My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready to Go...

Oh, if only that were true! For the past week, my "packing preparations" for my trip to St. Louis for the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty week have taken up three rooms as I've decided
1) what I need to take,
2) what I want to take,
3) what would be nice to take if it'll fit in the car.

I'm leaving tomorrow, so tonight's the night to pull it all together. Right now, all I can tell you is that I think I have packed more "stuff" for Josh than for myself. I keep asking myself why one little dog needs so many things. The list includes, but is not limited to, his crate, his 2 x 3, exercise pens, a grooming table for the grooming area at the show, a grooming table for the hotel room, the tack bag, the tub containing grooming things that don't fit in the tack bag, food, water, bowls, water bottles, towels, crate pads, shampoo, conditioner .... and more!

The interesting part will come tomorrow morning when the driveway will be strewn with boxes, luggage, equipment, and storage tubs. I'll attempt to fit it all in my car. I have a new car and this trip will be its first long journey. This car is going to have to prove itself as a dog show vehicle.

Other news: I received some pictures of Sadie from Carol. Sadie is a daughter of Rafe and Maggie.  Carol wanted to show me how Sadie's coat color is changing and becoming more red, as you can see in the second photo.

Last week I wrote that Raven was going to have two puppies. She had them on Friday. We have two lovely black females. I know some of you are waiting for puppies but both of these have been spoken for. The sire's owner is taking one and I will be keeping the other.

Here is a photo taken shortly after they were born. They are easy to tell apart since one has a white mark on her neck.

Here are pictures taken this morning. They are one week old:

Tonight it is back to packing. Most of the items left to pack are mine so that part should not take long. Josh is getting a bath. Oh, and I should mention that we are having a birthday dinner for our son and his family. Am I cooking? I am not. I made a cake about 11:00 PM last night. We're doing Chinese takeout.

I'm looking forward to attending the national. Josh is being shown five times: in the Monday sweepstakes, in the Monday GMLAC Specialty Show, in the ALAC Futurity on Wednesday, in the ALAC Regional Specialty on Thursday, and in the ALAC National Specialty on Friday. I am eager to see people I have not seen for a couple of years since I was unable to attend last year's specialty week in California. Over 100 Lhasas are entered. It's going to be a great week. I'll tell you all about it next time.

Wish us luck!

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

Joyce

Lhasa Apsos and Children

Gold and red leaves nod to the soft breeze,
As it whispers, "Winter is near;"
And the brown nuts fall at the wind's loud call,
For this is the Fall of the year.
                                  ~from " A Fall Song" by Ellen Robena Field



An important link on the Joyslyn's Lhasa Apsos website is the one that asks, "Is A Lhasa Apso for You?"  One that link's page, I wrote,  "As much as I love them, I know that not everyone appreciates a Lhasa Apso. Here's a brief checklist which may help you decide if a Lhasa Apso is the breed for you." This is followed by a brief description of some Lhasa characteristics:

(1) Lhasas are indoor dogs. They like to play outside but they should live inside with their families.

(2) Lhasas bark. They are not nervous, yappy barkers, but they have great hearing and like to bark at noises, even if no one else can hear them.

(3) Most, but not all, Lhasas like children. (Sort of like most, but not all, people.) Teach the kids to respect the dog's rights and you'll have no problems. If you have rotten kids, don't buy them a Lhasa—or any dog for that matter.

(4) Lhasas are intelligent, independent, and sometimes stubborn. They do not respond well to anger. Training is most successful if it is approached as a game. Lhasas like lots of praise and doggy treats.

(5) Lhasas require a lot of grooming. If you don't have time to groom or don't want to groom, then buy a short-haired breed or plan to keep your Lhasa's hair cut.

Today, I want to focus on #3 "Most, but not all, Lhasas like children."

Several of my articles about Lhasas are posted on Ezine. Each month Ezine sends me a report regarding how many views each article has received and what the three most popular articles have been that month. The article about Lhasas and children always ranks high. For that reason, I decided to repeat it here.

Lhasa Apsos and Children

We Lhasa breeders may be contributing to the decline in Lhasa popularity by the information we provide about the breed in our ads and on our websites. In an attempt to protect our dogs, we often end up giving the breed a bad image, especially when it comes to Lhasas and kids.

It is true that many Lhasa breeders refuse to sell puppies to people who have young children. I find that interesting because most of us are parents, and now grandparents. Our own children were raised with our Lhasas, and now our grandchildren get to visit and play with the dogs. In our case, we owned, showed and bred Lhasas for 5.5 years before our first child was born. The dogs and children were raised together and expected to get along! They did.

In spite of my good experiences with Lhasas and children, I am often leery about letting people with young children buy a puppy - and it is not because I distrust the Lhasas as a breed or my own puppies as individuals not to "be good with children." It's more that I don't trust other people's children to "be good to the puppy!"

