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

High, high amongst the mighty Himalayas

A small guardian stands, listening in sacred places;

Eyes dark and wise, an elegant sentinel;

Undaunted in a harsh and forbidden land

Stand you, ancient guard, Lion Dog...

Lhasa Apso

Cherished Bearer of Good Fortune

Now, if I knew who wrote that, I'd give him/her credit. But I don't. All I can tell you is that I did not write it, although I wish I had!

Show Photos

I have many photos to share with you this week. When I last wrote, we had recently returned from a Wisconsin show. I have since received the photos from that show. This first one is of Kimmi when she won the major on Thursday, March 31. The judge is James Brown.

Kimmi went on to win her fifth major on April 1. The judge was Susan St. John Brown. This win changed Kimmi's name to Ch. Joyslyn's Heart Song.

 

Josh is now a multiple Owner-Handled Group winner. Here he is pictured after his Group 1 win at Manitowoc under judge Kimberly Meredith-Cavanna on April 1.

May will be a busy show month for us. We have shows every weekend and, yes, I am spending Mothers Day at a dog show. It's "my" day and that is where I want to be!

Greta and Jenna have been going to some classes and are making progress. We held the last practice session in my driveway. I would not say they are ready for the upcoming shows, but at least they are lead broken and walk with tails up. There's time for the rest to come. Greta will be in shows all four weekends. Jenna will be old enough to show after May 22, so she will get in two shows before the month is over.

 Emails and Photos from Others

I love receiving photos and updates from people who have purchased our puppies. Here are some I'd like to share with you. First, those of you who have puppies out of Windy (Ch. MLS Dakota Dancing in the Wind at Joyslyn) or out of Charli (Ch. MLS Desiderata Flight O' Fancy) might be interested in the news from Marsha Susag. (Marsha is the MLS and the MLS Dakota in the dog's names.) Marsha wrote last week: "It is with great pride that I report that AM/CAN CH Desiderata Mustang Sally ROM, RA, NAJ, RATI, RATN, ALAC Versatility finished her Barn Hunt Novice title today with a first place finish!"

Sally is Windy's grandmother and Charli's mother. Here are Sally, Marsha, and the judge after Sally's big accomplishment.

 LaVonne sent a photo of our puppy bitch Misty with the Non-Sporting Puppy Group 3 ribbon Misty won on April 24th. Misty is Mon Ami N Joyslyn's Shades of Summer.

 Mary wrote that Belle earned a new title. She is now Joyslyn's Beauty Secret RN NJP.  I had to ask what all that meant. RN = Rally Novice and NJP = Novice Jumpers Preferred.

Mary's advice to anyone training a Lhasa is this: "Harsh correction doesn't go well; positive reward or no reward is the best."

Kathy shared a quotation from Erma Bombeck: "I know that you sometimes like to start your blogs with a quote, and I found one you might like.  I know that you are extremely well-read, so you may have come across this one already.  It is from the late Erma Bombeck.  Actually, she was referring to her youngest child, but it reminded me so much of life with a Lhasa, that I wanted to pass it along to you: 'You quicken our steps, square our shoulders, restore our vision, and give us humor that security, maturity, and endurity can’t give us.'” 

Thanks Kathy, because that Bombeck quotation really does reflect what Lhasas bring to our lives.

They also, like children, bring us some frustration, as hinted at in Marilyn's message about her Maci.

"Maci had her check-up and shots last week. She weighs 12lbs. 6oz. and the vet said she is full grown and very healthy. Here is a pic after grooming yesterday. I worked and Dennis took her. When I asked how she was, he said Vicki didn't say she was bad, but there were no gold stars on her crate!!! You can read that any way you want."

