Life is Better When You Have A Lhasa To Love You!

I would not say life has been boring lately but not much has happened since my last post a couple weeks ago. In some ways, that is a very good thing! I was gone for 3 days and 3 nights to an early childhood conference in Springfield, IL. It was great, but by the last session on Friday, I was "conferenced out" and ready to go home.

So...how about our Congress? While this is certainly no political blog, the government shut-down and the controversies in Washington, DC, certainly are keeping the political commentators busy.

I am reminded of a song, sung by the character John Adams in the musical (one of my favorites) 1776. The song title is "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve," and is Adams' lament to God on the behavior of his fellow congressmen and his frustration with their attitudes. The first verse says it all,


I do believe you've laid a curse on North America
A curse that we now here rehearse in Philadelphia
A second flood, a simple famine
Plagues of locusts everywhere
Or a cataclysmic earthquake
I'd accept with some despair
But, no, you sent us Congress.
Good God, sir, was that fair?
~from "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve," 1776

You can hear it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr9jr56b1DE. The first verse ends at 0:58.


 In another part of the musical, the Adams' character states, "I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, that two are called a law firm, and that three or more become a congress."

So after  recalling the song, I was prompted to see if I could find some other interesting quotations about politics and politicians. Here is what a quick search came up with:

"One thing our founding fathers could not foresee... was a nation governed by professional politicians who have a vested interest in getting reelected.  They probably envisioned a fellow serving a couple of hitches and then looking forward to getting back to the farm."   ~  Ronald Reagan

"If Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, produce nothing, and talk by the hour?" 
  ~  Thomas Jefferson

"I am persuaded that in the case of Congress, the overwhelming temptation is to conclude that it is more important for your constituents that you be reelected than to deal honestly with them."   ~ Senator James L. Buckley

"It's a sad day when members of Congress, who are literally criminals, go undisciplined by their colleagues.  It's no wonder that people look at Washington and know that this city is broken."  ~ Senator John Kerry

"Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions."   ~  Thomas Paine

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
~ Mark Twain, A Biography

"This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer."  ~ Will Rogers

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."  ~ Alexis de Tocqueville

And here is one final (I promise) from The Colbert Report as Stephen Colbert introduced a new board game, The Government Shut Down Home Game, and explained the rules: "The rules are I go first and I refuse to take my turn, and you can’t take yours until I’m done. I know you’re upset, but we’re both at fault here so let’s negotiate. I will agree to take my turn if you agree that I win."

 Enough about all that.

Now about Lhasas, mine in particular: I recently learned that losing is not a such bad thing, especially when winning would have meant a broken heart and a huge disappointment. So, here is the story:

You might recall that in August Duncan, Windy, Rafe and I went to shows in Lake Elmo, MN. The first two days of our 4-day weekend were Lhasa specialties, hosted by the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club. Windy was entered in the class she has always been entered in since she turned a year old—the 12-18 month bitch class. I entered her in the same class for the two days of the St. Croix Valley show as well as in the all-breed show that was held the two days after the specialty. She did nothing but win her class either day. Thank the Lord she did not take Winners Bitch! (Did anyone ever expect to hear me say that?) It seems that I had her entered in the wrong class. St. Croix Valley Kennel Club did not offer a 12-18 month class; instead they offered a 12-15 month class and Windy was 16 months old at that time in August. So, if she had happened to win, she would have gotten enough points to finish her championship but those points would later have been taken away because I my entry error. Whew!!! 

I also learned never to assume a kennel club will offer the usual 12-18 class and instead might do something out of the ordinary, like offer a 12-15 month class instead. This is a good reminder to always read the premium list before entering!

I did not find out about my error until I received letters from AKC demanding I return my ribbons to the St. Croix Valley show chairman. Panic! Where the heck were those ribbons??? I'd cleaned out my grooming bag—where I generally put the ribbons from each show—just two weeks earlier. It took me a while first to find out what I'd done with them and second to then go through them all to find Windy's blue ribbons from those particular shows. I sent them back and now hope everyone is happy.


