Miscellaneous

Tomorrow the countdown begins as the passing days take me ever closer to October 7 when three friends from Wisconsin and I head for New Mexico and the American Lhasa Apso Club (ALAC) National Specialty. Three of us are taking two dogs each. The other has three. (We are renting a BIG van for our trip.) Walker and Raven are going with me. Walker is entered in the Top 20 Competition, a Veterans Sweepstakes, and the Veteran's classes at the two ALAC specialty shows. Raven is being shown in the 9-12 puppy class in three shows.

To be honest, I have not packed a single item yet. However, I have multiple to-do and to-take lists lying around. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend?

Speaking of Walker. His 9^th birthday was September 22. He is doing just great and looking as beautiful as ever.

Walker, May 2011

I appreciated the September 25 blog entry at this address:  http://time4dogs.blogspot.com/2011/09/huffington-post-puppet-for-animal.html

The post was written in response to an article that described various celebrities jumping on the "mandatory" spay/neuter bandwagon and calling for federal regulation supporting it. I also found some interesting information not only in the article but also in the comments that followed that gave me food for thought on the spay/neuter issue. The ALAC Code of Ethics states, "ALAC strongly supports the practice of accompanying the sale of all puppies or adults sold as pet quality with a 'spay/neuter contract' stating that no AKC registration papers will be transferred to the buyer until the seller has received veterinary certification that surgery has been performed." So for years and years, that has been my practice and, frankly, the vast majority of puppy buyers expect it. Most comment, "Oh sure, we planned to do that anyway." But new data about health issues is giving many breeders pause for thought about what is best for our puppies. Like so many health-related issues in our lives, the key is obtaining good information through research and reading and honest discussions with your dog's veterinarian. Read the blog post and comment with your thoughts if you desire to do so.

At the beginning of the week, I attended Illinois' Sharing a Vision Conference. What a great three days of listening to early childhood professionals discuss issues related to children. I came away excited, educated, and revived! I was especially fortunate to once again meet Hedda Sharapan, a woman who worked with Mr. Rogers from the time he began the Mr. Roger's Neighborhood program. I was glad to learn that various episodes are available online at pbskids.org/rogers and at fredrogers.org and look forward to sharing them with our granddaughter. If you have young children or grandchildren and have fond memories of Mr. Rogers, then visit the websites with them. Mr. Rogers is timeless!

Great news awaited me at home when I looked at Facebook and discovered our son's metal band, Black Fast, had been named "Best Metal Band 2011" in the St. Louis area. The four band members are working hard practicing and writing music, making occasional appearances, and trying to promote themselves while at the same time holding down a couple of jobs and/or attending classes to finish degree work. An article in the St. Louis River Front Times said, "Black Fast's take on the genre is authentic but not elitist, referencing Iron Maiden's endless sweeps, Megadeth's hook-laden riffs and Mastodon's stoner-friendly structures. We'd be hard pressed to find a more purified source of metal in St. Louis, even if we melted down the Arch and sold it for scrap." Yep, I'm a proud mom!

Belle

Finally, Belle has been bred and we await the results, keeping fingers crossed that puppies will be born in mid-November.

I doubt I'll be posting again until after the specialty, so wish us safety as we drive to and from Albuquerque, as well as lots of fun, good times, and good fortune in the show ring that week!

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

Joyce

2011 American Lhasa Apso Club National Specialty

Oh my goodness, the majority of us Lhasa people will be in an uproar for the next few weeks as we make travel plans and write list after list of items we simply must pack for the week-long events that constitute the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty week.

This year's ALAC Specialty is being held at the Albuquerque Hilton in Albuquerque, NM. Events run from Monday, October 10 through Friday, October 14. The five days are packed with things to do. Here's a look at the schedule:

Monday evening is ALAC's first Top Twenty Competition. The twenty Lhasas with breed points earning them rankings from #1-#20 as of June 30, 2011, were invited to enter the competition. Each dog will be scored by three judges, yet to be named. One is an AKC judge, another a handler, and another a Lhasa breeder. The event includes a cocktail party and requires semi-formal attire (although I, for one, will be wearing practical shoes in the ring!). Spectators will also be voting for their favorites, with the winner of that ballot receiving the "People's Choice" award. I was thrilled when Walker received his invitation to attend. It sounds like fun!

