Puppy Update and Other Things

Christmas has definitely "hit" our house. The tree finally managed to get up and decorated. The presents made it from shopping bags and delivery boxes into "piles by person" on the bed and floor of one of the bedrooms, then into wrapping paper or gift bags and finally under the tree. The office Christmas party—complete with white elephant gift exchange, an annual event that all of us at my office look forward to, is now a fond memory. We have a bunch of great cooks around here who outdid themselves again this year.

Boris, our Russian Blue cat, is confused by all the changes in our routine and in his house. He dislikes change to his environment and routine so he is upset a lot lately. Being a cat, he is interested in the tree and packages and evidently fancies himself a present because we often see him nestled among the gifts napping. He leaves the tree and ornaments alone, thank goodness. He leaves the majority of gifts alone except for the ones in gift bags. He is fascinated by the tissue paper and has managed to "fringe" the edges of all the tissue paper he can sink his teeth into. I decided it was a losing battle, so wrapped most gifts instead of going the easy route and sticking them in gift bags. As a friend at the office is fond of saying, "That ain't the hill I'm dyin' on."

So, this has been a crazy week. Getting information about puppies posted kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list! The most recent pictures are posted at the top of this narrative. The puppies were 4 weeks and 3 days when the picture was taken on Monday.

So here is what's new with the babies: First, they've been moved from the 3x3 puppy pen into a 3x6 puppy pen. Now those of you who know about such things might be raising eyebrows and asking, "3x6?? Never heard of it." Well, I had not either until I had a wild idea in the middle of the night. (That happens to me frequently as my subconscious ponders a problem). Anyway, I decided to see if I could put two 3x3's together into a 3x6 by removing a side panel from each 3x3 then attaching the two pens back together. Note that I say "I" but really it was a "we" thing as my husband did the heavy work while I mostly watched and directed!

Cutting lumber as center reinforcements for the floor grates was necessary, as was a bag of large zip ties.

Now the puppies have a large area to play in. Their piddle pads are at one end and blankets for sleeping at the other. Best of all, they are off the floor, which in spite of the efforts of our furnace, seemed way too cold for puppies, no matter how many layers of newspapers and blankets we used. If anyone who reads this wants to try it with a couple of 3x3's, let me know and I'll send a picture and a description of what we did.

I started weaning the puppies today. It's sooner than I generally begin weaning, but Secret is getting tired of them. They are getting curious about the food in her bowl, and she is getting protective of her food and not wanting to share, so... today she got a break and the pups got some mushy looking stuff that evidently tasted great because they dug in and ate with a passion! They were still excited to see mom when she came back to spend the day with them! They mauled poor Secret and she gave me a look that said, "And this will be over when???"

As Christmas approaches, so does Belle's first birthday! She and her litter mates were born on Christmas morning last year. Oh my, what a mess that was as we prepared for company and took turns delivering puppies. What beautiful little gifts Flame gave us that day. The girls: Holly, Spirit, and Belle. The boys: Nicky and Decker. Holly and Belle are the only two whose owners kept their Christmas-y names. I know all 5 of these puppies continue to be blessings to their people.

As 2009 nears its end and we get ready to greet 2010, I wish you all the best. In case I don't get back to you until after Christmas (in spite of my good intentions), I'll share a New Year sentiment that a friend sent me this morning in an email message:
"May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts. 

 


May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. 

 


May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

 


May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be those of joy.

 


May the problems you had forget your home address.
May 2010 be the best year ever!"

And if I don't get back to you next week, have a joyous Christmas with friends and family!

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

Joyce

Not REALITY TV!

I confess to watching a lot of CSI, Law and Order, and NCIS reruns during my recuperation. A CSI NY episode last week had me both laughing at and chewing out the writers for their stupidity and lack of research.

One of the murders took place in the grooming area at a dog show. When one CSI asked another about witnesses, he was told there were no witnesses because when the show events began, the grooming area totally emptied out. What!!!???

It seems the murderer added a drug of some kind to the dog's water bottle, not to kill the dog but to goof up its performance that day so her dog could win. Instead, the dog's handler took a drink from the dog's water bottle and that drug interacted with her prescription meds and killed her. Okay. Plausible. BUT…the dog's water bottle, as depicted on the show, was a baby bottle!! Seriously. It showed the handler sucking on the bottle's nipple first, then offering it to her dog to suck! What!!!???

My dogs might enjoy chewing on a baby bottle nipple but I can't think of one of them who would SUCK the darn thing!

At the end of the show, two of the main characters were in the bleachers of what I assumed to be Madison Square Garden, watching the results of Best in Show and betting each other on the winner. The scene looked like the usual Westminster layout, with drapes and carpet and boxes with the breed names on them. HOWEVER, the winner was not revealed by the judge presenting the handler a huge ribbon and trophy. Oh no! Instead, a representative from some accounting firm presented an envelope containing the tabulations. Accounting firm? Envelope? The envelope was opened, and the Best in Show winner announced. WHAT!!!???