Speaking of Windy, we are going to a show this weekend. I have a conflict on Sunday so was able to enter only on Saturday. I have high hopes that she will behave herself and show the spirit in the ring that she exhibits at home.


I received a nice email from Barbara, who bought a female from us a few years ago. She and her husband named her "Daisy." (She was Desi at our house.) Barbara sends a note every now and then, and I enjoy reading about Daisy.


This time Barbara sent pictures of Daisy helping out in the workroom. Daisy has a new title, "Workroom Assistant." Here she is, working hard at her job. LOL

Here are some excerpts from Barbara's email, "…just have to tell you again, Joyce what a gift you gave me and Tom when you said we could have Daisy. She is the BEST. Just have to tell you a story - now Tom has been gone two years already on August 22. Last week I was purging in the basement and came across a box that contained 15 of Tom's dress shirts. I looked at them and kept one of them which was my favorite…Went upstairs and put the shirt on the back of the chair in the bedroom. When I came in later, she [Daisy] took the shirt off the chair, had it on the floor, tucked it into a ball and was laying on it cuddled to it. After two years she still remembered Tom's scent…Daisy may not be able to talk like we do, but she surely gets her words of comfort and humor out with her actions. I really feel sorry for people that have not ever experienced the Love of a Lhasa Apso …"


I could not have said it better myself. Those of us who own them know

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

Joyce

TGIF...and some other things...but Mostly TGIF

"Starving Out the Light" album cover

I was pleased to find out via a Facebook posting this morning that my son's metal band, Black Fast, earned the "Best Metal Band 2013" Award given by the St. Louis Riverfront Times. In 2011, the band received the "Best New Metal Band" Award.

Here's the brief article: "The members of Black Fast don't play games; they play metal. Blistering, bludgeoning, no-holds-barred metal. The band's latest, August's Starving Out the Light, nimbly hopscotches through subgenres while maintaining an impressive technicality throughout. The lightning-quick guitar work by axmen Trevor Johanson and Aaron Akin is particularly noteworthy, as is Akin's unique, scorched-earth vocals. This is the music that the metal nerd who spends every waking moment sitting on the edge of his bed with a guitar in his hands dreams of playing. Black Fast's hyperfocus on musicianship — as opposed to petty nonsense like self-promotion — is paying off: You can hear the 10,000 hours of practice in each expertly executed riff and fill."

Black Fast's new album, "Starving Out the Light," can be purchased at blackfast.bandcamp.com for $10, while the digital album is only $5. iTunes also has it. Even if you are not a huge fan of metal, buy it anyway. It will help further the careers of some young, talented "starving artists!" (Yes, I am a blatant promoter of my son's band. I want them to be a huge success!)

Belle

Back to dog topics...

Some food for thought from the Time4Dogs blog.
The September 22, 2013, article titled 'Rock Bottom' begins, "Imagine you live in a state where it is illegal to buy or take possession of an animal in a public place. Where you cannot buy a pet in a pet store, unless it is a "rescue" or shelter animal that may be trucked in from another state or even another country. Where dogs must be spayed/neutered by law in many localities, and where the state  government actually wanted to pass a mandate that every dog in the state be sterilized." Read the rest here.









Congrats to Mary Rees and Joyslyn's Beauty Secret ("Belle")! Belle now gets an "RN" (Rally Novice) designation behind her name. I was present to see her in the rally ring only once but I was so impressed. Regular readers of this blog might remember how stubborn Belle was about showing in the conformation ring. Mary did a great job training her for Rally.

I will end with this. It is has been a miserable two weeks. I am exhausted physically and emotionally. Fading puppy syndrome sucks!! My heart aches.

Life is better when you have a Lhasa to love you -- and right now it's a very good thing I have multiple Lhasas that share their love daily.