On Tuesday, the Lhasa Apso Club of Central Colorado is hosting its specialty. Larry Bruton will judge the Puppy Sweepstakes and the Veteran Sweepstakes. I entered Walker in the Veteran Sweeps in the 7-10 year class. (His birthday is September 22nd. He'll be 9 years old!) Mr. Bill Lee will judge the LACCC Specialty. Raven is entered in the regular classes (Puppy Bitch 9-12). She will be not quite a year old at specialty time. Following the Junior Showmanship judging by Mary Schroeder, evening events begin. These include a reception, the rescue parade, and the Lhasa games, which are always good for fun, relaxation, and lots of laughs.

Wednesday may be a "day-off" for the ALAC's confirmation members, but it will start early in the morning for those involved in companion events. The day for Agility participants begins with an early morning drive to Los Lunas, NM, where the Agility Trial will be held, judged by Rene Fitch.  That afternoon, Janice Anthes will be scoring the performances of the Obedience and Rally participants back in the hotel's ballroom. Later that afternoon, Dr. Donny McGougal, will present the Anatomy seminar sponsored by the Breeder Education Committee.

Another new event for Wednesday of specialty week is ALAC's "Cut Down Sweepstakes." As the title implies, dogs entered in this sweeps must be clipped down, giving judge and spectators alike a look at the dogs' structures without the "interference" of the usual heavy show coat. Annette Rathbun will judge.

Wednesday's finale will be the much-anticipated Futurity, judged by Debbie Burke. The Futurity showcases recently whelped Lhasas (ages 6 – 18 months). The road to the Futurity begins shortly following the birth of a litter when the breeder nominates the litter for the Futurity within 90 days of birth. This year's participants were born between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011. The judge will award a Best Puppy in Futurity, chosen from the winners of four classes: Puppy Dog 6-9 months, Puppy Dog 9-12 months, Puppy Bitch 6-9 months, and Puppy Bitch 9-12 months.  Best Adult in Futurity is chosen from among the winners of four classes: Adult Dog 12-15 months, Adult Dog 15-18 months, Adult Bitch 12-15 months, Adult Bitch 15-18 months. Once the two "Bests" are chosen, those two compete against each other for the title "Best in Futurity."

On Thursday, Barbara (Bobbie) Wood judges the ALAC Midwestern Regional Specialty. Again, I have Raven entered in the 9-12 puppy class and Walker entered as a Veteran. Following judging, ALAC will hold its annual business meeting. The Awards Banquet follows. A highlight of the banquet is the video showing the Lhasas who have earned titles in 2010. I sent in photos of both Mira and Zach. Mira finished in March 2010 and Zach in December. After the banquet, ALAC will hold an auction of donated items.

Friday! (Are we tired yet?? – remember that somehow amidst all these meetings and events, dogs must be fed, pottied, groomed, bathed, dried, and prepared for the ring – oh and so do the people!!). Friday begins with the Judges Education Committee presenting the Judges' Seminar as well as the educational seminar for ALAC members who wish to be on the list of approved mentors for judges. Prior to the National Specialty judging, which begins later that morning, there will be a Parade of Titleholders. Betty Leininger will judge the National Specialty. Raven and Walker are entered. The conclusion of the judging marks the official end of specialty week, but much work is left for the (I'm sure by now) exhausted show committee members, other ALAC volunteers, as well as attendees—and their dogs!

Friday night is for relaxing, packing, loading the car, biding good-bye to people we get to see only once a year, and getting some sleep before dawn breaks on Saturday when we'll be loading the dogs and the last of the "stuff" into the van and heading back to the midwest for the 2-day trip home!

