Show Results

Zach and I were at the 3-day shows in Belleville, Illinois, this weekend. Although we returned home at a decent time last night, I spent the time unpacking so had neither time nor energy available for taking the weekly pictures of the puppies. We have some Christmas program going on tonight which will take forever (can you tell I'm thrilled to be going?) so don't plan on pictures being posted until Wednesday.

Oh, and while I am on the subject of pictures, you need to know that you will no longer be seeing Dancer's cream puppy in the photos. Many told me she really caught their eye. She caught mine too. She is no longer available, so will not be among the puppies pictured weekly.

Back to the topic of this blog: the show results. Due to my inability to walk evenly, to walk at a decent pace, to walk gracefully in this surgical boot, or to kneel down (and then get back up without falling over), I asked my friend Jane if she would show Zach for me at these shows. Thankfully, she agreed! She did a great job with him, verified by the fact that he won two out of the three days, picking up the two majors he needed to finish his championship! We can now add Ch. Joyslyn MLS Dakota Playboy at Heart to our list of champions.

Zach was a year old on November 13. Sadly, we haven't taken any pictures of him since he was 10 months old. However, when his show photos arrive in a couple of weeks, I'll post them for you to see. In the meantime, here are two baby pictures as well as two taken at 10 months.

Zach. 11 weeks.

Zach. Profile at 11 weeks.

Zach. 10 months.

Zach. Profile 10 months.

Zach's co-breeder and owner of Zach's sire is my friend Marsha Susag (that is where the MLS Dakota part of his name came from). Many thanks to Marsha for letting me breed Secret to her champion Twist to get such a nice dog as Zach. I must include Desi in that thanks also because she is a wonderful girl who could easily have been a champion herself if only she would not have insisted on chewing her coat. She had beautiful structure and movement, wonderful coat texture, a really nice bite, and a showy attitude that would have taken her far. Desi, now known as Daisy, has been delighting her new owners with her exploits. I assume the other four puppies from that breeding (Tornado, Ziggi, Ivy, and Snoopy) are blessing their owners' lives as well.

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

Joyce

Show and Puppy Updates

I have a lot of catching up to do. These past two weeks have been busy getting ready for and going to shows. The Rockford-Freeport Kennel Club shows were held in Freeport on the 2nd and 3rd . I took Zach and Belle. Zach was entered in the 9-12 puppy dog class and took Winners Dog both days for two points each day. Belle did not fare so well. She did not show well on Saturday and took 3rd in her class of 4. Sunday she improved her showing performance 100%, yet still took 4th place.

I attribute Belle's improved performance on Sunday to the fact that I asked my friend Jane to show Zach so I could focus on Belle. Belle never gets all my attention since I am usually fussing with Zach or Desi before they go in the ring since the classes for their age group come first. Then I hurry out of the ring, change armbands, and swoop Belle off the ringside table to rush back in the ring for her class. She doesn't appreciate all that hurrying and swooping! Sunday she was a totally different dog performance-wise. I was disappointed to take last place but very pleased with her performance. Perhaps there is hope…

This past weekend we were in Morris at the Stone City Kennel Club shows. The weather was wonderful for a show, especially one where we had to groom outside in stalls. (Oh the glamour of dog showing!) Thank goodness that the previous weekend in Freeport we were able to find a grooming space inside, out of the cold wind. Temps there were 39 when we arrived and 53 when we left. The 80-plus temps this past weekend were wonderful in comparison!

Zach's wins in Morris gave him all the single points (9) he needs toward his championship. Now comes the more difficult part – finding shows with major points. To earn a championship, a dog must win 15 points. Two of the 15 must be what are referred to as "major wins." A major win is a win of 3, 4, or 5 points at one show. Five points is the most a dog can win at a single show. Points are determined by the number of dogs of each sex entered in each the breed. In Illinois, it takes only 4 male Lhasas for a 3-point major. We need 7 females to make a 3-point major. Sadly, there are so few Lhasas around any more that we can rarely come up with even such a low number of males at one show.

The next shows are in a couple of weeks. I am taking Walker to three of the four shows in Springfield, Illinois. Walker will enjoy my full attention and I plan to enjoy these shows. They are so close to where I live and, due to the October scheduling of our national Lhasa Apso specialty each year, I have not been able to attend the Springfield shows for years and years! This year I cannot attend our specialty, which really makes me sad, so I decided to cheer myself up by entering these shows.

Sometime this week Dancer will have puppies. I am excited about this litter and praying all goes well with the whelping. I'll let you all know what she has! The photos at the top are of Dancer as a 4-month old and a 14-month old.

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

Joyce

Show Results

The Des Moines weekend was tiring but fun. My sincere thanks again to Jane and Rebecca who held the dogs at ringside and kept them looking nice while I was in the ring, to Jane for showing Desi in the Winners Bitch class, and to Rebecca for showing Desi in the Non-Sporting Puppy Group.

As I predicted, Desi beat Belle and earned her first two points. Both Norman Patton and Peggy Haas thought Desi had the better movement and appreciated her showmanship over that of Belle. Belle showed fine (for her) but she does not show herself off and demand attention. She is just sort of "there." (Her days in the ring may be numbered.)

Walker was the only entry in Best of Breed, but both judges had nice comments on his size, movement, and coat. For a dog that will soon be eight years old, he is doing great! Mrs. Haas commented that it was nice to see a Lhasa that was the correct size.

Saturday Walker won a Group 4 placement under Francine Schwartz. Sunday he took a Group 2 placement under Sandra Goose Allen. Both judges were extremely complimentary. Sunday's judge commented that she liked him better that day than she did on Saturday when she watched him in Group. I think I know why...he LOVES applause and cheering. Saturday's audience was very quiet for all the groups with just spatterings of applause here and there. Sunday's crowd was more into the spirit of things and Walker responded accordingly. He thinks any cheering must be for him!