Joyce

More About the APHIS Rules, Show Results, ALAC National Specialty

“It's funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to.” ~ J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

More About the APHIS Rules

"Confusion" seems to be the key word when it comes to dog breeders—well actually cat and other animal breeders also—understanding the intricacies of the new APHIS rules that will go into effect in a couple of months. (By the way, APHIS is part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The acronym stands for "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.") A recent conference call during which APHIS representatives attempted to answer sincere questions from breeders hoping to get some much needed clarification resulted in frustration, confusion, and more (unaswered) questions.

Can anyone say, "intentionally vague?"

"Before I came here, I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture, I am still confused -- but on a higher level.” ~ Enrico Fermi

Today I am sharing some links regarding the new rules, just to keep you up to date. Those of you who are pet owners, not breeders, may think this ruling has nothing to do with you and others like you, but it does. The intent of those behind the drive for these new rules is to eliminate dog breeders, not just "puppy mills"  but all breeders. Where  are you going to get your next dog when we're all gone?

So, read on folks, and think about it.

I'll begin with a link to the September 18th "Read Between the lines - USDA Conference Call" posting on the Time 4 Dogs blog. This clever article says it all. It's a good insightful read.

If you go to http://tinyurl.com/nyb4s5g you can get a pdf of the actual transcript of the conference call.

The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners'Voting Alliance (SAOVA) posted the following article to its blog: APHIS Final Rule Revising Pet Seller Exemptions and You

AKC provided information in a "Frequently Asked Questions" format.

Intentionally vague rules and intentionally vague responses to concerned breeders' questions are scary. They leave a lot of issues open to "interpretation" that most of us are pretty sure will not be "interpreted" in favor of the breeder.

Show Results

Windy and I went to shows last weekend in Rochester, MN. The results were not good for us. She decided she did not want to show. The only one in her 12-18 month class, she let me know in no uncertain terms that she did not want to be there. Tail down, skittish. Then we went into the Winners class and she showed like a dream. Unfortunately, first impressions seemed to be the lasting ones.

I guess she does not like being in the ring by herself. 

However, there was good news for my friends whose dogs actually acted like show dogs. Karen's Secret took the major both days. Marsha's 11-month old male, Reece, took the major on Saturday and also placed first in the Non-Sporting puppy group. Her female, Happy, took RWB on Saturday.

ALAC National Specialty

October is the month members of the American Lhasa Apso Club target for the club's National Specialty Week. This year the Specialty takes place in Sacramento, CA, from Monday, October 21 through Friday, October 25. The site of the Specialty is the Clarion Inn Arden Conference Center. Activities include shows on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Tuesday ALAC's Breeder Education Committee sponsors a presentation by Myra Savant Harris, followed by the judging of ALAC's Top 20 Lhasas. Obedience and Rally events take place on Wednesday, as do the Futurity/Maturity and Cut Down Sweepstakes judging.  Judges during the week are Janet Allen, Mary Lou Just, Cindy Butsic, Sherry Swanson, and Barbara Dempsey Alderman. If you live close to Sacramento, you should consider going. There will be many gorgeous Lhasas there for you to see.

P.S. You'll be able to read the flyer if you click on it.

Baby Pictures

Little girl

Little boy

Keep your chin up, think positive thought, and kiss your Lhasa!

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

Joyce

Oh...and here is an interesting picture of a weird mushroom found in our yard. Looks like a stack of pancakes!

Photos, Updates, and Links to Articles Providing Food for Thought

"Think of life like driving a car. The windshield of the car is really large so you see where you are heading. The rear view mirror is really small because you are not supposed to spend a lot of time and energy focusing on your past, on where you have been." ~ Anonymous


Look at these little cuties. They are almost 3 weeks old. On the right, a girl - black with white stockings. On the left, a boy - black and tan. These are Raven and Breaker babies. (Both have already been spoken for.)

