Some History

Today, I decided to go back in time and give you a peek at some photos from the album of our first champion and first Special, Ch. Joyslyn's Piece of the Rock. At the back of his album is a one-page clipping from Dog World's June 1978 issue. This issue was an annual issue published by Dog World which featured the "Ideal" of each breed. The offer was extended to us for Rocky to appear as the  "Ideal" and we were thrilled to accept. (However, I must admit that we had to pay a hefty advertising fee for the privilege!)

First note that the issue includes the old standard which lists color preferences. It says, "Golden, sandy, honey, dark grizzle, slate, smoke, parti-color, black, white, or brown. This being the true Tibetan Lion-dog, golden or lion-like colors are preferred. Other colors in order as above. Dark tips to ears and beard are an asset."

Now, of course, under our current Standard, all colors are equally accepted with or without the dark tippings.

The picture is of our multiple-Group-winning American Canadian Champion Joyslyn's Piece of the Rock. Rocky's photo was taken by Steve Newell for that issue.

I doubt if you can read the copy, so here is what it says, "With great pride we accepted the offer for our multiple-Group-winning Ch. Joyslyn's Piece of the Rock to represent the Lhasa Apso in this issue. Rocky is a young dog who is upholding the fine traditions of winning and producing for which his line is noted. Rocky's great-grandsire is top producing BIS Ch. Everglo's Spark of Gold ROM; his grandsire is multiple-BIS Ch. Arborhill's Rapso-Dieh (ROM pending ALAC approval), and his sire is BIS Ch. Arborhill's Rah-Kieh ROM.

Rocky is a light golden, well-balanced compact dog. He is 10 ½" tall and weighs approximately 18  lbs. His outline—level topline, long arched neck, and tail perched atop his back—is impressive, as is his smooth effortless movement.

Used at stud on only a limited basis, Rocky has clearly indicated his potential as a great producer. He passes on his elegant outline, straight front legs, tight reverse scissors bite, lovely expression, and easy-going, lovable temperament.

Pointed at 7 months, Rocky went to handler Marjorie Lewis at 13 months and finished in 5 straight shows with three majors. He began his specials career two months later with Marge. Together they have become the top winning Lhasa team in our area of the Midwest. Our ultimate goal is, of course, a Best in Show, for it is our dream that Rocky be the fourth consecutive dog in his line to win the top award.

Rocky's breeders are Lynn and Joyce Johanson, JOYSLYN'S LHASA APSOS, and he is owned by Joyce Johanson and Ethel Hines.

At Joyslyn's we breed with the Standard as our guide and strive for high quality in confirmation and temperament. We proudly offer Rocky at stud. His fee is $150."

Unfortunately, Rocky never achieved the BIS goal we set for him, but he was our first champion and his show career plus the careful mentoring given me by his handler Marge Lewis, set Joyslyn's on a course I would never have imagined when we first decided to show our dogs. Now, almost 36 ½ years after Rocky's birth, I look back at his photo album and relive a lot of memories.

Thanks for letting me share them with you.

Pictures from Rocky's album include the one of his first point, taken in September 1975 when he was 7 months old (and I was a young 24)!  Note the scruffy tail! The next is of Rocky and Marge after his first major win in March 1976, age 13 months. Notice if you will how much his coat grew in those months. The third is of Rocky and Marge, taken after a group win in September 1977, age 2 years, 7 months.

Rocky & Joyce, Sept. 1975

Rocky & Marge, March 1976

Rocky & Marge, Sept. 1977

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

Joyce

P.S. In case you did not know, if you click on a photo you can enlarge it. If you want to read the entire page from Dog World, just click on it and you can magnify it from there.

Sharing A Picture

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

~from Henry Wadsworth  Longfellow's A Psalm of Life

I don't know if teachers make children memorize classic poems any more, but "back in the day," we had to. The quotation above comes from one whose lines have stayed with me many years.  Too many times we "wish" we had this or that or we "want" this or that to change. How many times do we act by setting goals and telling ourselves not "I wish" or "I want" but "I will" and then "I can do this!"?