Maci

I heard from Barbara about her Daisy: "She just gets more Precious everyday - just when you think her personality cannot get better, it does.  Everyone still wants to steal her from me.  Like Tom called her his "PP - Precious Puppy" she will remain that forever!!!!  Last December I took her to a professional groomer who has been grooming for 25 yrs….She said she has NEVER had a dog like her nor a coat like hers.  She asked me how I wanted her groomed and told her, like a stuffed animal, and that is exactly what I got...She absolutely loves her grooming.  We still walk our 2.2 miles everyday, weather permitting.  In winter she still wears her red latex boots and sweater and lets me put her boots on with NO crabbing.  She lays on her back on the sofa and gives me one paw at a time.  Friends tell me that if they did not see it with their own eyes, they would think I was crazy!…thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart, for my Precious Daisy.  Oh, forgot - took her to a nursing home and the patients went absolutely crazy over her.  Going to try to do that once a month. My three neighbors are there. Took us 45 minutes to get from entrance door to the friend we went there to visit cause everyone wanted to pet her and put her on their lap.  Another example of the love she gives.  If she could only talk but her eyes do all the talking for her.  She still does NOT bark - only when she and I roughhouse with her toy!…Who ever said you cannot accent a daffodil garden with a "Daisy" !!!!!  Miss Daisy Mae is definitely my  precious big helper.!"

 

Kristi wrote, "Hello Joyce, I hope this email finds you well. Kimmi is stunning and a huge congrats to you both!  Vader is doing amazing!  I decided to cut his long beautiful coat. I might say I regret it, but he is a licker. Tricki is short, and Vader was just licking matts into his coat daily. It broke my heart but it was becoming a burden on us both...Good luck on the shows this spring and summer I know you and your babies will do amazing. "

Vader is the dark Lhasa in front, Tricki is the gold Lhasa

Cindy wrote, "Charlie is all Lhasa, independent and likes running things but is very sweet and loving.  He is playing well with Maizen and it is amusing seeing their continual chases and tug of wars." 

Charlie strutting his stuff

 

Links of Interest

"The War Dog Who Inspired Change for Canine Soldiers"
In November 2015, President Barack Obama signed the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which included language to allow military working dogs to return to the United States and live as pets with their service-member handlers.  Read more ...

"The Outdated Vet Vaccination Advice That Can Harm Your Pet"
Two years ago, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) canine vaccination task force updated their vaccination guidelines. The task force changed the previous annual protocol for core vaccines to an every 3-year protocol, with the exception of 1-year rabies shots. Read more...

 

 Check out the website of the American Lhasa Apso Club.

Don't forget to check out the articles, links, and many Lhasa photos on the Joyslyn's Lhasa Apsos website.

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

Joyce

 

Spring is Here! Right??

The first week of April has brought an interesting array of weather! Josh, Kimmi, and I went to a show in Manitowoc, WI, leaving warm spring weather in Illinois and arriving to wind, rain, cold, and snow over the four day stay. Back at home on Sunday, the temps were a wonderfully warm 76 degrees -- and the temps went down, down, down from there! Ah April!

Show Results

The show in Manitowoc was our second show of 2016. In spite of the weather, we had a great time at the show with our friends. The great news of the weekend for me was that Kimmi (10 months old) came home a champion. I am so proud of her. She was shown only 2 weekends, the first being in December 2015 when she was just 7 months old. She was shown a total of 5 times under 5 judges and they each awarded her a major. Of course, we took a picture after each win. I'll post them once the photographer gets them to me. Kimmi is now Ch. Joyslyn's Heart Song!

In the meantime, here are a couple pictures of Kimmi.

Generally we take some photos after a win when we are back at our grooming set up. We did that for all of our dogs except Kimmi! I suppose that was because we had the show photographer take the photos.




GCh. Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker (aka Josh) took Best Opposite Sex, and Best of Breed Owner-Handled at Thursday's show and went on to take a 3rd place in the Non-Sporting Owner-Handled Group. Here is a photo of me (with my eyes closed!) and Josh after the Group. (That is Bob Alexander in the background.)