That was quite enough crime FICTION for me. Good heavens…I know the sport of showing dogs is a mystery to many people, but these writers were clueless. I turned off the TV, snuggled down with Belle by my side, and went back to reading a novel!

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

Joyce

Musings

Hi Everyone!

This post has nothing to do with dogs (until you get to the end). I'm cooped up at home and my life with dogs is relegated to grooming, bathing, playing, and waiting for Secret to have puppies. In many ways, I am bored. I am generally an active person, used to going to work, being involved with co-workers, and facing challenges work has to offer. I miss it. I also miss going to training classes.

One thing I have been doing since I've been home babying my foot is thinking about work. Now you might think a few weeks away from the office would be a joy and, at first, I did like the time to rest, read, watch tv, etc. Besides, the doctor told me I was NOT SUPPOSED to do anything but lay around with my foot up. But, when that becomes your "job," the day stretches out forever sometimes. So, I've been thinking about work and young children and a topic of recent interest. To be brief, I am the Associate Director at the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood at Western Illinois University. A great deal of the Center's work involves providing teachers with professional development opportunities to familiarize them with early childhood research-based practices and to encourage them to implement those practices. One topic I have recently become interested in involves Becky Bailey's "Conscious Discipline" and Jane Nelson's "Positive Discipline" approaches.

One recurring question Nelson asks is why do adults think they have to make children feel bad in order to get them to behave well? Good question! But think about it. We often expect children to be mind readers and automatically know what is expected of them. When they fall short of our expectations, we tend to yell, punish, or humiliate. As adults, if someone gives us a dressing down and tells us how terrible we are, what's our reaction? I don't know about you, but I shut down, get angry, sulk, and become the opposite of cooperative.

Bailey brings up a great point about how adults are experts at giving children precise information about what they do wrong, but little information about positive behavior. We just expect them to know what's "good." For example, let's say your 3-year old sits at the table and you serve her milk and cereal, saying "Be careful not to spill." When she does spill, as 3-year olds are known to do, you yell, "Oh my God, look what you've done. You spilled the milk1 I told you not to spill the milk! Now it's all over the clean floor and I'm going to have to waste time cleaning it up. You are so careless and clumsy!"

Notice…during that little tirade, you have (1) told your child what she has done, (2) described what the result was, and (3) and described her as "careless" and "clumsy" (bad). That seems to be the formula we use when we yell at kids.

What happens when children do something positive? What do we say? "Good job!" What meaning does that have? Not much when you hear it over and over. It becomes rather like hearing "How are you?" or "Have a good day!" — excellent sentiments but so overused they've become trite and meaningless.

Bailey suggests we use the same 3-step "formula" to reinforce children's good behavior. First, describe the deed…."Oh you put the dirty dishes in the sink." Then the result of the action…"Now the table is all cleaned up." Finish by describing the behavior…"You were so helpful! You made my job easier." You can see how this is more effective than "good job."

You've heard about affirmations? They are positive (or negative) things we tell ourselves over and over. Our brain believes them and responds accordingly. "I can't do *** (fill in the blank)." "I am never going to be *** (fill in the blank)" are examples of negative affirmations. Once when I said, "I don't know why I spend money on raffle tickets, I never win anything," a friend responded with, "And with an attitude like that, you never will." Hmmm… On the positive side, when we believe that we are helpful, honest, courageous, loving, easy to get along with, etc….our brain, our behavior supports those powerful beliefs and responds accordingly.

So, if we constantly use the negative formula to tell children they are bad, clumsy, stupid, dumb, careless…how do they grow up feeling positive about themselves? What if the mom whose child spilled the milk said, "Oh-oh. We need to clean that up!" and asked the child to help, then said, "Look, you and I wiped up the milk! The floor is clean again. You are such a good helper! We make a good team!" and follow it with a high five or a hug.

Again, this doesn't have much to do with dogs but it's where I am with my thoughts today.

By the way, I just finished reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, a wonderful book that I'd recommend to people who like novels that feature dogs. The main character is a young boy whose family breeds and trains dogs. It's a great read! I'd also recommend Gwen Cooper's nonfiction book, Homer's Odyssey, about her life with 3 cats, one of which has no eyes. For those of you who know me well, do not despair…I'm also reading mystery and romance novels! LOL

Oh…and the good news today is that Secret went to the vet for her x-ray. She is carrying 7 puppies! Wow!! We'll be busy very soon!

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

Joyce

Announcements

Pictured: Ch.Joyslyn's The Charmed One (Piper)


It's Official! Breaker is now known to AKC as CHAMPION Joyslyn's Heartbreaker! Yes, it is true…his championship certificate arrived on Friday. He finished with 16 points, at the age of 13 months. He won two four-point majors, two three-point majors, and two single points. Positive comments from judges focused on Breaker's head, mouth and expression, coat texture, and movement.