Ch. Joyslyn's Heartbreaker

In my last post, I said I would share the picture of Breaker taken when he won the Group 4 placement at the Iowa City show. So…here is the picture. Note that I cropped it to show only Breaker because, as usual, the picture of me was not-so-good. In this case, eyebrows up in a questioning fashion, I was looking at the photographer, asking, "How's this?" However, given a choice, I'd rather the dog looked great. The photo is about the dog, not about me.

When I posted the picture on Facebook, someone sent me a private message asking about the products I use on his coat. I have to confess that there is nothing special or no single product/brand to which I have sworn allegiance.

One belief I have is that if you want to grow coat, you have to keep the coat clean. Brushing a dirty coat causes damage. While I do not bathe the dogs weekly, I do make sure to wash their feet, skirts, bellies, ear fringes, and faces before they are groomed. I fill the utility sink with about 4" of warm water to which I add about ½ cup of rinseless shampoo. The dog stands in the sink, and I work the soapy mixture into the coat. No rinsing is necessary. I squeeze as much moisture from the coat as possible, then let the dog air dry for about a half hour or so then groom him/her. If I'm in a rush, I'll use the hair dryer.

Regarding rinseless shampoos: numerous brands are on the market. My favorite is Kenic's product, but all the major dog product brands carry a rinseless shampoo (also known as a dry shampoo): Bio-Groom, Kote-Glo, Chris Christensen, PurePet, Nature's Miracle, to name a few.

So, Kenic's Dry Shampoo is a favorite, as is the Kenic Grooming Spray. However, I also like Nature's Specialties' Quicker Slicker grooming spray. Nature's Specialties also carries a re-moisture product that can be diluted to be a light conditioner, used full strength with dog wrapped in a warm towel as a deep conditioning "hot oil-type" treatment, or anything in between.

Right now I use the JB Golden Almond Mat and Tangle Removing Spray, but it is no longer available so it's treated as a valued resource at our house! So far, I haven't found a replacement, but I have a half-gallon left so it is not time to panic yet. It gets pulled out only in cases of severe mats and, fortunately, those are few. JB Golden Almond Shampoo and JB Golden Almond Conditioner have also been favorite products for bath time. I found a Tea Tree Oil Shampoo at Sally's Beauty Supply that I tried on my hair and then decided to try on the dog's coats. It and the Tea Tree Oil Conditioner have been giving good results too.

At the shows and for grooming after a full bath, I use the Crown Royale grooming spray. It smells great, goes on light, and makes the dogs look great too!

On another topic: Puppy update…everyone from the February litter has a new home or has been spoken for. The next litter is in the planning stage. We'll be breeding Belle to a friend's champion. She was due to come in season in June but, being Belle, is doing things in her own sweet time, so we're just waiting…

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

Joyce

A Great Day!

It was a long day but a great day! I'm talking about Saturday, July 2nd, which began when I got up at 4:30 and left home at 6:30 for a 5 hour trip to West Bend, WI, with Breaker, Raven, Maggie, and Dreamer in the back seat of the Impala.


One of the first people to greet me upon arrival was Karen's granddaughter Emma, who is one of my favorite people. She helped me unload the car and laid claim to Dreamer. Dreamer thought it was a good plan!


The exciting thing about the show was that it has been a long, long time since 22 Lhasa have been assembled for competition in this area. Lhasa exhibitors were there from IL, MN, MI, and WI. It was so nice to see some people I had not seen for a year or two—Melissa, Val, Mary, Taiya, Jeanne, Stacey, Lisa, and Joyce, to name a few—and so nice to be with the usual group of friends again. We get to see each other only once a month on average. We compete against each other but are also supportive of each others' efforts. It is nice to have such friends.


The count was 6-12-1D-3B, and all of us were excited that there were majors at last. In addition, the Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club (GMLAC) hosted its specialty that evening, so we had the opportunity to show the dogs twice that day.