It'll be a great time. If you love Lhasas and need a vacation in the southwest, you should pack a bag and join us. Only at the National Specialty will you get to see so many Lhasas from all over the country gathered in one place. You can meet breeders, attend the events, and join the fun. It's always a great time. All Lhasa lovers are welcome!

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

Joyce

At Last...

‎"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."— Marilyn Monroe

First, I owe all you regular readers an apology for such a belated post. So much has happened! Those of you who are FB friends already know most of what I'll be writing about today, so you can probably skip reading this post.

The past two weeks have been a combination of highs and lows. In the last post, I told you about the dog's hair dryer's heating element going bad and the water heater leaking. I was able to order a new part for the dryer and we coaxed the old one through drying the three dogs for the weekend shows by using only the medium and cool settings and letting it rest quite a while between each dog's bath. The water heater did not get replaced until Friday so we had 4 days of water covering the utility room floor. I have mixed feeling about the way Sears handled the replacement, mostly because "we'll get someone right out there" doesn't mean "four days later" to me!

Early in the AM on August 24, Raven, Maggie, Breaker, and I escaped to Lake Elmo, MN, to attend the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club specialties, leaving Lynn behind to deal with the water problem.  I entered Raven the first two days, Maggie on Saturday, and Breaker all three days. The weekend was fun and successful for us.

Raven took Reserve Winners Bitch to the 4-point major under judge Chris Levy on Thursday. Breaker took Select Dog for 4 points, just what he needed to earn his Grand Championship title. The TCLAC hospitality was great, and I enjoyed seeing everyone again, as last year I did not attend the specialties, opting instead for the shows in St. Charles, IL, that are much closer than the 8-hour trip to MN.

The following day, judge Donald Schwartz awarded Raven Winners Bitch for a 3-point major and Breaker Best Opposite Sex. On Saturday Maggie won Reserve Winners Bitch under judge Debbie Campbell. Breaker was Best Opposite Sex again. I was happy with Maggie's performance. She had not been in the ring for almost 2 months and did a great job of showing.

I stayed over Saturday night, wanting to enjoy a relaxing evening with friends, then took off for home Sunday morning. The ride home was pleasant, fast, and uneventful until I was just north of Cedar Rapids, IA, when the "low tire pressure" message appeared. I found a filling station, paid my 50¢, and filled the left front tire. I knew I was in trouble when I had to stop again an hour later. I had a goal in mind about where I could pull over next for more air to hobble home. I had a can of Fix A Flat in the trunk, as well as one of those air pumps to plug into the car's cigarette lighter, so I was not worried.

About 40 minutes from home I had to pull over again with no filling station in sight. I knew I was in trouble when the Fix A Flat liquid came out of the tire as fast as it was going in! Long story short…I called Lynn who drove to my location, changed the flat tire for the spare, and we were soon home again. The bad tire was repaired on Monday. I was cautioned that I would need new tires before winter and sent on my way. However, the next day's pouring rain found me in the parking lot after work with a tire so flat it had come off the rim. Hundreds of dollars later, I have four new tires and less money in my bank account, but I certainly feel more secure about driving again!

The hardest part of the past two weeks has been getting through the turmoil of my daughter's Affenpinscher (Penny) being dropped and breaking both front legs. Penny recently turned a year old and, while playing in the exercise area of Erikka's apartment building, ran toward the entrance to the building. A guy coming out of the building to exercise his dog scooped her up. His dog lunged, and the guy lost his grip on Penny and dropped her. Fortunately, both breaks were clean ones, so Erikka worked with her vet to plan Penny's recovery, deciding to have the legs set, splinted, and wrapped. All was well until Penny's breeder started putting pressure on Erikka to have surgery done on both Penny's legs and accusing her of not caring for her dog's health, being selfish, and killing her dog if surgery was not done immediately. The breeder even went to far as to make a surgical appointment for the dog in a city 5 hours from Erikka, telling her she expected her to be there the next day.