If any of you have Lhasas who love to kill the squeakers in toys and then pull out the stuffing, I found at toy at one of the vendor booths that may be the answer to the problem. The toy is called "invincibles." It looks like a snake with three body sections, a head and a tail. The tail has a rattle in it. The head has a piece of fabric in the shape of a forked tongue. I cut it off because I knew it would be the first thing to go! The tag says, "These fuzzy fun-loving snakes are the first of their kind -- always up for a good toss or tug, and able to keep squeaking after being bit, bullied, and beat up by your dog!" So I bought one, gave it to the resident squeaker killer (Secret) so she can put it to the test. Rebecca said the one she bought for her Shibas at the end of July is still squeaking, so that is a good indication of the toy's durability! I'll let you know what happens.

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

Joyce

Show Results and Some Other Things

In my last post I mentioned that we were headed to the Waukesha shows. We had a great time seeing Lhasa people and their dogs! The weather had been raining the days before the show so the ground was soggy and slippery and muddy and just generally yucky. Some people were walking around in very fashionable show clothes and rain boots. Those of us without boots either lost our shoes in the ring or sported muddy legs either from spatters or from, in my case, kneeling on the ground to pose the dogs. It was a toss up…muddy legs or bend over the dog hoping the skirt I was wearing was long enough for bending over modestly. Taking no chances, I opted for muddy legs.

Both my dogs showed better on Saturday than on Sunday. Belle took 2nd in her class of four on Saturday but by golly she walked in that grass and straw–covered mud. Walker took Best of Opposite Sex Saturday. On Sunday he took Select Dog. On Sunday Belle ended up 4th out of four, and rightly so. She just didn't care for trudging through the turf. Walker didn't either. I was more disappointed with their performances than with their placements.

After his Select Dog placement on Sunday, Walker had earned enough points to get his Grand Champion title. The Grand Champion title is a new (as of mid-May 2010) AKC title. Only champions of record can compete for the title. A dog has to earn 25 points under four different judges, defeating at least one other champion at three shows. Three of his wins have to be major wins of 3, 4, or 5 points. As with a championship, the points are determined by the number of dogs entered. Anyway, Walker met all of the qualifications in 6 shows, winning three 5 point majors, two 4 point majors, and one 3 point major. He won 4 Best of Breeds, one Best Opposite Sex, and one Select Dog on his way to the title. So, as you have assumed from reading this, I am quite pleased! At the top of the page is a photo of Walker taken in August last year at the Burlington, IA show.

Next weekend we are in Burlington, IA for three shows. We'll be inside in air conditioning and back on mats for showing. I've entered Zach, Desi, Belle, and Walker all three days. I'll have a lot of juggling to do. My husband said he'd go with me on Friday to help so that will be an adventure since he has not been in a show ring for years and years.

Oh...and I have finally joined the rest of the world and now am on Facebook.

If you or someone you know is looking for a Lhasa puppy, let me know. A recent serious illness of an American Lhasa Apso Club member resulted in the necessity of finding new homes for the majority of her adult dogs and all of her puppies. If you are interested in finding out more about these dogs, please email me and I will give you the contact information of the people who are caring for her dogs and making efforts to find them loving homes. My email address is lhasas@joyslynslhasaapsos.com

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

Joyce

Show Results

We suffered through a hot, hot muggy day on Saturday at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Iowa City. Our grooming set up was in a covered livestock building that would have had decent ventilation had there been any breezes blowing through its many windows and doors. As it was, we hung crate fans on the dogs' crates in addition to setting multiple larger fans, including a nice Wind Machine, in front of the crates so the dogs would have plenty of air circulating.

We showed at 10:00 on Saturday, early enough to escape the heat, but since Walker took Best of Breed, as did Rebecca and Jane's Shiba Inu, Cleo, we had a hot, lengthy wait until it was time to go into the Group in mid afternoon. Both Cleo and Walker held up well in the heat. Cleo placed 3rd in the Group. Walker did not place.

In addition to showing Walker on Saturday, I showed Zach and Belle. Zach was happy and tail-wagging but moving more slowly than I wanted him to. He was the only one in his puppy class, and when he had to go back in the ring to compete against another dog for Winners Dog, he was much more animated and walked at a quicker pace. I showed him again on Sunday, and he was definitely more comfortable in the ring. He'll be fine!

Belle showed like a dream. What a difference since the Bloomington shows! She won a point on Saturday and, because Jane had to take her back in during the Best of Breed judging, I was able to watch Belle as she moved. She's doing just fine, and I am so glad! She's a tiny thing with a lot of lovely coat. Now that she has decided she's going to do show, I think she actually will!

A thunderstorm Sunday AM created some havoc as we unloaded the dogs and equipment at the fairgrounds. However, the rain soon stopped and the temperature shot up again, making Sunday another sweltering day.

Belle and Walker were not entered on Sunday. I wanted to focus only on the two puppies so Sunday was just for Zach and Desi. Like Zach, Desi was rather tentative at first, especially when she was the only one in the ring, but she held her tail up and wagged it at the judge. She stood very well on the table for examination. Like Zach, she livened up when she had to go back in for Winners and got to follow another Lhasa around the ring.

AKC has instituted a new award, a Grand Champion title, so in addition to Walker's earning breed points for his Best of Breed wins, he has also been earning points toward his Grand Championship. With his win on Saturday, he has met all the requirements except the number of points. He needs to earn 25 points and now has 19. He has beaten the required 3 champions, has won under 4 different judges and, with points earned on Saturday, has exceeded the required 3 major wins.

We're staying home for most of July. Our next shows will be in Waukesha, WI at the end of July.

As far as news about puppies…Dancer goes to the vet on Wednesday afternoon for an ultrasound. I'll have news after that!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you.

Joyce

Show Results

Where do I begin...?

The 4-day Memorial weekend shows in Bloomington, IL are now history. The weekend started for me on Thursday when I took an afternoon off work to drive to Bloomington (slightly over 2 hours from here) to snag a space for a grooming set up for myself, 2 Lhasa friends, and 3 Shiba Inu friends. Two hours to get there, a half hour to haul grooming tables and wire crates in and set them up, then 2 hours back home. Once home I had to exercise and feed the dogs then bathe and dry Belle. (Zach and Desi had been bathed before I left for Bloomington.) Friday night when I got home, it was Walker's turn for a bath. That was another late night.

