to Janice's desk, jumps up on her and greets her with joy. Then, when she's finished, she comes back to me to get her morning hug.
The survey asked "What advice do you have for someone who is considering buying an adult Lhasa?" Their responses follow.
CD: "I would just say to be prepared to have a dog that might already be set in their ways. Lhasas are stubborn so it might take a while to adjust certain behaviors to your lifestyle. Not having to go through the puppy phase and worrying about making sure I did all the right things to create a well-rounded dog was nice. I got a young dog that was already well socialized, potty trained, and trained to behave during grooming."
MS: "Be patient. Know and understand the situation from which the dog is coming to your home. If you can find a positive reinforcement trainer close to you, take advantage of that opportunity to bond with your dog! Books by Patricia McConnell and Pat Miller are especially helpful to help with acclimation, bonding and training."
R&CF: "Maggie was our first adult dog purchase. Prior to her purchase, we had only purchased Lhasa puppies. We really didn't treat her any differently than the puppy purchases. Only difference [is] you skip the potty training and training overall, but the playfulness is still there.
We spend a lot of time with our Lhasas so we get to know each one's personalities and treat them accordingly. Our advice would be to enjoy them and get to know their personality."
JL: "Buy your Lhasa ONLY from a reputable, responsible,
preservation Breeder who’s breeding program has proven that the dogs have a
good temperament. Talk to the Breeder and ask questions about the adult dog(s)
and which would the Breeder feel would be the best fit for your
family/household, especially if you have or will have a multi-dog household.
Breeders know their adult dogs. They would not place a dog in a home if they do
not believe it would the best environment for the dog. Know that an adult Lhasa
is not a puppy. Adult dogs from a Breeder mostly likely is a Conformation
Champion, and was used for breeding purposes to continue the kennel’s line.
Unless they are Obedience/Rally, or Agility Lhasas, they probably won’t know
obedience commands. You certainly don’t want a show dog doing a sit or down
when they are in the ring. Let your adult dog relax and feel at home.
Boundaries are necessary, but you wouldn’t treat an adult human like a child
(well, some people do). Make sure that you are gentle with your new adult dog
when you are demonstrating what you expect of them. Praise and lots of tasty
treats really help."
MR: "Understand the breed; no 2
dogs are “the same”: train, train,
train…….and be patient with new surroundings."
JM:"Be careful around young children. It took our dog a while to
warm up to them."
JG: "Please consider adopting an adult. They are accustomed to
traveling in crates, adjusting to different facilities, meeting new people,
adjusting to your schedule and loving you unconditionally. They are healthy
dogs and have all their shots."
T&SB: "Be patient
when integrating them into the household.
Don’t get discouraged if they take a bit to acclimate to their new environment. They may prefer one person more than another.
JG: "If you are interested in an adult Lhasa you need to purchase from a registered ALAC breeder. If you are looking for a quiet Lhasa who will sit and watch TV with you, or a high energy Lhasa, the breeder will help you find your perfect choice. The breeder will have all the medical records and know the parents of your dog. Lhasas can live a long happy life with you and love you unconditionally.
GL:Listen to your dog. It will tell you what is good and what
is not. Make it easy. Don't have too many rules. And mostly, enjoy getting to
know your Lhasa.
And Finally:
JK's comments are a fitting way to close this article: "Breaker and Shadow are the most wonderful dogs and I have enjoyed them so much. Thank you for allowing me to have them as part of my family. They give me a reason to get up every day and are the biggest blessings I have."
Indeed, "Life is Better When You Have A Lhasa to Love You!"
My thanks to the ten people who took the time to participate in the survey and to share their love of the breed and information about their dogs. You and your Joyslyn's Lhasas are in my heart. Your Lhasas were born here and I was first to touch them. I entrusted them to you. Thank you for loving them.
Courtney - Flame
Robert & Catherine - Maggie
Judy G - Izzy, Onyx, and Winter
Mary - Rafe and Belle
Jim - Winnie
Jill - Shadow and Breaker
Marsha - Baron and Willow
Todd and Susan - Chewie
Judy L - Raven
Gigi and Janice - Cinder
Joyce Johanson
Joyslyn's Lhasa Apsos
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Deacon and I went to our last show of the year at the end of September. On Saturday, he placed Best of Opposite Sex (meaning a female won Best of Breed). On Sunday, he won Best of Breed and went on to place 4th in the Non-Sporting group. I was very proud of him. He was iffy at the start, never having participated in regular group judging - the crowds, the cheering made him anxious. He pulled himself together and did a great job of presenting himself.
Notes and Photos From Others
Courtney sent photos of Amelia. This is Amelia when she graduated from her advanced training class.
Pam and Paul sent this picture of their Lhasa trio (Rusty, Squirt, JoJo) sitting on the dash and mesmerized by something they see outside the window of the RV.
Gayle sent this photo of her Gabby, all pretty in pink. So cute! She almost looks like a stuffed toy! Gayle wrote, "Gabby!!! We love her, just an incredible puppy, spunky, happy, responsive, playful...she is perfect, thanks to you, You two are exceptional and we're so thankful!"
Lisa sent this photo of Duncan on the occasion of his 2nd birthday.
Sandy, Millie's new owner, wrote, "Millie has bonded with me. We are best friends...She had some time figuring out stairs, if she does not think about it she just does them. As you know, she is smart. Her new favorite treat is peanut butter.
I love how her personality is coming out with her being more comfortable. She is a great watch dog. She sees everything. She loves to do flying leaps, from the floor to the couch and into my lap. Her energy is amazing. We walk everyday and she has found “pee-mail” at the fire hydrants.
Thank you for sweet Millie."
Lynn K, Autumn's new owner wrote, "Now to my favorite topic: AUTUMN . I love her sooo much! We are working through some normal transitional issues and will be fine. But I do wish she’d eat regularly...I guess she’s devouring her bowlful when she is hungry. I’m mixing it up with a bit of hot water too. Anyway she weighs 15 lbs and is Spritely and full of energy so I’m not too worried."
Later, Autumn (via Lynn) sent a note about their walk to Lake Michigan. "Autumn" wrote, "I enjoyed our walk and we even ran a bit. I am adjusting well but I will always miss you."
Nanda sent pictures of Ty and Gigi, full siblings from different litters (Gigi is the younger).
Here is Shelly's Tucker. He just had his 4th birthday!
Michelle sent this picture of Sunny when they visited the castle-like Clark Tower in Winterset, IA. She also sent this photo they took of the northern lights. Beautiful!
Judy G sent an update about her Lhasas. It sounds like she and they have been busy training and earning titles! Congratulations Judy!! "...On Saturday, October 19, we will be at a rally trial in LaPorte. If Onyx receives 2 qualifying scores she will have her Rally Novice title.
Winter will be starting her Rally Excellent A title. The A stands for I have not titled a dog in rally excellent before. She is working very well off lease and is very showy.
Of course!! I think they will both do very well as they have been in the building before. Two years ago, Ty received his Rally Novice title and last year WInter received her RN at the show.
I just mailed to AKC all of the paperwork for Winter, Ty and Winny to receive their Fit Dog Bronze titles."
This picture is of Judy L's Lippy and Gus.
Many thanks to all who sent photos and updates.
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Other Stuff
Here are some links to websites that may be helpful or of interest to you.
The first is to a site that has some great Lhasa history and many photos.
The next two offer general information about vaccinations and calming treats.
Can You Over-Vaccinate Your Pet?
Dog Calming Treats: Uses and Alternatives
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Thanks for reading the blog and thanks again to those who participated in the survey and those who sent photos and updates about their Joyslyn's Lhasas.
Until next time...
Joyce
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