I have some photos to share with you of Rafe's last shows. He was the only Lhasa entered so there was no pressure to "win." All we did was enjoy being in the ring together. Rafe was happy to have me all to himself at these shows and was very "up" all weekend. It was a good way to "end" his early show career. Of course, I am hoping that he'll mature well and I'll one day be back in the ring with him. We'll see...

The first two photos were taken by Jane Chapin.

Waiting Impatiently (Yes, he shook his head!)

This is better! (He's so pretty!)

 This photo is from Claire Sloan:

Waiting to go in the ring

We were joined by friends, the Sloans, who live in Des Moines and who own Ella, one of Rafe's daughters. Here is a photo Claire took of Ella and me:

Another exciting part of this trip was my friend Jane Chapin and her Shiba "Tux" (Ch. Hi-Jinx Black Tie Affair) participating in Tux's first rally events. He did a great job, earning two of the required three legs toward his Rally Novice title. He scored a 98 out of 100 both days, taking second place each day. (The first day another dog had a 99, and the second day a different dog had a score of 100!) Jane had not been able to take Tux to any training classes so she'd trained him at home. I'd say she did an excellent job! Tux knew we were proud of him!

Tux with his 2nd place and Qualifying ribbons

A former post highlighted some proposed rules that would hurt hobby breeders. As a result of that post, many of you wrote letters to APHIS requesting that some of the rules be reconsidered or done away with all together. Thanks for that.

The letters from many hobby breeders and owners of dogs purchased from them did no good. The new rulings came out recently and do not bode well for many of us. I'm going to provide you with some links to other bloggers and articles that will help explain the repercussions of the new rules to you.

A report in the Canine Chronicle from the AKC Chairman said in part, "Just 20 years ago, a purebred dog was the dog to have in your life. Twenty years ago, a responsible breeder was viewed as a respected resource. Twenty years ago there were virtually no important legislative efforts aimed at eradicating all dog breeding. What changed in those 20 years? The noble quest to give every dog a “forever” home was co-opted by the animal rights organizations as a method to raise funds for their mission to completely eliminate pet ownership. Under the guise of supporting adoption, they have been raising a significant war chest – over $200 million last year alone – to fuel a campaign aimed squarely at destroying our ability to preserve breeds for future generations."

I hope you are able to take time to read the rest of the report.

Another interesting post from the Katharine's Musings On Liberty and Tyranny blog points out the dangers of the proposed rulings. It's an interesting tirade, ending with, "The animal rights movement is deliberately targeting the knowledge base of the dog breeds.  They are trying to wipe out that insider knowledge that you can't find in a book or on the internet.  Breed magazines run articles on the history of their breeds, certain dogs, and breeder interviews but that is still nothing more than the tip of the iceberg.  They have figured out that wiping out the knowledge base is the key to wiping out the breed.  You.  And APHIS is coming.  One generation and out is here." 

The last sentence reflects back to a previous paragraph in which she wrote, "The vast majority of people who face a choice between removing all animals from their home and putting them in a sterile concrete kennel in their back yard and give up their rights under the Fourth Amendment will say no.  They will simply spay and neuter everything they have and retire.  No puppies for you!  After all, vegan Whiney Wayne ever so famously said, "One generation and out."  There you go.  45 AKC dog breeds are already facing extinction.  Just what do you think this regulation will do for that situation?"

Again, I hope you can find time to read the rest of the blog post. She makes some good points.

Susi, author of the Dogknobit blog, writes that pendulum swing away from purebred dogs and toward shelter dogs paints purebred breeders and those who buy their puppies as "killers." The logic of the animal rights activists is that if you buy a purebred dog you are causing the death of a shelter dog. What? Seriously?

What happened to our right to buy what we want from whom we want?

