A New Addition to Our Family and Many Photos and Updates from Lhasa Friends

"No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet." ~Author Unknown

Nowadays, based on my own responses recently, I'd change those last two words to "an iPad!"

As you may have guessed from  the graphic and the quotation, we have a new baby boy in the family. I spent about two weeks out of state visiting our daughter, son-in-law, and their new son. It was wonderful, and I hated to leave. Work was waiting, as were some Lhasas that needed grooming! The Lhasas were very happy to have me home again. I guess they missed me. Of course, come to think of it, their greeting was not much different from the one I get when I come home from work each evening!

I arrived home late last Thursday night, got up on Friday, bathed and dried Josh, unpacked and repacked a suitcase, gathered up all the "show stuff," and took off for a show in Manitowoc, WI. (Note to self: Next year do not leave at 1:00, which puts you in Milwaukee at rush hour!)

Josh had a good weekend, taking Winners Dog both days. I thought the show was great except for a club decision that made me very angry, and that was the decision to announce all the winning raffle ticket numbers over the PA system. There was no reason to announce ticket numbers. People who entered that raffle did not have to be present to win. All the club needed to do was post the winning numbers. The PA announcement of winners went on and on and on because there were many prizes. The raffle table and person making the announcements were right across from our ring, so the noise was even louder with no way to get away from it. Josh, who has always been spot-on in the ring and who loves to show, totally freaked out at the loud, continuing noise. It's my opinion that people who put on dog shows and who show dogs should know better than to expose dogs to that kind of prolonged noise. A friend of mine complained to the people making the announcements but by then it was too late. She was told that the AKC Rep. said it was okay to make the announcements. However, just because something is not against the rules, does not mean common sense should be ignored. Common sense would indicate that many of the dogs in the ring might not appreciate the noise, especially young and insecure puppies who've not been exposed to loud sounds that go on endlessly. I'm sure my puppy was not the only one adversely affected by that PA system.

Here is Josh in the ring before the noise began. 

A photographer for the club was taking candid shots and she seemed to like Josh. Here are the ones she took of him. The first two were taken at our grooming set up. The other was taken as the two of us watched the Group competitions.

I was pleased that many people sent email and some photos while I was away, holding the baby and remembering how to change diapers (a skill that comes back quickly!) 

Maria wrote, "It's been awhile since we have sent pictures of Ella. So I'm sending some of our favorites of her. She doesn't mind taking photos. She's a natural.  She is staying at 10 lbs just as you predicted.....and looks like her mom Maggie. We are enjoying her so much. One of her favorite things is visiting the retirement home that my mother lives in. There she gets to see and visit the residents. Ella is so well mannered and so sensitive to the older residents. She will lie down in their lap and stay there all day if she could. She loves the attention. And gives the love!!!  They look forward to Ella's visits. Dan and I call her our traveling pup. We take her everywhere we go. So she hasn't missed a trip with us. She's a wonderful traveling companion.  We feel so happy thatyou shared Ella with us!!!" 

Ella is a beauty. Here is one of the photos Maria sent. Ella is a daughter of our Rafe and Maggie.

And, speaking of Rafe and Maggie kids, I also received a note and photo from Magoo's owner. Magoo is a younger sibling of Ella.

Catherine wrote, "Joyce, we wanted to share a picture of Magoo! He is growing so fast and is a real character! He still makes his funny noises and is a real sweet, lovable boy!! We are so thankful and blessed to have Mallory and Magoo to brighten our days!! No picture of Mallory today, but I think I have found the secret to getting a picture of these two - don't take a picture of the two together." (Mallory is a litter sister to Ella.)

So, the last couple of weeks have been Rafe and Maggie kid weeks because I also heard from the owners of Bailey and Sadie, who are litter sisters to Magoo!

Dawn wrote, "I have attached a couple of photos of Bailey that I took this weekend. She just got
her hair cut and is relaxing on our deck with Dusty.  This is one of her favorite pastimes!"

Here is the photo Carol sent of Sadie:

I received a note but no photo from Kyle and Tricia who have one of Josh's brothers. Kyle wrote, "We wanted to let you and Lynn know Tricia and I could not be happier that Fin is part of our family!  He adds so much joy and entertainment to each day, even as he has become slightly more
unpredictable now that he can jump on our bed and couch from a standstill! Not only that, all of our extended family members that met him are totally smitten by his personality and appearance.  We could not be happier!"