Friday I showed Zach and Belle. Desi went along for the ride that day. Saturday was the busy day: I showed Zach, Desi, Belle, and Walker. All went smoothly thanks to much-appreciated help from Rebecca, my Shiba Inu friend, who showed Desi for me, and Sandy, my Kuvasz friend, who kept Walker groomed at ringside while I was in the ring. Sunday and Monday Zach stayed home. Desi, Belle, and Walker were shown. Again, I realize how very much I depend on friends and how very lucky I am to have such good ones who are willing to help me. So Jane, Rebecca, and Leslie...if you are reading this, know that I feel very fortunate to have your support and friendship. You do so much for me.

So, you may be wondering, "What happened. How did those Lhasas do?" It was the debut weekend for the pups, who turned 6 months old on the 13th. In a nutshell: Zach walked. He was not 'showy.' He was tentative, not too sure what was going on or what was expected, but he walked and held his tail up, even wagging it for the judge when he was being examined on the table. Rebecca took on the burden of showing Desi the 3 days she was entered. Desi walked on Saturday and Sunday (but Rebecca had to walk backwards coaxing Desi around the ring with liver bait). On Monday Desi had had enough, thank you very much. She stood still and that was that. The judge was upset and excused her. Rebecca had to listen to the judge's lecture about training a dog to walk. I felt so guilty! As far as placements go, Zach took 2nd out of 2 both days he was shown. Desi was the only one in her class.

Belle actually walked all three days. Now that was close to a miracle. We've been working at home and had some serious training sessions. So...she is walking but requires a very loose lead or she stops and lies down. The problem with the loose lead is that she doesn't hold her head up as she should, so she looks rather dumpy going around the ring. We'll be working on getting that head up now that she is cooperating about walking. With Belle, it is one step at at time. Belle was the only dog in her class all three days.

The most exciting part of the weekend was showing Walker. Actually I entered him because I knew the puppies and Belle would be reluctant to walk, so at least with Walker I'd be showing a dog that moved out and loved to show. He did not disappoint! He was not entered Friday. He won Best of Breed the three days he was entered. Group competition was tough. On Saturday he placed third in the Group under Dawn Hansen. On Sunday under Ed Bivin he made the cut in Group but did not get a placement. On Monday, the Group judge was Kent Delaney. No placement Monday either.

Jan and Karen came from WI. Karen's puppy dog won a point; Jan's Open Bitch took a major on Sunday. The Open Bitch Karen was showing for our friend LaVonne won the major on Monday. Marilyn came from OH and her Open Bitch finished (i.e., got the final points for her championship) on Friday. A lovely puppy dog from the 6-9 Month class won the major Friday and Sunday. Those were nice wins for him. His handlers were excited, and I am sure Sherry his breeder and Linda his owner were also thrilled when they heard the news!

The pictures at the top are of Belle (the light colored dog standing on the grooming table) and of Walker, the red sable dog that is moving. That picture was taken during Group judging on Sunday.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you. (But it's better and much less stressful if they SHOW when you take them to a show!)

Joyce

Show Results

The dogs in our lives, the dogs we come to love and who (we fervently believe) love us in return, offer more than fidelity, consolation, and companionship. They offer comedy, irony, wit, and a wealth of anecdotes, the "shaggy dog stories" and "stupid pet tricks" that are commonplace pleasures of life. They offer, if we are wise enough or simple enough to take it, a model for what it means to give your heart with little thought of return.
~Marjorie Garber

Mothers should get to do what they want on Mother's Day, and my choice was to enter a dog show. May 8-9 were the first shows we'd been to since the Saturday before Easter. Belle and I went to the Dairyland shows in WI. Results were disappointing, not because we took second place both days (Saturday second out of two and Sunday second out of three), but because Belle once again decided she was not going to walk. She would take a few steps then suddenly, for reasons known only to her, would stop and lie down. Liver helped coax her back to her feet and a few more steps until she would again stop, lie down, and wait. Saturday she did a nice job on the down and back. Not so much on Sunday – plus Sunday's judge was an impatient man who seemed to want to be somewhere besides in the ring judging dogs—so that added some extra stress.

If Belle were not already entered in her next shows, I believe those would have been her last. As those of you who read this blog regularly well know, she has been telling me in her own way since she was a baby that she does not want to walk on a lead. It is time I listened. Not every dog enjoys the show ring. She is obviously one of them. She'll go to the next shows because the major will break without her there. Then I guess we'll hang up her show lead for good. (Actually make that "show leads" since I have tried at least 8 different ones with her, hoping to find one she will respond to!) Something different about these upcoming shows is that the majority of the rings are carpeted. I'm wondering if Belle will be more inclined to show on that surface rather than on mats. Or not.

Desi got to go to the show with us. It occurred to me that Belle had never once gone to a show by herself so I thought she should travel with a companion. Desi gets car sick so she wore a little snood that my daughter knitted for her. It held back ears and mustache enough that she did not slime them. I also put a baby bib around her neck to cover her chest hair. She looked cute but didn't seem thrilled with her new look! (I should get a picture to show you!) By the end of the weekend, she was no longer drooling so the long trip and the car rides to and from the show site each day may have "cured" her.

Back at home, Zach, who I predicted would deal Lynn fits because he would be lonely without Belle and Desi, had a great time playing with Boris, our Russian Blue cat, and did not seem to miss any of us in the least. He always seems to rely on Desi for direction, so I thought it would be good for both to have some "away time."

Bob and Lynne, if you are reading this, thanks for coming to the show to meet us and for not laughing at me in the ring with Belle! Desi appreciated the extra attention! It was good to meet you at last.

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

Joyce

Show Results!