I recall a puppy buyer from a couple of years ago telling me all her friends were laying guilt on her for not getting a shelter dog. But she knew what she wanted - a purebred Lhasa from a reputable breeder. So she ignored the guilt trip. That's what I thought of when I saw the clever title of the Dogknobit posting: "Guilt: It’s Not Just For Jews and Catholics Anymore (Purebred Dog Owners Can Play."

I've always wondered, why go after the purebred breeders. Who is out there breeding all those mixed breed dogs that are the ones that generally end up in the shelters? Why doesn't somebody target them? It seems they and their indiscriminate breeding practices are causing the problem.

For years the rallying cry of activists has been pet over population. Interestingly, the Dogknobit blog post goes on to explain, "Animal shelters in the USA have been casting a wide net to fill their kennels for years. According to the US Public Health Service, Chicago O’Hare was the destination airport for 10,125 dogs imported from overseas in 2006, half of which weren’t vaccinated. Scientists from the Center of Disease Control estimated that over 199,000 dogs (38,100 unvaccinated) came into the country through the Mexican border that year alone, and in 2007, one organization in Puerto Rico by itself shipped more than 14,000 strays in seven years to the United States for adoption at shelters. ABC News reported that according to G. Gale Galland, veterinarian in the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, as many as 300,000 puppies a year – most from countries with little or no health safeguards, are being imported to satisfy the demand for puppies at shelters.
"And yet the responsible breeder of purebred puppies is to be blamed for the overpopulation at shelters and dumb friend leagues?  The same person who runs health screens on the sire and dam, keeps a careful vaccination schedule, tirelessly socializes their puppies and screens potential owners  – THAT breeder?
"These caring shelter workers, whom I really do admire, are guilty of painting breeders with a very broad brush. They fail to place blame squarely at the feet of owners who were responsible for their dog in the first place, and because it’s a dirty little secret, they likely don’t know that the dogs overcrowding their shelters may not even be from America. And finally, they don’t realize that when that purebred dog is adopted, American born or otherwise, it’s often by someone acting for a breed club."

And speaking of a breed club and rescue, the American Lhasa Apso Club has a breed rescue network. It has a few dedicated, hard-working volunteers around the country who try their best to provide foster care and seek new homes for rescued Lhasa Apsos.

Give your Lhasas a hug.

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


Joyce

A 4-week-old puppy from a long ago litter

This Will Be Quick!

“If you don't own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life.” ~ Roger A. Caras


 It's been a crazy week. I don't know why.

Tuesday, Lila and Duncan went to training class. What fun! Lila is going to be quite a show girl if she keeps up the spirit of fun and liveliness she has now. Unfortunately, she will not be 6 months old until November 4, and there are no shows nearby in November and only one that we traditionally attend in December, so she'll have a long wait before she makes her ring debut.

Duncan is full of energy. Even in class it takes him a while to settle and get down to business. He dislikes being stacked on the floor and thinks that if I am down there with him, it must mean we are supposed to play, play, play! He is a happy, funny puppy. He is not entered in any shows either, so his wait will be as long as Lila's.

Today I am leaving for the show in Des Moines, Iowa. Rafe is entered both days and is the only Lhasa. As I said last week, this is his "swan song," at least until next spring - and perhaps longer - as we wait for him to mature and, hopefully, get excited about showing again. In many ways, I dread taking him to this show, especially after his poor performance in MN a couple weekends ago. I need to conquer my negative attitude because surely he will live "down" to my expectations if I do not. I am hoping that not having to share me with the other dogs will improve his attitude.

I don't know who said it, but I believe it: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."

I know who said this and I believe it too: Life is better when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

P.S. Here a photo of a well-loved Lhasa: Yogi, owed by Violet and Roman. Yogi is 10 years old and a half brother to our GCh. Ch. Joyslyn MiToya Wind Walker.

Show Results and Photos

What? That's not a Lhasa! My "granddog" Henri!