I showed Maggie in the first show. She moved nicely and took first place in the 6-9 month puppy class. There were two entries in that class. It's the first time she has had competition. The other few times she's been entered, she's been the only puppy. Breaker took Select Dog and earned a major toward his Grand Championship. I was not happy with his showing. We showed in mid-afternoon while the group judging was taking place. He was uncomfortable with the roaring and applause and became very skittish. (Sigh) His days as a special may be numbered if he keeps that up. It's so hard not to compare him to Walker, yet I know that is not fair to him. I guess I've had it easy too long and God decided I needed a challenge.


I'm one of those people who seldom win at raffles or Bingo.  That's one reason I never buy lottery tickets. However, fortune smiled on me yesterday when my $20 worth of raffle tickets yielded four nice prizes! (Given a choice I would rather have had Breaker show well!)


(And yes, I do know if you keep saying, "I never win" that you never will.)


I showed Raven in the 6-9 class that evening. She took first place out of two. Then the little darling went on to take Winners Bitch over the 9-12 Month Puppy, the Bred By Exhibitor, and the Open Bitch winners. What a wonderful surprise! She won 5 points toward her Championship with that win, so now she has 7. That win also earned her the title of "Best Puppy" in the specialty. It was only her third "real" show. She'd been at a match in late May and took best Lhasa puppy then Non-sporting group 1.


Although Breaker was calmer when he was shown in the evening, he was still not sure he wanted to be in the ring and was very antsy. He took Best Opposite Sex to the female who won Best of Breed, so he earned another major toward his Grand Championship. If anyone has a suggestion about calming capsules that actually work instead of simply claiming they do, let me know. Do they make a doggie version valium?? Maybe I'm the one who needs it!  LOL! 


Of course, we had pictures taken to commemorate the event, so I will post them in a few weeks when the photographer sends them.


Dreamer had a great time being passed from person to person. It was good for her to meet new people, and her tail never stopped wagging as people held her. 


By 8:30 I had all the dogs and equipment packed in the car and was on the road for home. Arriving at 1;30, I was grateful to have had a good day at the show and a safe journey home.


Once again, I have to thank the many friends who stepped up to help me, starting with Emma who helped me unload the car and who took charge of Dreamer whenever someone else was not holding her. Thanks to Stacey and Lisa who watched one dog for me while I was in the ring with the other and to Melissa and Joyce who did the same that evening. Thanks to Jan for taking Raven back in the ring while I was in with Breaker. Thanks to the GMLAC members for being so hospitable and putting on a great specialty show. Finally, thanks to Jane who called me while I was driving home to chat for a while and keep me awake.


Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you -- and good friends to support you!


Joyce








 

Show Results

Happily, Breaker proved my predictions wrong. He was fun to show and behaved himself. In the group ring, he was bothered only by the loud cheering and applause that some of the crowd's favorite dogs received. That made him a little skittish, but it is something he has to get used to if he is going to be specialed. Someday people will be cheering for him as well.

It was difficult not to miss Walker, who knows the show routine so well. He and I were a team and we had our system down pat. He loved the cheering. He knew to "turn it on" when I said, "Let's go!" But he wasn't that way in the beginning either, so I know that Breaker and I will fall into a routine too and come up with our own rituals and expectations of each other.

According to the two group judges, competition in the Non-sporting group was fierce for such a small show. Having heard that from both judges on Saturday, I was thrilled when Breaker got the nod for the Group 4 spot on Sunday! It was a nice way to finish the weekend and a nice start for his career.

This coming weekend we will be at the West Bend, WI, show on Saturday, staying that evening for the Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club's specialty show. Twenty-two Lhasas are entered, which is quite a large entry for this area. It should be a good time.

Raven and Maggie are going to the shows too. They both showed very well last weekend. Raven won the point each day. They were the only ones entered so one of them had to win! Once again, a big thanks to friends Jane and Rebecca, who helped by holding dogs at ringside and taking the girls back in the ring for the Winners and Breed classes.

If you're ever in the mood to look at some great candid photos taken at dog shows, two websites I can recommend are Canine Candids by Lynda lyndabeam.zenfolio.com and DDL Dog Show Photography ddldogshowphotography.com. Both photographers have some beautiful pictures on their sites. I've found some on Lynda's site taken of Walker at the Bloomington shows and have ordered prints. Diane has not yet posted the photos she took at the Iowa City show. She had one of Breaker in the group ring that I really liked so I am looking forward to its being posted.