"I get by with a little help from my friends."
- John Lennon

First the big announcement: We have a new CHAMPION! Ch. Karlyn Joyslyn Who's The Fairest (Mira) won the three point major on Saturday at the Belleville, IL show under judge Luc Boileau to finish her championship. One of her co-breeders, Karen Schlais, was there to witness the win. I was so excited. Mira showed well that day and I was proud of her. I'll post a picture of her when I get it (and if I like it!)

It was one of those show weekends when everyone entered could go home happy because we all won a major! Four of us had 9 class dogs entered: Polly had a male in the Puppy Dog class and a female in Open. Karen had a male puppy, a female puppy, and a female in the Bred By Exhibitor class. LaVonne had a Bred-By male and a Bred-By female. I had Belle in Bred By and Mira in Open.

• Mira took Winners Bitch on Saturday for the 3 point major that finished her.
• LaVonne's male "Winslow" took Winners Dog on Saturday and then took Best of Winners for the crossover major.
• Karen's jet black puppy dog "Ace" took Reserve on Saturday, won Best Puppy, and took a Puppy Group 3. His black and white parti-color litter sister "Ivy" took Reserve on Saturday.
• On Sunday Polly's puppy dog "Mark" took Winners Dog and Best of Winners for the crossover major.
• Karen's Bred By "Carley" took Winners Bitch. That was her second major, so she is well on her way.

On Sunday I had to keep Mira in the show so that the major would hold. Of course, none of us wanted her to win again so I had to try hard not to "show" her to her best advantage. That entailed me putting a lead on her that she does not like, not offering her liver as bait, not brushing her and tidying her up in the ring, not stacking her but just letting her stand naturally, not making eye contact with the judge but keeping my head down, and walking around the ring with the lead dragging, as if I was out for a Sunday walk in the park. UGH…I hated it. In spite of my best efforts, she won the Open class. Oh no…then I was panicked! She did not need to take Winners Bitch and win a major that she did not need. Those majors are precious and, any more, way too hard to come by. So I repeated my sloppy handling performance and Mira ended up taking Reserve. Whew!

Now, you are asking, "But, Joyce, what about Belle?" Well, Miss Belle did me proud, especially on Saturday. She did everything right and showed so pretty. She won the Bred By class. Of course that meant she had to compete against Mira for Winners Bitch. A huge "Thank You and I'm So Sorry My Dog Embarrassed You" goes out to friend Sandy Copeland who took Belle back in the ring for me and was quite chagrined when Belle put on the brakes and just laid down on the mat. If she couldn't go with mom, she was NOT going to go at all. Judge Boileau was disappointed and chewed on me a bit for not showing Belle instead of Mira in the Winner class. He liked Belle better and told me he would have put her up instead of Mira! I told him that that was what I was afraid of!

On Sunday, judge Joe Gregory had a different opinion of Belle and gave her a third place in her class of three.

Thanks also goes to Polly who saved a great grooming space for Karen, LaVonne, and me. By the time we got to the show site, the grooming spaces were gone. Had Polly not been looking out for us, we'd have ended up in one of the open-air livestock buildings at the fairgrounds. Not a happy thought for a chilly March weekend.

Except for the damper put on the weekend by the warning that some animal rights activists were on the fairgrounds, it was a great weekend filled with good sportsmanship, friendship, and laughter.

For those readers who do not show, please understand that animal rights groups, including PETA, are not a friend of dogs, dog owners, and dog show people. These activists often go to shows and open crate doors, hoping the dogs will run loose and what ??? – get in a dog fight, run into the street and get hit by a car, get lost and end up in an animal shelter? What a way to show you "care" about animals and their welfare! We were warned by the show-giving club and the AKC Rep. never to leave the dogs unattended at our grooming set up for that reason. Later announcements were made not to leave water in the crates left in the building over night, and if we did, to empty the bowls and wash them to make certain someone did not put a toxic substance in the water. I don't understand why the crazies think they need to harm innocent, well-loved, and obviously pampered dogs.

Perhaps when I can find the words to describe the scene, in another post I will tell you about buying a celebratory bottle of wine and how, since we had no corkscrew, we were able to free the cork (which was not really made of cork at all) using a scissors, two screws, a nail clipper, a tube of mascara, and a nail file. On second thought, perhaps that scene is best left to your imaginations. (You might imagine Ethel and Lucy giving it a try!) What I will tell you is that it can be done if you are determined enough and laugh enough. We were and we did -- and that wine was good!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you – especially when she is your newest champion who likes to cuddle with you on the sofa!

Joyce

Back from the Show

It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough to enjoy the fragrance of those now flowering.
~Patrice Gifford

The quotation is a good reminder to me to be patient. I really really am wishing for warm weather, for no more snow, for Spring to come. It'll happen, sooner rather than later I hope!

While I enjoy looking out the window after a snow and seeing lovely snow-laden branches, I'm sick of winter and tired being cold, bundling up to go outside, scraping ice off windows, and scooping snow off the porch and driveway. The Lhasas, on the other hand, think snow is just great! Silly things.

Thanks to those of you who sent positive thoughts about Belle walking in the ring. She did okay. She was hesitant and stopped rather abruptly a few times but it was usually easy to get her going. She likes liver bait so that worked as an inticement. She doesn't like to be rushed and that is difficult in the show ring. There just isn't time for her to stop and think if she wants to go or not. My rule is, when mom says "Let's go" you need to move! She wasn't too sure she wanted to buy into that! She took second out of a class of three both days. I got a little excited on Sunday when the judge told me to take her to the front of the line. But she balked on the last go around and we were moved to second place. She got lots of oohs and aahs and "oh how cute" comments.

One great thing about the show was seeing my good friend Marsha who drove down to Des Moines to show her Lhasa. Since Illinois and North Dakota are not exactly neighboring states, we seldom get to see each other, so we had a nice visit, and made plans to meet again at an Iowa show in April.