“No matter how close we are to another person, few human relationships are as free from strife, disagreement, and frustration as is the relationship you have with a good dog. Few human beings give of themselves to another as a dog gives of itself. I also suspect that we cherish dogs because their unblemished souls make us wish - consciously or unconsciously - that we were as innocent as they are, and make us yearn for a place where innocence is universal and where the meanness, the betrayals, and the cruelties of this world are unknown.” -Dean Koontz, A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog.

A week ago today four of the dogs and I got up early and headed to Minnesota for two days of Lhasa Apso Specialties, hosted by the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club, and two days of all-breed shows, hosted by the St. Croix Valley Kennel Club. The shows were at the fairgrounds in Lake Elmo, MN. It was darn hot there and we had to groom and show in un-airconditioned buildings. Miserable!

However, we had a great time. The members of the TCLAC were great hosts. The shows ran smoothly, and we enjoyed wonderful meals provided by the club. The raffle was fun, even though I did not win anything (as usual!). This show is where I get to see friends that I see only at this show or at our national specialty, so hot, humid weather or not, we had fun. I wish I could say I had as much winning as I had fun. Alas, that was not the case. Thursday, Duncan took 3rd in his 6-9 month class of 3. Friday he won his class. Saturday he took second. Sunday he won the class and also Reserve Winners Dog to the 5 point major. That was an achievement due to the number of dogs competing in the Winners class. It was nice for the youngest to be selected and for the judge to recognize his fine quality, even if there were no points involved.

Windy showed like a dream on Thursday and Friday. She decided on Saturday and Sunday that she did not want to stand still on the table for exam, but she still moved and showed herself well. She was entered in the 12-18 month class and was the only entry. On Thursday, she took Reserve Winners Bitch to the 5 point major. Again, it was nice to be recognized from among the many lovely bitches, even if no points were involved.

Rafe was shown only on Thursday and Friday, for reasons you'll read later in this post. On Thursday, he did nothing. Friday he took Select Dog.


I saw Belle and Mary at the show in Lake Elmo. Mary had Belle entered in the rally trial. I was fortunate to make it from the conformation building to the obedience/rally building in time to watch Belle perform. She was great! I was so proud of her. She scored a 94 and qualified for another leg toward her rally novice title. Only one more leg to go!  Mary wrote about Belle: "It was very good to see you and Belle agrees. It was fun and heartwarming to see her excitement to see you…I am still very proud of Belle's first 2 legs with the little training we have done and her willingness to please…Thank you for letting Belle into my life.  She is my jewel that sparkles, all the time…"

Cindy wrote this about Jethro: "Tonight is week 3 of beginner obedience training.  He has sit, stay, come mastered but is struggling with heal.  Again he is motivated by treats even if the treats are just hand fed pieces of dog food so I am confident he will get it mastered.  He is the smallest student and very social with all." Jethro is having some issues about grooming, especially around his face. I'm having similar ones with Lila, who is determined to keep her mustache messy and that comb away from her face. Both Cindy and I are working on overcoming this aversion to face combing!



Cindy sent some cute pictures of Jethro:

Jethro chillin' out on the deck

Jethro at the gate!

 Speaking of Lila, she went with us to the MN shows and, for the most part, endured the travel, the heat, and being crated quite well. However, when we got home she ran and ran and ran, getting rid of all that pent up energy. Then she decided to play soccer with her chew bone and batted it with her front feet, banging it into furniture and baseboards as she chased it around the room. So cute!

Unfortunately, puppies seem to pick up bad habits faster than they do good ones. Windy has a terrible habit at shows of barking at other dogs and people who look "odd" to her. (I have yet to determine the criteria for people. For dogs, it seems to be anything bigger than a Lhasa.) Little miss copycat Lila decided Windy has a good thing going with the barking. Oh no!

The photos below were taken at the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club Specialty on Thursday, August 22, 2013. Photo credit for the specialty photos goes to Paul Bagley.