If you need a nice spray bottle to use while you are grooming, I found an inexpensive one that works great! Just go to WalMart's laundry aisle, where the ironing board covers, dryer balls, etc., are sold. There you will also find spray bottles to use when ironing. The bottles cost only 97 cents (!) and are a clear plastic. They have two spray settings, and you will want to use the one that sprays a light mist. I actually used some red nail polish to mark that setting so I would be sure to get a mist and not a stream of grooming spray.

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

Joyce

Headed into the Weekend...

Yippee! A dog show at last! This weekend we are headed to Iowa City to the Johnson County Fairgrounds.

Four weekends ago, Walker, Raven, Maggie, and I went to the Bloomington, IL shows. Time has flown by, as it is wont to do when I'm busy, taken up by preparing for and recovering from trips to Nebraska and Rhode Island this month. Last weekend was a catch-up weekend of cleaning, and laundry, and grooming but not a lot of rest.

We had a bit of excitement Saturday when Lynn cut his thumb on the table saw, requiring a trip to the emergency room and eight stitches! Ironically, it was the same table saw that kicked back a few months ago and ground up the pad of his thumb so badly that it could not even be stitched! Ironic, too, that he was in the process of making a push tool that would prevent such injury when the accident happened.

Having already begun one of my famous "to-do" lists, show preparations are well underway. The dogs will be groomed tonight and bathed Friday evening. Packing is sometimes the worst part of the preparation. Fearful of forgetting something important (thus the lists), I recall one show when a friend left her garment bag full of 3 days worth of clothes home. At least she remembered the dog and all the necessary dog items, like the lead, the food, and the grooming supplies. Fortunately, she had time to shop for new clothes! As for forgetting the dog, back in the 1980's another friend once loaded a crate in the car and left for the airport to ship one of her girls to be bred. Not until she arrived at the airport did she realize she'd left the dog at home in the backyard where she'd put her out to potty before the long trip.

As for forgetting clothing, so far I haven't done that, but once I packed a pair of shoes, one navy blue and one black (hey the closet was dark – and in my defense, they were the same shoe style, just different colors). I did not discover the error until I was in the ring and happened to look at my feet. I went shoe shopping that night! When I got home, I put a drop of red nail polish on the inside of each of the blue shoes so I could distinguish them from the black ones.

It takes a concerted effort from all of us Lhasa exhibitors in Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin to ensure we have enough entries at a show to make it worth our while to enter. Entry fees add up fast, and there is no sense entering if there will be no points. When some indicated they were skipping the Iowa City show and others told me they were not sure about entering, I decided that I should enter both puppies, not only to give them some practice but also to make sure that there would at least be a point available. So Maggie is entered in the 6-9 Puppy class and Raven in the Bred-By Exhibitor class. It is good I did that because they are the only two girls entered in the classes. If they behave, perhaps each will come home with a point. My prediction is that Raven will beat Maggie. She is more elegant at this age than Maggie is. Maggie has lots of coat and it makes her look wider and more awkward than Raven looks.

Breaker, 2 years, 9 months

Breaker is making his debut in the Best of Breed ring at the Iowa City shows. Everyone please send positive thoughts our way. Winning would be nice but mostly I am praying for good behavior! He is a pretty dog but such a dork. He has a short attention span and so much energy that he can hardly contain himself. He is a happy guy too! When he is on the move, all is well. It's the standing still part that presents a problem on the floor and on the table. He'll learn what to do eventually, and I'll learn some lessons in laughing through the embarrassment. Really, he means well. LOL

Breaker, 7 months

 

I'll let you know how it goes.

Breaker, profile 7 months

 

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

Joyce

Home At Last

Well, I am home and more or less settled back in after returning from a five-day trip to Providence, Rhode Island, to attend the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Professional Development Institute. I have only positive things to say about the conference. I'll keep them to myself because I doubt that you are reading this blog to find out about digital technology in the early childhood classroom, the levels and definitions of the various aspects of technical assistance, the amazing gift to the early childhood field named Lilian Katz, the latest and greatest in new children's literature, or how you can use music and dance to teach young children math concepts (to list only a few of the sessions I attended).