Walker lost both days. Saturday just as I was ready to put him on the examination table he got the snorts (aka "reverse sneezes"). Although I got him calmed down and the snorting stopped, he was not quite recovered for the exam and the down and back. On Sunday I took him out of his crate to groom him only to discover he had thrown up. Oh yuck…all over his feet, his face, his ears, his chest. I have no idea why because we'd been at the show at least an hour and he'd been out of the crate once to use the ex-pen and was excited and happy. So, Kenic rinse-less shampoo came to the rescue. I washed and dried him and he looked fine. I waited to see how he felt because I did not want to show him if he was feeling poorly. (However, after the extra effort of washing and drying him, I thought I should at least show off my grooming skills!) I'd actually gone to the show that morning thinking I would pull his entry because a snow storm was forecast and, while I enjoy showing him and hoping to win Breed and show in the Group, I thought it would be good to get out of Des Moines early. Evidently the judge thought we should be on our way early too! LOL!

We had clear weather and dry roads to Iowa City and about 20 miles south of Iowa City. Then we ran into the storm. Let's just say we had a harrowing drive, arriving home two hours later than the trip usually takes. Roads were snow packed and white lines barely visible. An average pace of 30 mph felt safe. My friend who was driving did a great job getting us home in one piece, in spite of the fact that there were lunatics on the road zooming by us at 50 miles an hour or more, as if the road was dry and visibility was 100%.

I was gone only two days but it seemed as if the puppies grew a whole bunch while I was away. It was great to get home and play with them! Zeke is still waiting for the right home to come along.

Spring is coming, right???

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you.

Joyce

Show Results, Puppy Update

Mira and I attended the shows in Belleville, IL this past weekend and came home with no points. She took a third and a fourth place in her class. It was disappointing of course. I was hoping to come home with a new champion, but then, so were a lot of other Lhasa owners. The competition was keen. Many lovely Lhasas were entered.

We had a great time though, for a number of reasons. First, it was the first time Mira has ever gotten to go to a show with me by herself and she enjoyed having all my attention. When Mira started showing last January, I was still trying to show Dancer (who was so scared on the table that I finally had to give up on her. Showing her was just not worth her going into panic.) Then, of course, Breaker was ready to show, and then I was taking Breaker, Mira, and Belle in May. This was a nice change for Mira who loved being the center of my attention for the entire weekend. I liked it too. She is a neat little dog!

Secondly, I was thrilled to see so many Lhasa friends. People came from MO, OH, WI, TN, KY, and IL (I may even be missing some states). We had our own impromptu "specialty." This was the second year for a great turnout at the Belleville shows, so it may become a habit. I hope so. We had a lot of fun. Ronnie Crowder finished his male, taking majors on both Friday and Saturday. Sandy Copeland's bitch finished, taking majors on Saturday and Sunday. It was a wonderful early present for Sandy, whose birthday is this week. Jeannie Cleary's puppy bitch took a major on Friday and Jeannie's male won the major on Sunday.

Third, my Shiba Inu friend Jane showed Mira. I am still in the surgical shoe and limping around so thought it best that I not go into the ring and be a klutz. Jane agreed to show Mira -- as long as I groomed her! Jane did a fantastic job showing her and Mira looked great with and responded well to Jane. I enjoyed the opportunity to watch Mira from ringside and evaluate her performance. She looked great and showed well.

Speaking of Jane, I have to add that we had a thrilling time on Sunday first when her male Shiba puppy took WD for 2 points, and then a few minutes later when he won Best of Breed over five Shiba specials for a 5 point major! He'd also won 2 points on Saturday. Not bad for it being only his second weekend of showing.

We also managed to squeeze in a couple hours of Christmas shopping Saturday night. It needed to be done! The holiday is sneaking up on me. Our tree is not even up yet!

On the subject of puppies, the "kids" are growing and looking great. The most recent photos are at the top of this post. The picture with 4 puppies is of the boys; the one with three is of the girls. They get cuter each week! The little girl is growing. The supplemental feedings are doing the trick. When I pick her up now, she immediately starts sucking. Talk about "conditioned response!" LOL! One of my friends at the show recommended Tomlyn's Puppy Vitamins for the puppy, saying she had had great luck using them when she had a situation similar to mine. The vitamins must be tasty because the puppy was smacking her lips after the first dose!

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

Joyce

What's Been Happening

Friday night began a flurry of activity at our house that probably will not end until the 10th. First, we have been remodeling our kitchen. Actually, to be more accurate LYNN has been remodeling our kitchen. He has done all the work himself while I urge him on and complain about the mess. As anyone who has ever been involved in such a project knows, things never go the way you expect them to and they always cost way more than you planned to spend. Our kitchen is no different.

One of the last things to be done was the tiled backsplash. The tile we ordered was backordered for 5 weeks. It arrived last week so Lynn and our son Aaron began the tiling job on Saturday morning. Lynn finished it Sunday and the grouting will be done tonight. Thank goodness.

The nice thing is that I haven't had to cook much these past 5 days. That is a good thing, since cooking is low on my list of enjoyable activities!

The dogs had a show on Sunday in Morris. Breaker took Best of Winners. Mira took 4th out of 4, and the reason for that remains a mystery since she showed like a dream and looked so good out there. Friends at ringside were flabbergasted, but that's what friends are for, right? Belle refused to walk, and the judge was quite irked with me and ready to excuse us. I finally got her to walk on the "down" but she then refused to budge to come back. Perhaps Mira's placement was my punishment??? As I said, the judge was ticked. I am not sure if she was disgusted with me because Belle wouldn't walk or upset that I got her to walk and then she could not excuse her! Whatever the reason, it is what it is. There's always another show.

That experience has led me to question whether I should even try to show Belle. She is so cute but if she won't walk I am simply wasting my money. She is 9 months old now. The other problem is that, unless she has an amazing growth spurt, I think she is going to be too small. You should see how adorable she is—but she is not even 9 inches tall and she weighs not quite 8 pounds. I think I have a miniature Lhasa at my house! She certainly inherited her grandfather Walker's coat. So, time will tell. After the national specialty I do not plan on entering any more shows this year so we'll let her grow up a bit and see how she develops.