Erikka was beside herself, second-guessing her decisions, and believing she was a bad pet owner, despite my advice, the okay from her vet, and the messages from many, many of my FB friends regarding the situation. Emails such as the following were what she received from her breeder:

"Erikka - you were not at fault for breaking every bone in Penny's leg Someone else is responsible for that. You have loved her trained her and protected her for quite a while.
Please continue to do so.
If you don't allow us to take Penny back and give her the correct, necessary health care then you will become much much worse than the person who accidentally harmed her.
You will be deliberately harming her - or causing her to die.
How can you justify this? Is this how your mother deals with her dogs? Where did you learn that your selfishness coupled with your admitted inability to properly care for another living thing makes it okay for that little life to suffer because you'd rather see her maimed, mutilated or dead than , god forbid, you have to have "feel sad".
Incredible.
I never thought you were this kind of person. I am offering to come to you and pick her up. She will be well taken care of and will live a long healthy happy life - wanting for nothing. Erikka -the depth and width of your selfishness astounds me. How do you think we feel? We created that little Penny. We are directly responsible for bringing her into the world. We helped to whelp, nurture and train her for the very first months of her life here on Earth. In spite of numerous offers we thought we had correctly chosen the perfect save haven for her.
I cannot let this little dog suffer and simply stand by. As you seem to be able to do so quite easily. It only makes me wonder seriously about Henri also. You can't seem to afford any dogs at this time.
Just think long and hard about the one who is in trouble here and seriously ask yourself if you want to continue to deprive her of what we can give her - a life! Stop taking a chance on her rate of success because you "feel guilty". Feeling guilty has nothing to do with saving her life - just your own feelings.
Please please please let me come and get her.
I look forward to hearing from you today.
jude"

Penny's breeder, Jude, was kind, so very, very kind to Erikka when my daughter was looking for a puppy and a big sale was on the horizon. She even sought her out to let her know a puppy was available. Being raised in a dog showing family as she was, Erikka maintained a relationship with her dogs' breeders. All was friendly until Jude found out Erikka opted against surgery for the two clean breaks in Penny's legs. Following Penny's injury the tide turned. This is only one example indicative of the kinds of pressure and vitriol Jude  subjected my daughter to, both by phone and by email. In the end Erikka was beaten down and gave up. At Jude's insistence, Penny is now back with Jude. You and I might disagree with her decision but you have to understand that she is alone in FL and despite the support and advice I gave her via phone, no one was there to help her stand up to the venomous treatment she received. Hindsight is 20/20. I should have been there.

Labor Day weekend was uneventful. Yesterday, I had oral surgery. Today I am resting, hurting, and taking pain meds that I wish had more codine in them!

Dog-wise, we have a girl in season, and we are planning a breeding. If all goes well, we will have puppies again in mid-November.

So that is the news from here.

Joyce

Memory Lane...

August 23^rd is a memorable day — 28 years ago my daughter was born! I love her to pieces!

Last week a number of Facebook friends' postings read something like this:  "FREE TO A GOOD HOME: 3 year old child. I've just got a new puppy so no longer have the time for the child. Also worried that the child may bite the puppy. Child is currently crate-trained and has his first shots. Not completely housetrained, but is working on it. Will get along with other children or pets. YOU WOULDN'T DO THIS TO A CHILD SO WHY WOULD IT BE ACCEPTABLE TO DO IT TO AN ANIMAL? If you can't dedicate at least 10 yrs. to YOUR PET, don't get one!! Copy and paste if you agree."

In some postings the child's age changed but the gist of the posting was the same—a well-deserved jab at those pet owners who give up their pets for often frivolous reasons. For example, one of my Lhasa friends who lived in New York once told me a story about a call she received from a Lhasa owner who wanted to "get rid" of her 2-year old light gold Lhasa because (and I am not joking) she was redecorating and the dog no longer matched her furniture. Can you believe that! I'm sure that people involved in rescue have additional ridiculous and horrible stories to tell.