Such notes warm my heart and I am so appreciative to hear from our puppy buyers. A note that was especially heartwarming came from the woman who bought our Hannah. Hannah (or Annie as she was renamed) is known to AKC as Ch. Joyslyn Jofu Ladell Handiwork. Here are a couple of photos of Hannah in her younger years as she was gaining points toward her championship.

"Hi, Joyce. I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that Hannah (Annie) is still going strong at 15½. If you remember, I got her from you when she was 7 years old and she's been the 'Queen' of the house ever since. She's losing some of her hearing and sight, but is still very animated at meal times and occasionally when she plays with her Shih Tzu friend 'Mini.' She knows all the most comfortable puffs to sit on, and insists that we share our blankets with her when she watches TV with us (we watch; she sleeps and gently snores). She's not fond of being groomed anymore, so she's in an even shorter 'puppy clip' now. Hope you're doing well. Thanks again for trusting Hannah to us. She's a great little dog."

I also enjoyed the photos Marsha sent of Duncan's litter brother, Jimmy. Regular readers will recall that Jimmy hated the show ring. He is happy being a lap dog, although Marsha reports that he is still suspicious and shy of strangers. Here is Jimmy, comfortable on his owner's lap.

Mary, Belle's owner, wrote, " ...We have 2 new creatures in the house:  2 ragdoll kittens.  Gabby and Gretta…I still have 18 year old Leo, a ragdoll cat. He has been a jewel through the kitten introduction. The next pic is Leo, ragdoll and his assistant, Belle, checking out the first meeting. Notice the 2 chicken Lhasas (feet) in the background.  Belle actually rode in the car for the pickup and ride home, to introduce the kittens to Lhasaland. Belle and Moka have turned into shelties.....thinking the kittens need to be chased, herded, and contained. One gives a pathetic hissssssssssssss; doesn't scare a Lhasa. Belle runs out of her crate when she knows the kittens are free, her back side running as fast as she can; when she finds them, butt in the air, barks to inform them they need to come out from hiding.....she is gentle when she finally gets contact. Belle and I  are still training agility. The only issue is the teeter..."

Belle & Leo scoping out the new kittens

Sadly, I was also recently informed of the passing of two Lhasas that were born at our house. John's Sparky passed. He was 19 years old. Cindy's Honey passed at 10 years. Both dogs were well loved. Both John and Cindy asked to be put on the waiting list for another Joyslyn's puppy. I was happy to do so.

As far as other updates: Josh and I are headed to shows again next weekend and then to a class or two to prepare for our National Specialty. I'll attach the flyer again in case some of you Lhasa lovers live close enough to travel to St. Louis to see Lhasas from all across the US in competition -- conformation, agility, obedience, and rally. If you are most interested in the companion events (agility, obedience, and rally), attend on Tuesday (10/21). Those events will be held at Purina Farms. The three confirmation shows will be held on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Come for one or for all days!

In another week or so, we'll have a better idea as to whether or not we have puppies on the way in October. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping for babies! The next breeding is planned for sometime in October, assuming Charli comes in season on schedule.

In general, I believe every Lhasa Apso owner will agree when I say:

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

Til next time...

Joyce

A Happy Birthday Month

“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


August is a month full of birthdays (plus an anniversary) for our family. People-wise, I celebrated my birthday last Friday; our daughter has one coming this weekend; our son-in-law's is next week; and their baby's will be any day now. My sister and brother-in-law have an August anniversary. Two of our Lhasas also have August birthdays.

Breaker (GCh. Joyslyn's Heartbreaker) turned six years old earlier this month. That's him at the top of this post. Yesterday, Secret (Ch. Joyslyn's Secrets of the Heart), Breaker's mother, turned 12. She doesn't act like a 12 year old. She is healthy, happy, and as playful as ever. Killing squeakers and pulling stuffing out of toys are still her favorite sports! Here are some pictures of Secret. The first one was taken at a dog show. We were attending the national specialty week in CA and she won Reserve Winners Bitch at the regional specialty the day before the national.