Last night I started packing for the specialty! We leave the morning of the 11th! I cannot believe the "stuff" that I have to take—not only for myself but also for the dog (Breaker) and for the club. I am beginning to wonder if it is all going to fit in Marsha's van. I know she's bringing almost as much "stuff" as I am. The neighbors will probably be amazed Friday night and Saturday morning when they see us loading the van.

Although I hate the preparation for the trip to Carlisle, PA, where the specialty will be held, once we are on the way, I know I'm going to enjoy seeing everyone again and participating in the activities planned for this special week. The American Lhasa Apso Club (ALAC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary so celebratory events have been added to the usual activities of the week. Lhasa exhibitors come from all over the country to attend the event. We generally have visitors from outside the country also. Many Canadians belong to ALAC and are quite supportive of our specialty. It's not uncommon to have folks show up from the UK, Denmark, Germany, or Australia.

If I have time this Friday when I get back from the vet, I'll let you all know what we find out about Dancer. She certainly does not look pregnant to me! I'm prepared to be disappointed (but secretly holding on to the hope that she is carrying at least a couple puppies). It's been nearly a year since we've had puppies, and I miss them so much!

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

Joyce

Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club Specialty

Eleven or twelve years ago I started driving the 7-8 hour trip to the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club August specialty. My good friend JoAnne Hays (see photo) lived in the Twin Cities area and encouraged me to join the fun at specialty time. She loved that weekend, with the TCLAC specialty associated with the St. Croix Valley all breed shows. We had three and eventually 4 days of shows once the TCLAC decided to have specialty shows on both Thursday and Friday. JoAnne would invite her out-of-state friends to stay at her house. Her hubby took off for a golf outing that weekend and we "girls" had the house to ourselves. Lhasa friends from the Twin Cities area would join us in the evenings at JoAnne's where we'd have some pizza and margaritas, play with and evaluate puppies, and watch videos of previous national specialties. Good times. Good memories.

JoAnne died in December 2008 and, in the 3 years prior to her death, lived in Texas so she could be near her daughters and grandchildren after her husband died. The TCLAC specialties lost some of their "spark" for me after she left. She loved those specialties and was always so excited about them and the people who attended from nearby states and sometimes from as far away as Texas and California. As fun as the specialties still are and as welcoming and hospitable as the club members remain, each time I go, I miss my friend JoAnne.

I returned home about 9:00 tonight from the annual trek to the TCLAC Specialties and St. Croix Valley all breed show. It was a fun weekend! It was great to see friends that I hadn't seen for months, especially Marsha from ND who has been hospitalized recently and whose health I've been very concerned about. She drove down to see every one. It was her first trip since she got home from the hospital. As is our habit since JoAnne left the area, we stayed together at the Red Roof Inn. Not quite the "party time" we once had at JoAnne's but a good way to reconnect after not seeing each other since last October!

My weekend was exciting! Breaker took Best of Winners on Thursday under judge Gary Dunlop for a 4 point major, upping his point total to 10, including both major wins he needs. Friday he took 2nd place in the Bred By Exhibitor class under Carolyn Herbel. Saturday he took Winners Dog for a 3 point major (Hurray!!) under William Bergum. Today he placed 4th in his class (4th out of 4 – ouch!!!) under Wanda Spediacci. Too bad…I hate to be greedy but I was hoping he would win again today so I could bring home a new champion. Still…it was a super weekend for him. He only needs 2 points to finish. The problem is that I have no shows scheduled for the rest of the year. I was not planning to take him to the national specialty but may have to change my mind.

Now, Mira is another story. She flopped this weekend. Oh my. First, she is in season – full bloom and swollen like an egg. Every few steps, she would spin around once or twice and chase her tail trying to "get" whatever that "thing" was on her rear end that was bugging her. The crowd and the judges, especially Mrs. Herbel, seemed amused by it all. The best Mira did all weekend was a 4th place, but with the way she was behaving in the ring, I really was not expecting anything. As a matter of fact, I was sort of wishing I'd left her at home!

Dancer came back home with us. She was in Wisconsin at my friend Karen's house being bred to Karen's champion Alvin. Is she pregnant? Only time will tell. I'm thinking positive thoughts!

The only thing to mar the weekend was my disappointment that the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club failed to dedicate this specialty show to JoAnne Hays. JoAnne was friend to all and an eager, hard working TCLAC member. Many of the dogs being shown by club members have her MiToya dogs in their ancestry. How the members could forget her so soon after her death wounds me deeply. When I asked a couple members about it, they got shocked looks on their faces. They had indeed forgotten. JoAnne would have been so proud to have had a specialty dedicated to her memory. I wish just one of them would have thought to do it.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you.

Joyce

A Great Birthday Surprise!

I want to begin by saying that my birthday has always been a special day – thanks to my parents and grandparents. I always knew I was well-loved, but that love was especially obvious at birthday time. I am sure there were gifts, but more importantly, there were stories of the night I was born and recollections of incidents from my infancy. The keeping and telling of those memories were great gifts and I treasure those stories still. As old as I am getting, my birthday began in a similar way this year with a call from Mom that included a description of my first steps and a competition between her and friend as to which of them would be first to deliver their babies. (Mom beat her by a few hours!)

This birthday was no different. It was a very special birthday. I went to a dog show in Burlington, IA, about 55 minutes from here. I'd debated about entering the show, mostly because Lhasa entries have been very low in this area recently. Like others in this stressed economy, my account is hurting and I did not want to waste entry money if there was no hope for points. I knew I could not enter Mira. She just needs a major win. No one I emailed responded that they would enter. I hated not to support that show. It’s a nice venue and the club members are hard workers and always pleasant and welcoming. What to do?

I finally decided to enter one of my Champions – Ch. Joyslyn MiToya Wind Walker. Walker will be 7 years old in another month, but I keep him in full show coat since he is so easy to take care of.) He loves to go to shows and I’d take him more often if he was not such a PITA when it comes to staying in a hotel. He fusses all night and no one gets any sleep. Yest he is always so disappointed when I leave for shows with the younger dogs. I can clearly see the "Why not me?" look on his face.