Duncan (Joyslyn Highly Classified) photos:

Judge Beverly Capstick exams Duncan on the table

Duncan on his "down and back" for the judge

Jimmy (Joyslyn Golden Tu Mon Ami Inka Dinka Doo) photos:

Jimmy with co-owner LaVonne ready for table exam

Jimmy

Windy (MLS Dakota Dancing in the Wind at Joyslyn) photos:

Windy entering the ring

Windy ready for table exam

Windy - she can sure move out

Windy - rear movement

Windy in line in the Winners Bitch Class

Rafe (GCH. CH. Joyslyn's Inherit the Wind) Photo:

This photo, taken of Rafe at the Bloomington, IL, show in May, was recently posted on my Facebook page by a friend. It made me sad to see it, mostly because it shows how Rafe used to show! Rafe's days as a show dog will end after next weekend. He simply no longer enjoys the shows. Oh, he likes going in the car and being at the show. He likes the extra attention. But, he no longer enjoys being in the ring. That carefree, happy gait has been replaced by a slow, almost grudging one. He needs a break from the shows, and I need a break from his attitude. He is not yet two years old (end of Nov. is his birthday) and he has accomplished a great deal between May 2012 and the end of June 2013. This includes his championship, his grand championship, and a ranking in the Top 20 Lhasas in the country. One ranking system has him at #6 for breed points from 1/1/13 - 7/4/13. He deserves a rest. It is time for a break. We'll try again at a few shows next year and see what happens.

I was recently made aware of the Yellow Dog Project. If you see a dog of any breed wearing a yellow ribbon or bow on collar or leash, that dog's owner may be involved with the Yellow Dog Project. As its website information tells visitors, Yellow Dogs are dogs who need space - they are not necessarily aggressive dogs but more often are dogs who have issues of fear; pain from recent surgery; are a rescue or shelter dog who has not yet had sufficient training or mastered obedience; are in training for work or service; are in service; or other reasons specific to the dog…" Visit the website to read more about the Project.

I've mentioned before that one of the joys of being a dog breeder is getting updates from people who have purchased dogs from us. Years ago, a gentleman from Indiana purchased a puppy. This week I got a letter from him, "Dear Lynn and Joyce, On 9/18/98, I purchased from you a pet Lhasa, born on 6/13/98. Her name is Miss Pumpkin and her father was Ch. JaMa Joyslyn Deja Vu and her mother was Ch. Marlo Bobbet Tootles. I want you to know what a wonderful dog that she has been. She has been perfect in every respect. We both are getting old, but she enjoys perfect health. She sleeps a lot and she has never spent a night in a kennel. When I have gone on vacation, I have somebody come in and stay at the house and take care of her. As she has aged, she now wants to be by my side most of the time. I just want you to know what a joy that she has been and we are now going on our 16th year." I remember him well, and was so pleased to hear from him and to know his Miss Pumpkin has been a loving companion and is still going strong at age 16.



Definitely, Life is better when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

Updates, Show Results, and Some Photos

“Dogs are minor angels, and I don't mean that facetiously. They love unconditionally, forgive immediately, are the truest of friends, willing to do anything that makes us happy, etcetera. If we attributed some of those qualities to a person we would say they are special. If they had ALL of them, we would call them angelic. But because it's "only" a dog, we dismiss them as sweet or funny but little more. However when you think about it, what are the things that we most like in another human being? Many times those qualities are seen in our dogs every single day-- we're just so used to them that we pay no attention.” ~ Jonathan Carroll

I agree with Mr. Carroll's assessment of the dog. However, my youngest 'minor angel' seems to have a devilish streak!

Although I do not have a new picture to post of Lila, I do want to tell you about her. You might recall that Lila was the only female in the litter born May 4. Her two brothers have left for their new homes and she is staying with us to be our next "show dog." Almost every evening for the last week, I've said, "We need to get a picture of Lila." But we never seem to get around to taking one, so I have nothing to post. Like her mother, Lila seems to be a bossy girl. She is tough too. She and Duncan, who is now 6.5 months old, roughhouse each night, and she keeps right up with him.