Anyway, reading the sentence, "Child is currently crate-trained…" gave me a mental image of a child in a crate, which in turn led me down memory lane to a dog show in Omaha in November 1982. My son Aaron was 4 years old and, for some insane reason now forgotten, he came to the dog show. I remember Lynn being there also, so we must have been trying to make it a family affair! I was showing two dogs: Elf (Joyslyn's Elfin Magic of Jokang) and Toby (Joyslyn's To Be or Not To Be). Like most children at dog shows whose parents are busy grooming and fussing with the dogs, Aaron became bored, then restless, then whiny. So, while I was grooming Toby, Aaron crawled into Toby's crate and pulled the door shut. I recall saying, "Good place for you!" Along came a photographer and snapped a picture that appeared the following day in the Omaha World Herald.

Oh my goodness, did I hear it from my non-dog show friends in David City all the next week! They were teasing of course about child abuse, mostly because just a week or so prior to Aaron's picture appearing in the paper there had been a huge scandal about a day care provider in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area who did indeed keep children in dog crates. What an awful time for a child attending a dog show to appear in the newspaper in a crate! I guess I'm lucky no investigators came to my door! In this day and age, they probably would!

I found the newspaper clipping last night in one of Aaron's photo albums. It's faded and yellowed but clear enough to bring back some vivid memories!

The Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club has two specialties this weekend in Lake Elmo, MN. Raven, Maggie, Breaker, and I are headed there early Thursday morning. My biggest worry involves preparing for the show. The heating element in my stand dryer is acting up. I ordered a new one on the 15^th that has not yet arrived, and even if it comes today, I'll never get a repairman to fix the dryer so I can use it tomorrow night. Drying dogs (or maybe that should be "trying to dry dogs") tomorrow night might not be one of the best experiences I've had! I'm attempting to mentally prepare myself.

Oh did I also mention that this morning I found water all over the utility room floor from the hot water heater? What a mess! A wonderful customer service woman (Laura) in the Warranty Department at Sears has been very helpful and perhaps we'll have a new water heater by the end of today.

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

Joyce

Sharing Photos

We've had a hiatus from dog shows and I'm really looking forward to the next ones the last weekend in August. Breaker,  Raven, Maggie and I are headed to Lake Elmo for the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club's two specialties and one of the two all-breed shows. It's almost an 8 hour drive so I decided to head home early  Sunday morning rather than stay for Sunday's show and then have to drive well into the night to get home.

I'm sharing pictures of Raven's win at the Waukesha show in July. She looks so pretty.

 

Here's a picture of Breaker taken on the previous day. I cropped myself out  because the photographer caught me as I was bending over. I remarked that at least the picture of the top of my head  indicated I had a full head of hair, no scalp showing! One of friends commented that I could also be glad no cleavage was showing. (Ha...now you wish I'd post the whole picture, right?)

Today is my birthday so it was a nice 'present' that these photos arrived in the mail. I was looking forward to seeing how they turned out!

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

Joyce

What Color Is that Puppy?

The question of Lhasa Apso color often arises when a person is filling out the AKC registration paperwork and suddenly stops, considers the color codes, and asks, "Hmm…I wonder what color she will be?"

Lhasa puppies tend to change color as they grow, and often it is difficult to predict just what is going to happen to the color. For example, a red-gold puppy with some dark overlay might, as she grows up, lose the red and the dark overlay, and simply be gold with black tips on her ears and face (or not!). Knowing that, an owner has to be cautious when registering and think ahead to what might be rather than looking at what is. The general rule I follow is that because the coat color tends to lighten with age, I chose what experience and educated guessing has shown to happen. One way to get a better handle on coat color for a gold puppy is to push the hair the "wrong" way and to check color at the roots. Gold puppies tend to be born a dark gold or brown color and lighten as they grow. Checking color near the skin will give you a better idea of what the coat is doing as it grows.

The colors and codes AKC accepts for Lhasa registration follow.  The codes are in parentheses.

The standard Lhasa colors are Black (007), Black and Tan (018), Cream (076), Golden (093), Grizzle (109), Red (140) Red Gold (152), and White (199). 

Alternate colors are Blue (037) (Note: we are not talking Smurf Blue here!), Charcoal (331), Gray (100), Liver (123), and Silver (176).  