On Friday, Josh took Select Dog and Best of Breed Owner Handled. He went on to take Group 1 in the Non-Sporting Owner-Handled Group. Thanks, Karen Schlais, for taking the pictures. Saturday he also took Best of Breed Owner Handled, in spite of how awful he was showing! It was embarrassing, to say the least! We did nothing in the Owner-Handled group that day. He was just not into it! Since he was not showing well and since Kimmi was finished, we skipped the Sunday show and arrived back in Macomb about 6:00 PM, instead of the "closer to midnight" arrival time if we had stayed.

Kimmi's half brother and half sister, Stewie and Penny, also earned points toward their championships. Both were bred and are owned by Karen Schlais and Jan Graunke. Stewie took Winners Dog and Best of Winners on Saturday and Sunday, and Penny took Winners Bitch on Saturday and Sunday. Each just needs a few single points to finish.

Here is Penny (Karlyn Golden Tu Sing Soft Kitty To Me) after taking the Owner-Handled Group 3 on Sunday.

And here is Stewie (Golden Tu Karlyn Tattle Tail), after winning Winners Dog, Best of Winners, Best Puppy in Breed, and Non-Sporting Puppy Group 3 on Saturday.

Pictured below is Mon Ami 'N Joyslyn's Shades of Summer (Misty). This was her first show weekend at age 7 months, and we were proud of her showmanship and attitude in the ring. Misty took Reserve Winners Bitch on Sunday. She is owned by LaVonne Bennett and co-owned by me.

Other winners that weekend included Orlane's Blowin' My Mind, Winners Dog and Best of Winners on Thursday and Friday. He is owned by Linda Kendall Smith and Bob Alexander. He also finished his championship that weekend. GCh. Black Boots Pardon Me Boyz won Best of Breed on Thursday and Sunday. She is owned by Polly Naumann. GCh. Shoyu Blowin' My Horn at Orlane won Best of Breed on Friday. He is owned by Bob Alexander and Melissa Papke. Mike Reinke's male, Ch. Oakwynd Paint By Number won Best of Breed on Saturday.

Greta and Jenna Update

Little Greta accompanied Kimmi, Josh, and me to the show. She is a shy girl and did not really come out of her shock at the sights, sounds, and smells of a dog show the entire weekend. It was a bit disheartening since she will be old enough to show late this month, and I intend to enter her in some May shows. She was a good girl in her crate at the show and in the hotel room, and she did not mind using the exercise pen. She just was unhappy and had her tail down most of the time. However, she was not so unhappy as to skip eating! She is a food inhaler! Greta's registered name is Joyslyn's No Regrets. I am hoping not to have any!!

Greta relaxing on the bed in our hotel room.

Greta and our other puppy, Jenna (Joyslyn MLS Dakota Je Na Sais Quoi) are doing okay with their lead breaking as we practice being "show dogs" up and down our street. I'm hoping all this transitions to walking on the mats in the rings at the shows. One step at a time...

We currently have some construction going on in our utility room, so all the dogs are getting used to hearing the unusual sounds of hammers and drills and saws. I am eager to see the results of the contractor's work. I've wanted that room updated for 26 years (that would be since the day we moved in!)

Notes and Photos from Others

Denise wrote this about Duncan (Greta's litter brother): "Hi Joyce, Duncan got his first grooming last Saturday! Look how beautiful he is. They said he was a very good customer."

From Judy L: "Joyce, I just opened the front door and Raven/Whisper were playing and fake growling at each other, and Raven was hopping while doing this. Cracked me up…Raven adores Whisper, and can't wait to be with her. She goes to the kitchen gate to nose-to-nose with her, and when I let Raven out the front door, she races around to where the doggie door is, hoping Whisper will be there…The Whisper and Raven reuniting has been wonderful for both of the girls. As you witnessed when Whisper was still there, both of them love to antagonize the other one. When they run and walk, they appear to be glued together. What a fabulous brace they would have been... Thank you again for allowing these two beautiful, loving, and awesome sisters to share their lives with me. I love them both so much and love them equally. They have such different personalities and each personality fits into my life in different ways. Whisper is my bouncy kissy cuddly girl, and Raven is my stoic, calm, and watchful companion."