So, Walker was entered. He was very excited to be going – and to be the only one! For once he had all of my attention for a whole day!

The entry was small, as expected. Two male specials, one bitch special were entered. The bitch did not show up. Walker took the Breed under Mrs. Muthard. On to the Group – where he took a Group 1 under Mrs. Herbel. (This was his third group 1 win.) He showed like the champion he is and got his full share of the crowd's applause! On to Best in Show…. I wish I could say he won. He did not. But we had a great time in that ring and got oh so many compliments afterwards from people I did not even know.

It was a great day -- Walker and I in the ring together again after a year's hiatus and a nice big blue rosette to add to his many other group placement ribbons. What a nice birthday gift!

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

Joyce

A Trip to Southern Illinois

The first weekend in August my Shiba Inu friends and I trekked to Marion, located in southern Illinois. All in all it was a successful weekend, although I think we go to Marion as much for the hotel (the Drury Inn) as we do for the dog show. As dog show hotels go, the Drury Inn ranks way up there!

The trip home was a happy one because we all won. Each of my friends had a Shiba bitch special. One won Saturday, the other won Sunday. Mira, of course, was absent since she just needs a three point major to finish. It was nice to have only two dogs to take care of on this trip!

Breaker was the only male Lhasa so, in order to get points, he had to take Best of Winners each day, which (I am pleased to tell you) he did. So now he has 6 points toward his championship, including one of those important majors.

Belle went also and surprised the heck out of me on Saturday by walking around the ring and totally behaving herself. Of course, the danger in that was my thinking her "I'm not doing this" problem had ended. Not so. These Lhasas keep me humble. On Sunday she pulled her "I'm not doing this" antics again. Maybe someday...

Mira's picture from the Waukesha weekend arrived Saturday. UGH. That one is going back to the photographer -- and I am NOT a person who normally sends back photos. Her coat looks gorgeous, long and shiny black. For once, even I took a decent picture! But she had her head forward and down and looked totally dumpy. UGH. That is something that photographer should have seen and had me correct!

I am home this weekend for the first weekend in what seems like AGES! How nice to be able to get chores done and even relax a bit and watch a couple of movies on STARS. Lynn was in Louisville at the Street Rod Nationals so I had no one to worry about but myself....and all the dogs of course!

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

Joyce

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Wow…talk about a hectic two weeks! Two weeks ago I was frantically trying to get ready for vacation: dog grooming & bathing; laundry & packing; instructions repeated ad nauseam for my husband (poor man!) I left Illinois in the wee morning hours of the 16th to catch a flight to Ft. Lauderdale. I returned home on the 20th, after spending a delightful time in Miami with our daughter who moved there a year ago. Back home, I played catch up at work and at home, especially since I was preparing to leave again for a 3-day dog show in Waukesha, WI! (You guessed it: more grooming, bathing, laundry, packing, and repeated instructions. My husband is a saint to put up with me!)

Friday I left home at midnight and my friend and I, along with 7 dogs (Lhasas and Shibas) made it safely to Waukesha early enough to find a place to set up our grooming area. Since the show is an outdoor show, we were lucky the weather for the weekend was the mildest at that show in 30 years – something that dogs and handlers (and I'm sure spectators) all appreciated. Because I was showing Mira, who is black, I was very glad for the lower than usual temperatures.

The Good: Mira showed two of the three days and took Winners Bitch both days. She earned 3 more points toward her championship and now has all the single points she needs, plus one of the two required majors. I pulled her entry on Sunday since there was no possibility of a major win that day. Now she sits at home for a few weeks while we wait for a chance at majors at an upcoming 4-day specialty and all-breed show in MN.

The Bad: Belle was entered only on Saturday and she was her usual stubborn self. When I finally coaxed her into walking a few steps, the ringside crowd clapped for us. These Lhasas keep me humble.

The Ugly: My male, Joyslyn's Heart Breaker, certainly lived up to his name on Friday! He loves to go to shows; it is just that lately he has decided the shows are fine – except for the going in the ring and showing part! That attitude was not helped on Friday when, just as he was about to enter the ring, an older woman with an unattractive voice and a faulty sound system chose that moment to announce the class placements in the Great Dane ring next to ours. Oh my… many Lhasas at ringside totally lost it then, including Breaker. He freaked out. He was skittish as he went around the ring, tail down, looking behind him, weaving from side to side, just sure "something" was going to get him. On the table, he hesitatedd to stand for examination and was shaking and pulling away. I was mortified and, of course, so concerned that the entire weekend was going to be a repeat performance.

While others had the opportunity to settle their dogs down, I did not as Breaker was the only dog in his class and we were in the ring when it happened. It was not pretty, and neither he nor I had any fun in the ring that day. Saturday and Sunday were better days for him so I'm hopeful he'll bounce back. He took 2nd out of 3 both days and on Sunday took Reserve. He is going to be a challenge that I hope I am up to meeting. I'll keep you posted.

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

Joyce

Mystery Solved!

Will she walk? Won't she walk? How will Belle respond to her first experience in the show ring? The mystery is solved!

Today our little beauty made her debut in the show ring at the Blackhawk Kennel Club show in Amboy, IL, under judge Luc Boileau. Let me first say, that that man is definitely a judge you want to show under if you are showing a puppy. He is gentle with them on the table and very patient with an apprehensive puppy.

We did not show until after 2:00 so Belle had a lot of time to get used to her surroundings since we arrived at the show at 9:00 so Jane, the friend I travel with, could show a Sammy for another friend. Belle went to ringside to watch and we took a little walk around the rings that were less crowded. She had her tail up and was happy to greet people and other dogs. Ditto outside the Shiba Inu ring where Belle and I watched our friends Jane and Rebecca show their Shibas. We heard lots of "what an adorable puppy," "what a cute face," etc.