Every week when our granddaughter comes to spend the night with us, one of the things we do is take puppies for a walk. Lila has been on a lead and has learned to keep up with Duncan on our walks. However, that fact was not apparent on  Tuesday night when Lila attended her first show training class.

Those of you who are regular readers know that the time from when I leave home to drive to Peoria, attend class, and arrive back home is nearly five hours. Tuesday shortly after 5:00, Lila and I set off for Peoria. It was her longest car ride yet and she was very good. She did not fuss in her crate nor did she get car sick. (Her mother always did, so I was somewhat apprehensive.)

I expected her to be a little shy at class. It was a new place, new people, new dogs - most larger than she is. This week every dog attending was under 7 months. We had a Newfie, a Shiba, a Klee Kai (a breed that was new to me), a mini Dachshund, and Lila.

Little Miss Lila, whose middle name must be "Stubborn," decided to humiliate me.  She did not want to walk on the lead and acted as if she had never been on one before. She decided she wanted to play victim and cried and screamed and tossed her body back and forth to prove she could throw a champion tantrum. She sat her butt down and refused to budge.

She loved the trainer but wanted him to "rescue" her from me, so she flirted with him and asked to be picked up and acted so sweet and kissy when he held her! Everyone was laughing (it was funny)! When it was time for us to do a "down and back," she would go away from the trainer, but not back toward him. We all decided that in her mind, she'd been there/done that and saw no need to retrace her steps.

She ignored the treats I'd brought for her, so others offered her cheese and pupperoni. She liked those treats, for a while, then ignored them too. She was definitely irked at me, so when we'd stop at our place in the line-up behind the dachshund, she would go to that dog's owner, crawl between her legs, and lie down on her shoes and totally ignore me. The lady's little dog tried to protest. Lila gave him a look and he rolled over on his back!

That was our first adventure at class. Wednesday AM I put her on a lead and took her for a walk. She was perfect - except for the fact that she wants to walk between my feet rather than to the left! (She's determined I'm goin' down!)

Now for some updates from the show we attended last weekend. The show was in Burlington, Iowa. The weather was beautiful for an August show. The club members were friendly and welcoming, stopping by to chat and make sure things were going well for us. It's always been a favorite show of mine (1) because it is only an hour's drive and (2) because the venue is comfortable.

This year, my friend LaVonne, who co-owns Duncan's brother Jimmy, came from WI to stay with me so she could attend the show. We had a great visit and fun at the show. I planned to help my friend Jane with her Shibas and we were hoping that the show superintendent would schedule the two breeds far enough apart so we could help each other at ringside. She had three Shiba entered and I had three Lhasas entered. Wouldn't you know, the two breeds were scheduled with only 2 breeds between them, both breeds had such small entries that one breed did not even show up. Things were hectic but we managed to get all the dogs in the ring when they were supposed to be there.

By the end of the weekend, Duncan had two points. Windy also earned another two, giving her 11 points including one major. Rafe was the only Special entered so he won the Breed more or less by default. He did not place in either group.

Jane took some photos and video of him while he was in the Group ring on Sunday.

Here is a partial clip from the video:

I received notes from Lucky's and Ella's owners this week, as well as from Sarah about Mira. Lucky is still chasing geese and getting into the stinky pond. Ella is growing and looking cute, as you can see from her picture. Mira is fitting into her new home well, and Tashi is glad to have another dog to play with again. I love the picture of the two of them. Tashi has such a pretty face and Mira looks so content. Note the way she has her front legs curled.

Ella (She is Rafe and Maggie's daughter)

Tashi and Mira

I've had quite a few calls recently from people searching for Lhasa puppies and becoming frustrated because they cannot find one from a reputable breeder. I understand their frustration and wish I could be more helpful. As we all know...

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

Joyce