From Judy G about her two Joyslyn's Lhasas, Ty and Izzy:  "Ty, our golden boy, isn't enjoying going to class by himself yet. I have thought about bringing Izzy back to class, but she now has decided she is above such lowly activity as agility.  I am back at Rush for another series of shots and IZ doesn't like the bandages. Rush is beginning to ask patients about 'healers' just as the University of Chicago does. Rush began this program when they found out about what dogs can do for their nurses and patients in the hospital. Dogs help lower blood pressure, heart rate, etc., and like Izzy, some can find where the pain is located. I was asked last Monday if I had a dog who knows where the facial pain is. Our Izzy is now registered at 2 hospitals as a healer. Unfortunately, no one has been able to prove this in a scientific study.  Ty, practices agility daily with me and runs several times a week with Odie and John on his bike. He knows left and right.  He is also visiting 2 homes on my 'Meals on Wheels' route."


 From Kathy: "Attached is a picture of our community college co-ed Sophie at her graduation ceremony for receiving her AKC S.T.A.R. award.  When not attending classes, Sophie enjoys Mountain Goat Leaping, Ironman Twig Relay, and Olympic Puppy Wrestling Competitions.  After a brief sabbatical to see the beach and get the “big operation,” she will return to school for the Basic Skills and Manners curriculum. She is guarding the neighborhood from a front bedroom window as I write this.  We love her to pieces, and she certainly has become part of the family."

The following is a note from Carol about a terrible experience she had when she took Sadie to a new groomer last summer. Carol keeps Sadie's coat long and mat-free. She had problems with groomers who only wanted to shave Sadie bald, even when all Carol wanted was for Sadie to be bathed and get her feet and nails trimmed.

Carol wrote: "Sadie was still in her full coat so I asked her Vet for a recommendation for a groomer that didn't just want to shave all dogs.  He gave me the name and number of the groomer who does his Yorkie and 2 Golden Retrievers, all in full coats.  I made the appt and Jack & I took her for a bath, nail trim, clean up feet & make her beautiful because I didn't have the time to do it myself with Mom in such bad shape in the hospital.  Well, when Jack and I went to pick Sadie up 3 hrs later we didn't know it was Sadie!  That awful woman shaved her to the skin.  To the point she was bleeding.  Jack burst into tears and I was livid.  She had No Explanation as to why she did that to Sadie.  She never had a single mat on her.  I refused to pay her and went immediately to the Vet to have Sadie's chip scanned to make sure it was her.  He didn't know what to say.  Gave her an antibiotic injection and sent us home with more antibiotics and shampoo to bath her in 3 times a week.  That so called groomer must have bathed her in a sewer.  She ended up with skin infection, eye and ear infection, staph infection.  Even her feet were infected.  I had just had her to her Vet the week before for her yearly exam and shots.  He could hardly believe it was the same dog that he had seen 5 days before."

I don't even know what to say about that except that I am glad she waited so long to tell me or I'd have been tempted to track down that groomer!

Sad News for the Lhasa World

Marilyn Lucas, a long time Lhasa breeder and exhibitor, passed away in late March. She was a friend and a respected Lhasa breeder. Her kennel name was Cozmos, and she produced many champions and noteworthy Lhasas. You might remember seeing photos and reading my blog posts about Luna. Luna was the result of a breeding that Marilyn and I did between her male, Logan, and my female, Raven. And Luna is only one of many beautiful dogs resulting from Marilyn's Cozmos dogs. She will be greatly missed, as will be her contributions to the welfare and preservation of our breed.

Puppy News

Sadly, there is no news! We are just waiting, waiting, waiting...for the girls to come in season. If you are on the waiting list and grew tired of waiting and found a puppy from another breeder, please send me a quick email message to let me know.

If anyone is interested in purchasing one of our retired champion adults, we will have adults (male and female) available to pet homes toward the end of 2016. These dogs will be available only to people who have owned a Lhasa Apso in the past.