For example, we once adopted a Lhasa female whose breeder had taken her back from the people she sold her to because the breeder heard reports that the puppy was being abused. As it turned out, the rumors were true. Chrissy was being poked at and teased when she was in her crate. The children would also put her on a lead and drag her on her belly down the sidewalk when she refused to walk. Now, what is true about Lhasas is that they have long memories, they bear grudges, and like any other dog or person that has been bullied, they reach a saturation point where they will retaliate. So, yes, Chrissy growled and snapped at the children, and even when she came to our home where she was safe, she was always touchy and protective about her crate. Away from it, she was happy and loving with the kids. Some memories are just hard to erase. I'm sure other breeders have had similar experiences that have resulted in the "not available to homes with young children" statement in their ads.

A Lhasa Apso is fine in a home with children whose parents teach them respect for animals and other people. When people tell me they have children, I generally ask the ages. I ask them to be honest with me and themselves about how the children behave and if they, as parents, can honestly attest to how the children would interact with the puppy. Sometimes we come to an agreement that the situation is a good one for a puppy. At other times, the potential buyers opt to wait a few more years until the child is ready to interact appropriately with a puppy.

Some Lhasas, like some people, simply don't like children. Children's unexpected movements, screeching, general exuberance, and unconscious disregard for others are annoying. Other Lhasas, like most people, love children so much! I once sold a young adult female to a single person who lives in a large city. The dog was born after our children were grown and before the grandchildren were born, so she had never even seen a child. Yet, her owner tells me the dog loves children and when she goes for walks and sees a child, she cries until her owner allows her to greet the child. Liking or disliking children is a personal preference, not a breed characteristic.

With that as a prelude, I would like to share a great story sent to me by Doreen, who owns two Joyslyn's Lhasas, Winston and Bentley. Both boys are nearing senior status and, although Doreen's great-niece had visited her home before, this story is about the dogs' first interactions with her on the floor. 

Doreen wrote, "Hi Joyce, I just wanted to share with you a lil' story about these 2 sweeties you gave me. My niece had a baby 4/4/14 and she is the first great anything for me--and granddaughter for my sister. Let's just say the sun rises and sets on Ms. Piper. Anyway, she has been to my house in the past--however, now she sits up by herself and is really becoming a little person. She and her Ma stopped by last night and we sat her on the floor with Win and Ben to see what would transpire. 

At first, they both went up to her to smell her and she reached out to touch them. Then, Bentley ran and got one of his prize possessions..... a ball. He ran up to her with it and dropped it--then took his paw and kind of back flipped it so the ball slowly rolled between her legs. All the while his tail is going 100 miles an hour. She did touch the ball--but of course didn't throw it which is what he lives for. 

I threw it a couple of times but then we got busy talking. He kept bringing it back to her and when I didn't throw it he barked. Well, this scared Piper and she started crying. We held her till she stopped and then put her back on the floor with them. Winston positioned himself between me and Piper and there was no way she was getting close to his Mommy. Bentley, however, came back with his ball. This time he took his paw and started batting her on the leg to get her to throw it--so I picked it up and threw it. He then came back, rolled it again, and softly reached out and batted her on the top of her head. We about died laughing and Piper just looked at him. 

I swear--they are the smartest, sweetest dogs I've ever had. The neighbors love to see them come by while on a walk and they always want to hold them. Thanks again for the blessing of these two guys. Hope things are well with you and all of your Lhasas."

I responded that I sure wish she would have taken a video. It might have gone viral. How can you go wrong with babies and dogs?

In the good news/disappointing news department, the good news is that Raven is due to have puppies any day now. The disappointing news is that she is carrying only two puppies and both are already spoken for (one for me, the other for the owner of the stud dog). 

Here is their first photo.

I know that many of you have been waiting and waiting for us to have a litter or two. We do have another breeding planned for the fall. Keep your fingers crossed that it is a successful one.

I was pleased to get a nice note from Judy, who owns Ty. Ty is being trained for agility and will be at the All Breed Agility Trial that is being held in conjunction with the American Lhasa Apso Club's National Specialty on October 21. I am eager to see him and Judy again and to watch them in action. Below is the photo of Ty that Judy sent with her note. Ty is a half brother to Josh. Breaker is the sire of both.

I look forward to specialty week. Many great activities are planned. I hope some of you who live close enough to travel to St. Louis will take a vacation day or two to come to the hotel ballroom and watch the Lhasas that will be there from all over the U.S. Confirmation judging starts in the hotel ballroom at 10:00 on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. The obedience, rally, and agility events are at Purina Farms and begin with agility at 8:00, followed by obedience and rally at 1:00. Wednesday's Futurity judging starts at 1:00. 

Here is a schedule by day:

The hotel is the Holiday Inn, Route 66, 10709 Watson Rd., St. Louis, MO 63127. 

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

 

Joyce

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