The next picture was taken after she earned her championship:

This one is how she looks now with her shorter haircut. She's a small Lhasa and a real sweetheart.

Breaker's son (and Secret's grandson), Josh (Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker) earned four more points toward his championship last weekend, winning Winners Dog and Best of Winners both days in Marshfield, WI. He had his 7 month "birthday" on the 16th.  Here's a picture of him with his ribbons and prizes from that show. He now has a total of 6 single points.

My Lhasa friends threw a birthday party for me on Saturday after we finished showing. Here we are in the grooming area, beneath the "Happy Birthday" banner and balloons!

 And speaking of my birthday, here is one of my gifts:

(For readers who do not know, I am originally from Nebraska. We moved to Illinois in 1989.)

My computer has a screen saver that flashes photos from a file on my desktop. One appeared and when I saw it, I thought, "Hmmm...looks kind of like Josh." So I started going through photos and created this three-generation photo of (from the left) Connor (Ch. San-Dhi Joyslyn Icon), Josh's grandsire; Breaker (GCh. Joyslyn's Heartbreaker), Josh's sire; and Josh. Breaker and Josh's photos were both taken at age 7 months. Connor's was taken when he was a month or so older. They look much alike, don't they?

Here is a side shot taken of Josh after he was groomed:

I also received a few pictures of Josh's sisters. The first is of Cinder. She is a black and tan. The caption her owner sent said, "She put herself in jail!" Cinder was also at the show in Marshfield and even got to spend one night in the hotel room with Josh, Jan, Flash, and me. She showed very well on Sunday, very pretty movement! Congrats go to Jan and Flash for Flash's first points, earned on Sunday!

These photos are of Sassy. She's also practicing and preparing for the show ring -- way down in TX.

Carol sent a note and picture of Sadie. Sadie is a daughter of Rafe and Maggie. Carol wrote, "Just took this after a brush session.  Sadie undid all my work in about 5 seconds. She looks like Nick Nolte's mug shot!"

Dawn sent us a note when she sent us Bailey's proof of spaying.  "Bailey is doing very well and gets along just great with her big brother Dusty. She likes to pick on him and play rough but he doesn't seem to mind! Her personality gets bigger every day and we feel extremely blessed to have found her!" Bailey is also a Rafe and Maggie daughter.

The breeding that produced Bailey and Sadie was a repeat of an earlier breeding. The next picture is of an older brother of Bailey and Sadie. His family calls him Snickers, and here is what they wrote: "Just sending you a funny picture that we caught him in the act helping us clean our dinner plates. We can't tell you enough on the joy and love he brings to our family. He just loves to be with us everywhere we go in the home. He loves to play and run with the boys. He just is so loving to us and at night needs to always be by his "mommy". Hope everyone is well. Thank you again for a wonderful family member."

Here are a couple of links you might find interesting and helpful.
The first is a link to a common-product medication list and dosage conversions chart.
The second is a link to a video entitled "The Puppy Puzzle: The Hastings Approach to Evaluating the Structural Quality of Puppies," which is narrated by Pat Hastings. If you are new to dog breeding and showing, this step by step method of puppy evaluation could be of help. Even if you are an old hand at it, you can watch and perhaps pick up some new information. Hastings recommends evaluation at age 8 weeks, something I learned from old-timer way back when I first began this journey.



And with that I will remind you that

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

Joyce

How Well Do You Know the Lhasa Apso Standard?

Many Lhasa judges and would-be Lhasa judges criticize the Lhasa Apso Standard, approved on July 11, 1978,  for being too brief or too vague. As I've pointed out before in this blog, when the Standard is silent on a trait (such as movement) then the writers of the Standard expected those who read it to interpret that silence as meaning "think 'normal canine.'"