National Specialty News

The 2016 American Lhasa Apso Club National Specialty will be held in Loveland, CO, October 24-28. I've attached the flyer with the preliminary schedule of events. If you live nearby or are looking for something to do in October, make plans to be there, even for a day. The dogs are beautiful and the event is fun and interesting.

 Purebred Breeders Are Such Snobs!

Seriously?? Yes, I was accused of being a "snob" because I breed purebred Lhasas. But, you know what, if that's the appellation, then I will wear it proudly. I am proud to be a purebred Lhasa Apso breeder of long standing and good repute. I am proud to be, as the new term for breeders such as I labels us, a "preserver" of the breed.

The Lhasa Apso has a long history and is certainly a breed that deserves careful preservation and appreciation. This is an ancient breed whose DNA has been traced back to the ancestral wolf. It deserves preservation by breeders who appreciate its roots and the culture from which it came. It deserves breeders who read the standard and breed to it. It deserves appreciation for its uniqueness and its history.

Those "breeders" who bastardize the breed by mixing it with Poodles or Cocker Spaniels or Shih Tzu, Maltese, or heaven knows what other kooky combination they can come up with and slap on a cute sounding "designer" label are doing no favors to the breed and are "in it for the money."  Do you see the asking prices? These breeders are not creating a healthier, sounder, better dog. Call it what you will, a mixed breed is just that. If you buy one, love it and take good care of it, but understand what it really is. A designer dog by any other name is just a mixed breed, a mutt.

Breeders who breed two Lhasas simply because "little Cha-Cha is so cute and everyone loves her and wants a puppy just like her," or because "the kids would love to see puppies born and experience raising a litter," or because "we need some extra money and the dog is our ticket" are doing the breed no favors. Breeders who breed without careful consideration of the potential sire and dam's pedigrees, their physical qualities and those of their ancestors, and their temperaments and those of their ancestors are doing the breed no favors.

So, yeah, you can call me a snob about my dogs. I've invested 43 years of my life studying and loving the Lhasa Apso and, as I and the majority of other members of the American Lhasa Apso Club get older and the end of our time as breeders and exhibitors draws nearer, the future of the breed becomes even more important to me. Who will take up the torch?

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

Joyce 

Happy Easter!

May God continue to bless each and every one of you!

and always remember...

I'll check in again soon, after the show this coming weekend!

Joyce

In Like A Lion..

What I've Been Up To

Hello! It's been a while, I know. The last few weeks have gone by like a whirlwind, and here it is March 11th already! I have not been idle. I mentioned in the last post that I'd been traveling to visit friends and family. I'd visited our son, Trevor, at the end of January. In early February I went to Iowa to visit Aaron, Amanda, and granddaughter Klara.

Aaron is quite artistic. He games, and one of his passions is painting miniatures. He is meticulous with his art - definitely a perfectionist. Here is a photo of his Kharn the Betrayer. Kharn is 28mm (about 1 1/16 inches) tall.

Kharm the Betrayer

On February 20 and 21, Josh, Duncan, and I went to dog shows in Des Moines. Many thanks to Shiba friend, Rebecca Powell, who showed Duncan for me. Duncan had not been shown for at least 18 months and he presented Rebecca with some challenges!

Josh is now a Grand Champion. He finished with 34 points  and four majors. I'm glad to have that out of the way.

Josh - GCh.Ch.Joyslyn MLS Dakota Wind Breaker

The day after the show, I left for Florida to visit our daughter and her family. I don't know where the week went, but on the 29th I found myself back in Illinois, gearing up to go back to work part-time on March 1. One thing we did in Florida was visit the Miami Zoo. Here I am, feeding the giraffes. The zoo sold bowls of kale. The giraffes ate quickly and soon our turn was over. My 18 month old grandson had a great time feeding them. He was not at all intimidated.

