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 Lhasa Apso Standard

As a mentor for our breed, I had the opportunity at the Waukesha show to talk to a prospective Lhasa Apso judge. Like others before her, one point she tried to make with me was that she thought our breed standard was too vague. I countered with the fact that the Lhasa standard emphasizes the features that set the breed apart and if the standard doesn't mention a trait, then a judge should take that to mean "normal canine [movement, structure…whatever]" is expected. I could see the light bulb going on in her head. "Oh," she said, "then for front movement one would expect them to converge toward center." Yes.

Those of you interested in reading about the Lhasa Apso standard can find resources at the web site of the American Lhasa Apso Club. At the top menu, click "Education" and select "Judges Education." When that information comes up, go to the menu on the left and select "Breed Standard," which will give you the official AKC Standard for the Lhasa Apso, "Annotated Guide," which will give you a written explanation of the Standard, or "Illustrated Guide," which provides the written explanation along with illustrations and photos. You might also want to watch the AKC video about the Lhasa Apso. Note that this video is divided into 6 chapters, so be sure to watch them all!

One of the activities at the American Lhasa Apso Club's national specialty will be a judges' education seminar. This will include the official ALAC Judges Education Committee presentation, opportunities for hands-on examination of Lhasas, and ringside mentoring. The specialty will be held October 14 -16, at the Hotel Carlisle and Embers Convention Center, Carlisle, PA.

Speaking of the specialty, if you want a week of Lhasas, Lhasas, Lhasas, you should plan to attend. The week includes 2 local specialties, a futurity, the ALAC regional specialty, and the ALAC national specialty PLUS seminars, banquets, games, and a fun match! People and their Lhasas from all over the U.S. will attend. Find more information on the American Lhasa Apso Club website.

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

Getting Ready for Meet the Breeds

This weekend, in addition to preparing for a trip to Miami to visit my daughter, I'm getting Walker (Ch. Joyslyn MiToya Wind Walker) ready for the Meet the Breeds event at the fair in Peoria. I chose to take Walker because (1) he is a beautiful Lhasa; (2) he loves to show and now that he is "retired" he seldom gets to go to a show; (3) I love to show him; and (4) I groom his long, lovely show coat a couple times a week and I want to show it off!

At this particular Meet the Breeds, the dogs will get to go into the ring and walk around it while information about the dog, the owner, and the breed is being read. Walker will enjoy being in the ring again and it will also be a good 'practice' session for a couple shows I plan to take him to in August. As I said, he enjoys the show ring and I enjoy showing him, so each year we go to a show that is nearby and strut our stuff. Sometimes we even place in the Group! Walker is not a good traveler, as far as staying in hotels is concerned. He fusses and whines all night, and unless I stick him in bed with me (which I have been known to do when I get frustrated with his noise), neither of us spends a very restful night. Thus, the area show is "it" for him. We can drive back and forth and be rested for each day.

Walker will be 7 years old at the end of October. He will then officially be a "veteran" and can be entered in the Veteran classes at the dog shows that feature those classes. His coat is easy to maintain so I'll probably keep it long and take him to some of those shows – as long as we don't have a lot of overnight trips!

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

Trimming a Lhasa's Feet

On my to-do list for this evening is "Trim Mira/Breaker/Belle's feet for show next weekend."

I have to admit that one grooming job I hate is trimming the show dogs' feet! It has to be done, but I put it off all the time and then, of course, the task only becomes more difficult.

Why do we trim the hair on the show dogs' feet?

Shaggy feet make even the most neatly groomed Lhasa look "unfinished." The unkempt appearance of those feet can be improved by trimming and rounding the coat around the feet. It makes a prettier picture in the show ring.

Here's what you can do to trim feet:

Stack your Lhasa on a grooming table and keep him still(this is the hard part!). If you are lucky enough to have a willing spouse or friend handy, he/she can hold the dog steady (you need to keep the dog from leaning or you'll trim shorter than you should). You can also use a grooming noose. (I've had limited success with that because the dog can still manage to lean.)

If your dog has heavy furnishings on his legs and feet, push the hair up and away from the foot itself and hold it there. Brush or comb a layer of hair over the foot and trim it all the way around fairly close to the foot. Then brush a second layer over the foot, this time trimming it so it's slightly longer than the first layer. Depending on how heavily coated your dog's foot is, repeat this until the foot has a neat, rounded appearance. Do all four feet in the same way.

If your Lhasa doesn't have heavily-coated feet, you may be able to get by with just combing all the hair over the foot and cutting it. I've seen a lot of Lhasas' feet look chopped up when their owners or groomers do this though. I prefer the layering strategy, but do whatever works best for you.

One thing that has helped me tremendously when it comes time to trim feet is raising the height of my grooming table so I do not have to "walk" around the grooming table on my knees to see what I am doing. If you are interested in reading how you can increase the height of your grooming table, read my grooming table transformation article. The article contains a picture of the table so you can see what it looks like when it is "transformed!"

I think the main reason I dislike trimming my show dogs' feet is that it is so easy to make a mistake and cut too much off or cut crookedly or take a chunk out when the dog decides to move unexpectedly.

To make matters worse, Mira is black, which makes trimming difficult. My husband helped by rigging up one of his shop lights so I can see what and where I am cutting when I trim her! Mira's coat is long and gorgeous. No way do I want to mess that up!

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

Joyce