Lhasa Apso Standard

Character: Gay and assertive, but chary of strangers.
Size: Variable, but about 10 or 11 inches at shoulder for dogs, bitches slightly smaller.
Color: All colors equally acceptable with or without dark tips to ears and beard.
Body Shape: The length from point of shoulders to point of buttocks longer than height at withers, well-ribbed up, strong loin, well-developed quarters and thighs.
Coat: Heavy, straight, hard, not woolly or silky, of good length, and very dense.
Mouth and Muzzle:  The preferred bite is either level or slightly undershot. Muzzle of medium length; a square muzzle is objectionable.
Head: Heavy head furnishings with good fall over eyes, good whiskers and beard, skull narrow, falling away behind eyes in a marked degree, not quite flat, but not domed or apple-shaped; straight foreface of fair length. Nose black, the length from tip of nose to eye to be roughly about one-third of the total length from nose to back of skull.
Eyes:  Dark brown, neither very large and full, nor very small and sunk.
Ears:  Pendant, heavily feathered.
Legs:  Forelegs straight; both forelegs and hind legs heavily furnished with hair.
Feet: Well-feathered; should be round and catlike, with good pads.
Tail and Carriage: Well-feathered, should be carried well over back in a screw; there may be a kink at the end. A low carriage of stern is a serious fault.


How well you do know the Lhasa Apso Standard? You can find out more by going to the website of the American Lhasa Apso Club, selecting Publications in the menu on the left and clicking the Home Study link. The club also has an Illustrated Guide to the Standard that can be downloaded as a pdf from the Breed Information menu. 

The Illustrated Guide to the Standard identifies the Standard as "a description for those who are familiar with the breed and dogs in general." The Guide was written as a "more in-depth study of the unique qualities that set the Lhasa Apso apart from other breeds and, at the same time, emphasize the characteristics that cause the Lhasa Apso to be representative of the breed."

Check your knowledge of the Lhasa Apso Standard by answering the following questions. The answers are below the quiz. (The answers contain a few clarifying comments from the Illustrated Guide to the Standard.)

The Quiz 

1) How tall should Lhasa Apso dogs be at the shoulder?
2) Does the standard mention a preference for lighter colors, such as cremes and goldens?
3) Should a Lhasa be longer than tall or taller than long?
4) List three adjectives used in the standard to describe a Lhasa's coat.
5) What is the preferred Lhasa Apso bite?
6)What color should a Lhasa's nose be?
7) Length from tip of nose to eye should be roughly
(a) 1/3 of the total length from nose to back of skull or
(b) 1/2 of the total length from nose to back of skull
8) What color should the eyes be?
9) Is a kink in the tail acceptable?
10) What is the only "serious fault" listed in the standard?

 

Answers

1) The Standard says, "...about 10 or 11 inches at shoulder for dogs..."
The Guide points out, "...10 or 11 inches at shoulders suggests a dog whose bone is in proportion to his height and weight...Not only is height a factor, but consideration must also be given to weight, proportion, and length of body, for these all contribute to the final picture of overall balance."
2) No, the Standard actually says, "All colors equally acceptable with or without dark tips to ears and beard." What more is there to say on the matter--except perhaps to encourage some judges to judge the dog and not his/her color?

3) The body shape of a Lhasa from the point of its shoulders to his buttocks should be "longer than height at withers," according to the Standard.

4) The Standard refers to the coat as "heavy," "straight," "hard," "of good length," and "very dense." It also says the coat is "not wooly or silky."
Concerning the coat, the Guide adds, "...not light or fine or flyaway...a moderate amount of undercoat is desirable...hard in texture, so that when it is rubbed between the fingers, individual hairs will be felt...the coat should not be wiry or rough to the touch."

5) The preferred bite is "either level or slightly undershot."
The Guide goes on to label two other bites as "not desirable." They are a scissors bite and an undershot bite "with canines visible when the mouth is closed."

6) Black.
The Guide also emphasizes, "...full depth of pigmentation is essential to good expression and requires dark pigment on eye rims and lips."

7) The answer is (a).
The Guide describes a muzzle whose "planes are parallel when viewed in profile."

8) Dark brown.
The Guide describes eyes as "somewhat frontally placed," oval," "not prominent," and "minimal white showing."

9) Yes.

10) "A low carriage of stern."
The Guide explains, "When the dog is moving, the tail should be up and carried well over the back."

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

Joyce

The Dog Days of Summer

"Summertime and the livin' is easy..."~from the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess







We are currently in what is known as the "dog days of summer," the hot, sultry time in summer when the Dog Star (aka Sirius) rises at the same time as the sun. Although this summer period (from early July to mid-August) is traditionally marked by laziness, lethargy, and inactivity, I find myself wishing for some down time. We always seem to be on the go!