Leaving early Saturday morning was difficult, not only because I had to leave the house at 2:30 AM to get to the airport in time for the flight, but also because of Clown's death the day before. It was difficult to focus on a work-related conference when we'd just lost a dog who'd been part of our family for 14 and a half years. We've had many dogs over the 38 years and suffered through many losses. It is never easy, no matter how many times a person deals with the death of a pet. All are individuals. All bring a unique gift of themselves. All are mourned.

Clown was named after our Ch. Joyslyn's Clown Prince who was an old guy when we moved to Illinois in 1989. Although they were related only distantly, as a puppy, Clown resembled his namesake so much in appearance and behavior that it seemed only natural to give him the "Clown" appellation. They were both characters, that is for sure!

Thanks to all of you who called, emailed, or posted comments about Clown's death. I appreciated your support.

The visit to Rhode Island was great. Honestly, it was never a destination I dreamed I'd ever visit, and we were too busy at the office for me to do any online exploring about the city, so I had no idea what was in store. Once we arrived on Saturday, we walked through the downtown area of Providence and ventured up the hills (really, really steep hills) and then back down them, asking ourselves how in the world residents managed to survive those inclines in the winter time. We saw amazing architecture, lovely churches, homes dating back to the late 1700's, and many huge old mansions, beautifully restored. We managed a couple hour walk each evening after the conference.(Yes, I was challenged by those steep hills!)

Oh, I have to tell you about checking into (and out of) the hotel, the Hilton Providence. The hotel was lovely and the staff extremely welcoming, but I was not impressed with the registration and check out. When I checked in, I was asked if I wanted to keep the payment on the card used to reserve the room, the Mastercard ending in 7034 (or some such number). I said I did not have a credit card ending in that number and showed the man my reservation confirmation email that indicated the card I had used to confirm the reservation. He did not seem to believe his eyes, so  he asked, "So you don't want to keep the charges on the card that ends in 7034?" Duh. "No," I replied, "I told you that is not my card. It needs to be changed." Confused, he had to go to get his manager. Now, mind you, it was he who asked me in the first place if I wanted to change the card! Perhaps he is used to being told "no" so did not know what to do when someone said "yes." Eventually, it was all worked out, taking much longer than it needed to take.

So…checkout morning arrives. A blue statement under the room's door awaited me. It was two pages long, indicating charges for Room 1105, giving my name at the top of each page. One page showed charges for check-in on 6/11 and checkout on 6/15, room charge, tax, etc. At the bottom were the last four digits of my credit card. The second page showed arrival of 6/10 and check out on 6/15. It was full of room service, movie, and internet charges. It showed the last four digits of an American Express card! Long story short…it all got straightened out, for now. I am fearful of what might show up on my credit card statement. Heaven only knows if my card number showed up on someone else's bill who answered, "Sure" when the guy asked if he wanted to keep the room expenses on card ending in my card's numbers!

Back home to happy greetings from the Lhasas and a husband worn out from his five days of work on our hallway, where he'd torn out the carpeting then sanded and stained the hardwood flooring that has been covered by carpet since the house was built back in the 60's. It looks great and was a nice surprise to come home to. I love the renovations—but only after the fact! I can't deal with the mess as the renovations take place. Lynn has decided to do them while I am away from home.

Whisper is headed to CA next month. Here is her most recent photo. She is growing up to be a beauty!

Joyslyn's Midnight Confessions (Whisper)

I have this weekend "off"—if that is a good way to refer to having nowhere to go and nothing to do but laundry, housecleaning, dog grooming, and (much needed) grocery shopping. Next week, I'll be preparing for the Hawkeye Kennel Club show in Iowa City. Breaker is making his debut in the Best of Breed class. Raven and Maggie are both entered also. I'll let you know how that goes!

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

Joyce

Good-bye Old Friend

Joyslyn's Clown Jewel
November 16, 1996 - June 10, 2011

See you at the Rainbow Bridge, buddy.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you, and oh so sad when you have to say good-bye.

Joyce