The standard markings are Black Mask With Tips (054), Black Tips (053), Brindle (051), Parti-Color (038), Sable (026), and White Markings (014).

Sable, White Markings (067) is an alternate marking.

A little confusing, isn't it?

I have never seen a blue Lhasa. The blue that is referred to is like the color of a Kerry Blue Terrier (ranging from a blue-black slate to a light blue-gray). I have only seen photos of a liver Lhasa. The problem with the liver color for people who show is that the Lhasa standard calls for black pigment, and the liver Lhasas have liver pigment so they cannot be shown. Way back in 1973, I saw a Lhasa male whose color could be described as silver. He was a young dog and the color was beautiful but I have not seen one that color since. I've often wondered what happened to that coat color as he matured.

If you are looking for Lhasa resources: (1) The AKC Lhasa pages have some information for people wanting to know more about our breed. A brief "Meet the Breed" description is given, followed by the Standard and then links to the following: Information about colors and markings, a few trivia bits about the breed, a brief history, a few photos of Lhasas (all with long coats), a link to help people find a puppy (but the link only brings up names of people who have listed litters on AKC's classified advertising page), a link to a page for supply shopping, and then one to a few-second video showing some adult coated Lhasas and a cute puppy romping through the grass.

(2) Check out the American Lhasa Apso Club's website where you will find more information about the breed, articles of interest, more photos, and other helpful resources. A map of the U.S. offers help to someone looking for a breeder. Click a state and a box comes up listing ALAC members who live in that state.

(3) Also, don't forget my website with all of its great articles, helpful grooming tips, photos, resources, and links!

Finally, congratulations go to Stacey and Lisa who drove to Macomb last weekend for Dreamer. I'm posting a video of Dreamer as she meets another of their family pets!  I'm proud of Dreamer for being so polite in her play as she meets a new friend. 

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

Joyce

Show Results and Some Photos

Walker on the move. I love this picture!

Early, early (like 3:30) Friday morning, Raven, Breaker, and I pulled out of the driveway and began our nearly 5-hour trip to Waukesha, WI, for 3 days of dog shows. The Waukesha show site is outdoors, under tents, which makes it the only outdoor show we go to. Each year I ask myself why! Don't they know it's darn hot at the end of July? Don't I know it's hot at the end of July? Yet I keep returning.

This year the heat was exceptional. OMG…I thought I was going to keel over. Friday was not so bad as we showed at 10:00 AM. Saturday and Sunday, however, we did not get into the ring until 2:00 or so. The tent provided about 4 feet of shade, and the judges tried to keep us in the shade as much as possible but dogs and people were crowded in those instances, bumping against each other, tripping over the gate (yes, that would be me), and stepping on each other (or each other's dogs—I'm not naming any names here!)

One reason I return each year is that the Greater Milwaukee Lhasa Apso Club hosts an annual specialty at the Waukesha show. It is not so much the specialty itself as it is the enjoyment at seeing the club members and other Lhasa exhibitors who attend from other states. A nice surprise on Saturday was a visit from Barbara, Tom, and their Lhasa Daisy. Daisy (the Lhasa formerly known at our house as Desi) went to Barbara and Tom when she was 9 months old. They live nearby and drove to Waukesha to watch us show. I was so glad to see Daisy. She could not have cared less about me though. She loves being spoiled by Barbara and Tom! Tom calls her the "PP" – Perfect Puppy.

Breaker was shown all three days, taking Best Opposite Sex each day and earning more points toward his Grand Champion title. If I have added correctly, he needs only 4 more. Each time I show him I get more disappointed because he is not showing to his potential. He likes being at the shows. He likes being outside the ring waiting to go in. It seems he has a problem with the ring itself and I'm starting to think he wants only female judges! I keep telling myself he has to learn all over again because it's been nearly 2 years since he has been in the ring. I thought some maturity would get him past his antsy and sometimes skittish behavior. I guess I need more patience.