When it was Belle's turn to enter the Lhasa ring, I carried her in. Both judge and steward said, "What a cute puppy!." When Mr. Boileau asked me to "take her around," I informed him that this was her first show and going around might take some time! He told me to take my time and let her go where she wanted to go. With some coaxing and baby talk and help from a fuzzy "flat rat" toy, Belle took off, stopping occasionally to investigate the shiny green tape at the corners of the matting, a crack in the floor, and some bait another handler had dropped. She did fine on the table and the down and back. The only one in her class, she came home with her first (of many I hope) blue ribbon. Her first experience was a satisfactory one for both of us.

The same cannot be said of Breaker. He was the only dog entered in 9-12 puppy. Some noises from people scraping chairs and moving equipment spooked him and he was a handful. Back to class for Breaker!

I guess there always has to be something to fret about!

Mira took Winners Bitch and Best of Winners. She earned 2 points and now has 10. She needs one more major and some singles.

I owe many thanks to friends Jane, Rebecca, and Jill who helped at ringside.

That was my 4th of July! Up at 3:45; potty and feed the dogs; get myself groomed and dressed; load the car; leave at 6:00; drive; spend time at the show; drive; get home at 7:15 and unload dogs; potty and feed the dogs; throw some dog laundry in the washer; change clothes, feed myself, sit down at the computer and type this note. It is now 8:45 and I'm proud of my day's accomplishments! I hope your 4th was as satisfactory for you.

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

Joyce

Results from Bloomington

The Memorial weekend shows in Bloomington, Illinois, were all I'd hoped for. As I mentioned before, the show site is wonderful -- plenty of parking, lots of grooming space, air conditioning, large grassy areas for exercising dogs, a variety of vendors, carpeted rings with nice wide aisles so ringside tables could be set up.

Three of the days there were majors in both sexes, 3 points in dogs and 4 points in bitches. Monday the points dropped by one in each sex.

We started off the weekend in good form. Breaker won the 9-12 puppy class. He is just 9 months old, and it was his first time in that class. Then he won the 3 point major by taking Winners Dog! It was upped to 4 points when he took Best of Winners! Way to go, Breaker! And many thanks to judge Porpora! Was I excited! You bet!

I wish I could say Breaker's luck continued. Sadly, no more points were added to his total, but he did take Reserve 2 of the other 3 days.

Mira was a challenge. After behaving so well in the ring at the Rock Island shows, she decided it'd be fun to misbehave at these. She didn't seem to realize MAJORS were at stake. She just wanted to have fun and goof around. She took 2nd in her class the first 3 days. By Sunday, she was hopping on her back legs half way down on the "down and back." She WANTED that CHICKEN in my pocket. Needless to say, on day 4 there was no chicken in my pocket! That day, Mira won the Open class and went on to win Winners Bitch and the 3 point major. She now has 8 points.

It was one of those weekends where the points got passed around. A different dog won each day. A different bitch won each day. One dog and one bitch finished. Others, like Breaker, earned their first points. A good weekend.

Best of all, it was a gathering of Lhasa friends who love the breed and are proud of their dogs. The sportsmanship was great, as were the conversations, kidding, and laughter.

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

Joyce

Breaker and Mira in the Show Ring

I was suffering from "dog show withdrawal" and am okay now that I've had my most recent "fixes!" Prior to the first weekend in May, the two dogs I'm now showing were last shown 2 months ago. We were entered at a show in March, but the winter weather stopped us from attending.

My gold male (Joyslyn's Heartbreaker, AKA "Breaker") is being shown in the puppy class. He'll be moved up to 9-12 this coming weekend. The black female (Karlyn Joyslyn Who's the Fairest, AKA "Mira") was shown in puppy class at the beginning of May but she has coat to the floor already and is very showy so I've moved her to Open class. She'll be a year old on June 10. She is pictured above at age 10 months.

We've shown the first two weekends in May and have a 4-day show coming up in Bloomington, IL over the Memorial Day weekend. That is always a lovely show – lots of grooming space. The majority of the rings are carpeted. Nice!

At the Badger shows in WI at the beginning of May, the dogs were happy to be at the show but not really sure what was expected of them. They'd been away from the ring too long, I guess. Breaker was "on" both days and he really did well for it being only his second show weekend with 2 months between shows! He was the only one in his class so he got blue ribbons both days. I couldn't have asked him to show better. Saturday he took Reserve Winners Dog. No such luck on Sunday, but it was not because he didn't show well.

Mira was another story altogether. She took 2nd in her class (of two!) both days. Saturday she showed well. Sunday she just got goofy. My friend Jane who had to hold her for me outside the ring first had to put up with Mira barking at Breaker and me while I was showing him. Then Mira decided to do a little ringside table cruising! Finally, when it was her turn to go in the ring, she shook her head at least every 10 steps, lagged behind me in the most aggravating manner, managed to stand still for the table exam, and then refused to stand still on the floor as the judge was doing his final decision making. Finally, I couldn't help laughing. What a little minx! I decided to try a different lead for the shows in Rock Island, IL!

Mira's new lead worked like a charm. She took Winners Bitch both days. Saturday she also took Best Puppy as well as BOW and BOB (no specials were entered). I showed her in Group for the practice and it was there that we discovered that she would "turn it on" for grilled chicken, henceforth to be her bait of choice! Then it was right into Non-Sporting Puppy Group where she placed Group 4. On Sunday she took Winners Bitch and Best Opposite Sex. She now has 5 points. I'm very pleased with Mira and thank my friend Karen Schlais for letting me have the only black girl in Ashley's litter!

As for Breaker, he showed well on Saturday and got another Reserve. Sunday, something spooked him as we went around the ring. He didn't drop his tail but he needed some recovery time, which the judge didn't give him. She was right on him before I even had him stacked on the table. I wish whoever mentored her about judging Lhasas would have discouraged her from grabbing them by the moustache to hold their head still as she went over them. It was not a good experience for Breaker.

Last Tuesday I took Breaker to a training class to see if he was going to spook out again. He did not – and I was so thankful! He seemed to have a good time, for which I was grateful since we had to drive an hour and a half each way to go to class.

Wish us luck at the Bloomington shows this weekend! There are majors in both sexes, something we don't see much of around here anymore.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you.



Joyce