My granddaughter's teacher asked me if I would Skype with the class and read a couple short books in honor of World Read Aloud day. So before I left for Florida,  I packed my iPad and a couple of my favorite picture books, Martha Ann and the Mother Store and I Ain't Gonna Paint No More to read to the students. It was great fun for me and a nice surprise for Klara, who had no idea the guest reader was going to be her grandma. A few days ago, I received some wonderful artfully-decorated thank you notes from some of the students.

Here is a picture of me on the big screen as I was Skyping with the class. Klara was sitting in front of the computer screen so I could see her as I read.

We also took a trip to the Tampa area because Trevor's band was playing in Ybor City. My grandson and I stayed in the hotel while Erikka and Salman went to the show. (More about the band later.)

Work is going well. It's as if I'd never left, and after 26 years at the same job, getting back into the work routine was easy. Don't get me wrong: I absolutely look forward to my two days off each week!

Notes and Photos from Others

Cindy wrote, "Charley is growing up so fast.  He continues to be a joy to our family.  He is sleeping through the night and potty training is going ok. Challenging etc." She sent a photo of Charley.

Kathy wrote, "From all of the other owners’ comments regarding THEIR Lhasas (for as far back as I can read on your blog), Sophie sounds like all of them, rolled into one!  Puppy Kindergarten is going well.  She is still doing just as well as the labs and shepherds in the class, and she is showing them all that she is not intimidated by puppies two to three times her size!"

Denise wrote, "Hi Joyce. Just wanted to share this photo with you! Our Duncan is 17 weeks and such a character. He is so much fun...loving and spunky! He is still holding on the  chance he may become top dog in the Armstrong house lol.... Lily may be almost 10 but she is not giving up the crown. As much as they scrap with each other, the next they are laying next to one another."
Denise sent this cute photo of her Duncan:




 Joe sent a photo of Abby, but no note. Abby seems to be begging to be put in the suitcase so she can go on the trip too!

 
The Strongs sent a note and a photo of their Luther. "Hi Joyce.....hard to believe Luther is 10 months old! I need some advice. His coat is sooooo thick and seems so dry...I have a conditioner I spray on, but it doesn't seem to do much good."

I suggested that she try coconut oil on his food.

Speaking of Coat Care

When Cindy mentioned Luther was 10 months old and, having recently faced Kimmi's (his litter sister's) coat change, I thought I should revisit for everyone some information about Lhasa puppies' coat change. This is especially good information for people who are new to the breed. First, I cannot emphasize enough that when you first get a puppy, you need to start training it to be groomed. Even if you do not plan to allow the coat to grow to floor length, the dog still needs to learn some manners when it comes to being groomed.

As far as coat change is concerned, here are some things to keep in mind:

The puppy's coat change can happen anywhere between the ages of 9 to 14 months. Since individuals differ, the time frame may also vary somewhat: some Lhasas may begin as early as 6 months, while others may hold off until 16 months. One thing you can be sure of, unless your Lhasa puppy has a really sparse coat, the coat change WILL happen.

Remember, a Lhasa's coat does not shed as most other breeds' coats do. What happens during the coat change is that the softer puppy coat is being replaced by the harsher-textured adult coat. As the adult coat comes in, the puppy coat "dies" and needs to be brushed out or it will tangle and mat terribly. At this time, your puppy may need daily grooming to remove the soft, "dead" puppy coat. You will be surprised at how much loose coat can be brushed out during coat change time.

When the coat change does begin, don't get discouraged. It usually lasts less than a month. Set aside time each day to groom your Lhasa. If you don't have time to brush him completely each day, then at least do some spot grooming in the troublesome areas (neck, insides of legs, behind the ears) on a daily basis. Don't go longer than two days without a complete brushing, though. Those darn mats surprise you -- a puppy may not look matted, but his undercoat may be a real mess. Watch for and take care of tangles and mats as they appear, and do not put off grooming, thinking the mats will disappear by themselves (they don't!).

Finally, don't be discouraged; just hang in there until it's over -- the coat change period really does end, and the harder textured adult coat will be easier to deal with.
 