Raven was shown on Saturday and Sunday. I did not show her Friday because I was trying an experiment to see if part of Breaker's problem was me leaving him at ringside, often with a total stranger, to take Raven in the ring, and then running back in a hurry to quickly switch armbands and grab him to get back in the ring for the Best of Breed judging. I think that may be part of the problem because he showed his best on Friday and by Sunday he was awful.

Anyway, experiment aside, Raven did an excellent job both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday she not only won a 4-point major by taking Winners Bitch but she also took the Best of Winners ribbon! On Sunday, she again won her class and got a really close look for winners. The ribbon and the major went to the Open Bitch. Raven took Reserve. (Like the Miss America runner-up, Reserve is a good thing when, for some reason, the winner is disqualified.)

Now, just a paragraph to brag about Raven: First, she is a very lovely black. Second, she has a gorgeous outline, a pretty face, a tight reverse scissors bite, and eye-catching movement. Third, she is chalking up wins quickly. She won her first two points from the 6-9 month old class in Iowa City when she and Maggie were the only two females entered. (Okay, no big deal there!) We then went to the West Bend, WI, specialty on July 2nd. She was shown in the 6-9 month class and won the 5-point major. The two shows in Waukesha were her fourth and fifth shows, this time in the 9-12 months class. By the end of the weekend she had 11 points total, including both of her majors. For those readers who do not show their dogs, you need to understand what a huge relief it is for an owner when a dog gets both majors out of the way early. Majors can sometimes be hard to come by, not only to win but also to find! 

Also, for those of you who do not show, I apologize for using dog show jargon. If you don't understand what I mean, let me know so I can explain. I'll start with what I mean when I talk about a "major."

Points at a dog show are determined by AKC based on the number of entries in a breed for each sex. The United States is divided into regions and each year in April or early May, AKC publishes the new points scale for each breed in each region. The most points a dog can win at a show are 5. It takes 15 points for a dog to earn his/her championship; however, within those 15 points two of the wins have to be "Major Wins," wins of three, four, or five points. In other words, a dog cannot go to 15 shows, win a point at each show and become a champion!

Here is an example of a point scale for Lhasas in Region 5 (Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana):

Dogs (Males) - two must be entered for there to be 1 point awarded; three must be entered for 2 points; four for 3 points (a major); five for 4 points (a major), and seven for five points (a major).

Bitches (Females) – two must be entered for there to be 1 point; four for 2 points; six for 3 points (a major); seven for 4 points (a major), and ten for 5 points (a major).

The Lhasa's point scale in the other regions will be different.

By the way, the 1- and 2-point wins are referred to as "singles." Thus, you might hear someone tell a friend, "Fluffy just needs 3 singles to finish." Translated, that means that Fluffy has at least two majors and needs three 1-point wins or a 1-point and 2-point win to earn her championship. That owner is breathing easy. Another might say, "Bubba still needs both majors to finish," meaning that Bubba has accumulated 9 single points (1- and 2-point wins) and now needs two 3-point majors to earn his championship. That owner is wondering how many shows he'll have to enter and not be able to show in because too few dogs were entered for there to be a major.

Okay, enough of that!

Dreamer leaves us this weekend. She's been waiting a few weeks while her new owners go on vacation. That leaves Raven and Maggie as our only puppies – and they are growing up fast, already 9 months old. Some have inquired about our next litters.  We have plans for two litters, but Dancer and Belle probably will not be bred until September or October, so puppies will not be ready until after the first of the year.

Zach. Such a pretty face!

We've decided to offer Zach for sale. He is a young male, not quite 2 years old yet. He still has his pretty coat and he is a sweet as can be. One reason we are offering him for sale is that he longs to be an only dog. He loves being with people and is one of the few Lhasas we've had in all these years that is a lap sitter. He sits in the recliner with Lynn and watches TV. He has a great sense of humor and can be active but is mostly content just to be with his people. Although he is a champion, we are selling him at pet price on a neuter contract, just as we do with the puppies. Such decisions are always difficult but we have to do what we think is best for our dogs.

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

Joyce