(I will also point out that the "dog days" seem to have missed us here in western Illinois this year. We've had many unusually cool days in July and early August.)

Josh's first weekend as a 6-month-old eligible to compete in AKC point shows was a success. We went to the shows hosted by the Burlington, IA kennel club on August 2nd and 3rd, and had a wonderful time. Friends LaVonne and Karen came from WI and stayed at my house. LaVonne brought Josh's sister, Cinder, and Karen brought her 6-month-old male, Jack, and her adult female, Mabel. Josh won a point each day, which was a great start for him. Cinder was more comfortable in the ring on Sunday than on Saturday. She has great movement! Lots of reach and drive. Jack, who was just 6 months old on Saturday, was intimidated by the noise. Mabel took Winners Bitch both days and earned two points. She also placed second in Saturday's Owner Handler Group. Congrats also to Tami Bagley (from MN) whose special, shown by Greg Larson, took a Group I on Saturday.

Sadly, not one of us took a single picture of the dogs! However, Karen did take quite a few photos of the car show in Macomb on Saturday night as we strolled around the town's historic courthouse square, attempting to walk off the huge platter of nachos we'd eaten at the Jackson Street Pub!

Please take time to read this article in Dog News, "Lhasa Apso: Sturdy Little Mountain Dogs," by M.J. Nelson. The article begins on page 78. Its focus is on Lhasas in companion events, such as obedience, rally, and agility. American Lhasa Apso Club (ALAC) members Marsha Susag, Julie Timbers, and Bobbie Wood, who have trained Lhasas for companion events, are quoted. The three offer great training advice based on the Lhasa Apso personality. Whether a person is interested in companion event competition or not, that advice makes the article well worth reading for anyone even thinking about owning a Lhasa.

Although he is mentioned but not pictured in the article, Marsha's Joyslyn's Leader of the Pack NJP NAP RE (aka Oreo) made Marsha (his owner) and me (his breeder) very proud. Here are some photos of him in action at an agility trial.

I've received some nice photos that I'd like to share. This first one is of Lindy, who is my Windy's mother and Josh's grandmother. Lindy was bred by Marsha Susag and Arlene Miller and is owned by Marsha.

GCh. MLS Desiderata Lindy

Duncan's brother Jimmy, the Lhasa who hated dog shows, has a new pet home. As you can see in this first photo, he has a wonderful (and large) friend!

 

Jimmy, relaxing at his new home

Here's a photo of Sassy, Josh's litter sister:

And, finally, here is a photo of Flame (Ch. Joyslyn's Winds of Fire), posted on Facebook by her owner. Flame is the daughter of Walker (GCh. Joyslyn MiToya Wind Walker) and Secret (Ch. Joyslyn's Secrets of the Heart), who also happens to be Josh's grandmother. Both Walker and Secret will soon be 12 years old. Where does the time go??

Poor Duncan had an emergency visit to the clinic yesterday. I put him out to potty and all was well. I went outside later to get him and he was lying down, refusing to move. Since he generally enjoys playing "Keep Away From Mom by Dancing Just Beyond Her Reach," I was concerned. I picked him up, set him on his feet, walked away, and watched. He took a few hobbling steps and sat down. He was holding his right foot aloft. I took him inside and examined his foot and leg. He did not whimper. I put him down, encouraging him to walk. He limped but did not cry or whine. At the vet's office, we discovered what appeared to be a bite, well two bites actually, between his toes. Hair was shaved from his foot so the area could be cleaned and more easily examined. Then he was given antibiotics, pain relievers, and ... a cone! He does not like his cone. That, plus people laughing at him, on top of having a sore foot, did not make him a happy Lhasa. He was doing better this morning but still not putting weight on the foot. He'll be fine.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that Raven, who will be bred this week, will have puppies in October.

And we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new grandchild sometime this month.

My monthly report from Ezine indicates that my article about Lhasas and children is the one most frequently read and that the one on bathing a Lhasa runs a close second. Here is a link if you'd like to read those and others of my articles posted on Ezine.