He is going to be very unhappy when he figures out that being a champion means he has to stay home while Mira goes to shows! Eventually, I'd like to special Breaker but he is still very immature in appearance. Plus he needs to get his act together and that is going to take some maturing also. We'll be going to class every now and then to remind him what he is supposed to do in the show ring.

Also in the "good news" column:

1. Breaker's championship means that his mother, Ch. Joyslyn Secrets of the Heart, has produced enough champions to earn her American Lhasa Apso Club ROM (Register of Merit) Dam award. When you look at a pedigree and see the ROM behind a dog's name, it means that the dog has sufficient offspring that have earned their championship to be awarded ALAC's Register of Merit. According to ALAC rules, a sire must have at least 5 champion offspring and a dam must have at least 3 to earn the award. Secret's other two are Ch. Joyslyn Winds of Fire (Flame) and Ch. Joyslyn's Heartthrob (Davy).

2. Secret must be pregnant. If she is not, she has strange bulges on her belly and sides! Due date is November 14. Time will tell! I am so excited at the prospect of raising a litter again. The whelping area is set up in anticipation of the event. My brain is busy trying to think of puppy names. The last litter was easy since they were born on Christmas Day. This one will arrive too early to be a bunch of turkeys! LOL

3. I received lovely letters from Piper and Davy's new owners this past week. Both brought tears to my eyes, and I want to share snippets of the letters with you:

Ch. Joyslyn The Charmed One (Piper) went to her new home almost a year ago. Her owner wrote that Piper "… is an amazing little dog and has fit my lifestyle perfectly. It has been a joy to watch her “grow up” as a single dog. She now has the freedom of the house. Actually she now “owns” the house. I don’t have to close the crate door anymore. She comes and goes as she pleases and makes “decisions” about where she wants to sleep, when she wants to eat and what she wants to play with…I’ve been amazed by her fixation with TV! She will watch for the longest time and is sometimes annoyed when I turn TV off. I get wonderful greetings when I get home from work. She is full of energy since she has slept all day and spends the evenings squeaking toys, watching TV and laying beside my chair…She loves it when family company comes over but is most excited when my neighbor (her Auntie Vicki) comes over. She gazes out of the patio door waiting for her Auntie Vicki. I love her a lot and am so very happy to have her. I read your blog about “giving up” your adult dogs and I am so grateful that you raise these wonderful Lhasas…"

And I am grateful to have been blessed with wonderful Lhasas and people who are willing to open their hearts and homes to older dogs – and to continue to contact me to let me know how the dogs are doing. Puppies are so cute and sweet, but people who have adopted the retired champions have discovered plenty of love, devotion, and joy. Piper's latest picture is at the top of the page.

As you know, Davy left for his new home at the end of August. (See blog posting dated 8/31/09). His new owner wrote me a 6-page letter full of Davy's antic, saying that that Davy has made the adjustment well and that he is absolutely thrilled that Davy is doing so well. He wrote, "In a nutshell, Davy has proven to be one of the best, if not the best, dogs I have ever had…He loves to play with the dozens and dozens of toys he has. He'll grab and shake them, often growling at them simultaneously. He should have been called 'Joyslyn's Rugs A Flying' because the rugs really do fly once he gets started...His wonderful demeanor and likeable traits are the results of your efforts."

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

Updates and Pictures

Breaker's pictures from the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club specialty and the St. Croix Valley Kennel Club shows have arrived. I'm so proud of him.

The training classes for Breaker seem to be working. He has not been shying away from the trainers and has actually been wagging his tail when he sees them coming. The big test of course will be at the show on October 4. If the planets line up correctly, he'll be perfect on the table and sail around the ring like a true showman. I also have to say, "If I am not so nervous that I make the dog crazy..." Whatever...it'll be what it is, and we'll go from there.

Mira's been getting a workout too. I've changed her lead and she is learning NOT to toss her head back and look straight at the ceiling when I have her stacked on the floor! I just hope she remembers her lessons on October 4! I want to bring home a new champion!

We will not talk about Belle, who is in season and miserable. She would not walk before and she is not about to do it now. So there, thank you very much. Enough said!

In the meantime, we are hoping that in mid-October there will be babies in the litter basket! Dancer feels "full" so I'm hoping she has puppies. I guess I could have an ultrasound done to see for sure, but since there is no huge need to know at this point, I'll just wait. We generally have an x-ray done a few days before the due date so we can count puppies and know what to expect. I can wait until then. Sadly, I'll miss the whelping. Dancer's due date is smack in the middle of ALAC's national specialty week, and I'll be in PA. Thank goodness Lynn is accustomed to whelping puppies. He stays calm and cool. I totally trust him to do a good job helping Dancer bring her babies into the world.

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

Joyce