Enjoy the remainder of summer's "dog days" and always remember that, as good as life is,

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

Joyce

The "Lazy, Hazy, Crazy" July Days

The best joke I've heard so far this month:

A husband and wife were sitting on their deck, drinking wine, and watching a beautiful summer sunset.
The wife broke the quiet by sighing, "I love you so much. I can't live without you."
The husband chuckled and responded, "Honey, is that you or the wine talking?"
She said, "Oh, it's me...talking to the wine."





I confess that nothing too exciting has happened lately. The 4th of July passed uneventfully. Our town's fireworks display takes place at our university, which is only a few blocks from our house, but I had the radio on for the dogs and no one seemed to mind the "booms" that sounded frequently.

Josh went to class on the night of his 6-month birthday and seemed to enjoy being there with the other dogs. He is a lot of fun to work with and has a natural affinity for showing. I hope that attitude stays with him. At 6 months old, he is now eligible to compete in AKC shows for championship points. We're going to the Burlington Kennel Club show in Iowa in a couple of weeks. The Lhasa entry is small, but we're all planning on having a good time together. Three of us are starting puppies who just turned 6 months old.

When I last wrote, I told you how excited it was when Josh was chosen Best Beginner Puppy in Show at the Kettle Moraine show in WI. Here is the photo that was taken then. He was 5 months old.

Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker (Josh)

I've received some notes and photos also.

Renee has two Joyslyn dogs that are half-brothers. She sent photos and wrote,"Their personalities are TOTALLY different.  Dalai still acts like a 2 year old, does whatever he wants whenever he wants and doesn't care what we think (barking at critters in the back yard). But he's bouncy and lots of fun and loves to snuggle. Namri has always been an "old soul".  Calm, cares if I'm upset.  Doesn't bark much-- hangs out by himself on his chair in the office. "



Here is a photo of Namri and Dalai enjoying the warm California sun, followed by photos of them just relaxing around the house.

I received a lovely note from Andy's owners, who live in Canada. Regular readers may recall that Andy was the red male puppy sired by Rafe (GCh. Joyslyn's Inherit the Wind) out of Maggie (Ch. Joyslyn's Moonlight Magic). Here are parts of the the note, "Andy is doing great. He is a wonderful addition to our family and his antics generate smiles on our faces every day…He is a gentle, loving puppy who loves to be cuddled and who prefers to snuggle up to my daughter on the couch for his afternoon nap. "Me too" also loves to follow up wherever we go and eagerly greets the family when they come home from school or work. You will be glad to know he was the quietest and calmest puppy in Puppy Class…Every day we are thankful for this lovely pup that you raised with such care and love. We continue to marinate him with love on a daily basis and look forward to spending many wonderful years together…"

Letters and notes such as this are what come to mind when people see my puppies and ask me, "How can you ever part with them?"

Andy's people sent me some wonderful photos of him. Here are two of them:

Jimmy, Duncan's brother who decided that the show ring was not for him, is enjoying life and a new hair style. He has a new owner who says he is doing great. When I see this photo and look at how he holds and head and neck, I think how much he looks like Raven, his mother.

Raven's other son, Duncan, was the subject of photo session at our house Sunday night after his bath. We took a lot of great pictures of him but I'll share just a few. He is such a pretty dog. His color is unique and his head and expression are lovely! (The rest of him is very nice also!) He'll be 18 months old on July 23.

We've been waiting and waiting for Raven to come in season. She's now two months past the time I expected her to be in season, so if you are impatiently waiting for me to tell you puppies are on the way, you will have to join me and impatiently wait a bit longer!



Now is the time to make plans for the 2014 American Lhasa Apso Club National Specialty. Here is the update flyer of events and hotel information. If you live in the midwest and love Lhasas, drive to St. Louis that week and you'll see Lhasas from all over the U.S. gathered for the National!

You may recall in December or January I mentioned receiving an annual Christmas card from John and Sparky. John and his wife, who has since passed away, purchased Sparky from us 18 years ago. I was saddened by a voice message John left on our machine yesterday telling us that Sparky passed away on Sunday. I called to express my sympathy, and John told me how much Sparky meant to him and how much company Sparky was when his wife passed away. John said Sparky could no longer go up steps and could not see well but otherwise was doing fine. His death was caused by a reaction to a medication the vet had given him. John wants another Lhasa! Don't we all!

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

Joyce