Pictures of My Puppies

Kimmi, Greta, and Jenna all had baths Wednesday night, so I thought that would be a good time to take photos of each, since it has been a while since we've taken and posted pictures.

Kimmi is now 10 months old. She's looking good and I'm looking forward to getting back in the show ring with her at the end of this month. Wisconsin, here we come!

Kimmi - Joyslyn's Heart Song

Kimmi - profile

Greta is about 4 and a half months old now.

Greta

Greta - profile

I called Jenna my "Ugly Duckling" because I always hated the photos of her as a young puppy. We never could get a good one. She is definitely turning into a "Swan." Whew!!

Jenna

Jenna Profile

Black Fast News

Black Fast, the band for which our son Trevor plays guitar, has been on tour since mid-February and the tours will continue with a week or so off occasionally through May (and maybe beyond -- nothing has been scheduled yet after May).

The photo of Trevor was taken by Sinestra Studios. More of their photos of the band members are available by clicking here.

They are getting good reviews. For example here is an excerpt from one:

"As an old curmudgeon metalhead, I have to say that I was more than impressed. Black Fast has that charisma, charm, integrity, and fire that I love to see in a band of any age. It is very obvious that Black Fast is out to conquer and if they keep doing things the way they are doing, they will definitely leave their mark on a genre that so desperately needs something refreshing. What I loved the most about Black Fast is that they kind of proved me wrong. Black Fast also reminded me that even in the more extreme genre, a band can still do something that tugs at my heart strings and makes me believer. All in all, Black Fast is a young band that is very quickly picking up momentum, turning heads, and proving themselves as a touring band to be reckoned with."  ~excerpt from review of Black Fast's performance in Atlanta by Don de Leaumont

For the entire article, you can click here.

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

Thanks for checking in -- and reading this whole post!  'Til next time!

Joyce

February Holidays and Other Musings

Holiday Greetings!

I don't know why the realization has not hit me before, but February sure has a lot of holidays, considering it is such a short "let's get through this so we can get to Spring" month.  Since I seem to have missed wishing you various February holiday greetings, here you go in one fell swoop.

Here in Illinois, we celebrate Abraham Lincoln's Birthday on February 12th! State offices, colleges, and universities are closed. This year the 12th happened to fall on a Friday, so it gave employees a long weekend. When the day is celebrated in mid-week that doesn't happen.
Happy (Belated) Lincoln's Birthday! 

Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day!
I hope you got lots of cards, candy, and flowers!

Happy (Belated) President's Day!
So...in Illinois because we get Lincoln's Birthday as a holiday, state employees have to work on Presidents' Day. It's a bank and Post Office holiday.
Happy (Belated) Presidents' Day!

Happy Westminster Kennel Club Show!  
Okay, it is not really a holiday, but it is a big deal for those of us who show dogs, and it happens in February.

If you were watching the Group judging last night, you may have noticed the beautiful Lhasa Apso that represented our breed in the Non-Sporting Group. That was GCh. Ta Sen Swinging On A Star, handled by Joe Berkau and owned by Susan Giles and Muriel Wolverton.

Here is a link to the WKC website if you want to watch some of the videos or the live streaming.

What's Been Going On Here?

 The easy answer to that is "not much." I've taken time to visit two of my three kids. The next visit is coming soon. I met Marsha Susag at a halfway point between Macomb and Fargo so I could give Charli back to her. Marsha plans to introduce Charli to Barn Hunting. Charli is going to have a great time! Little Greta and Jenna traveled with me and they were perfect travelers both in the car and in the hotel room. Since our weather has been very cold, windy, and snowy, I haven't had a chance to get the girls outside to lead break them, so Marsha and I took some time and walked them up and down the empty hotel hallway. Jenna was eager to walk. Greta put on the brakes but eventually decided that if Jenna could do it, so could she.

I took Duncan and Josh to a training class in hopes of getting them back into the habit of showing before their next show, which is this coming weekend. There is a small entry in Lhasas and it will be a good way to get the dogs back into the swing of things. Duncan has not been a show ring since June of 2014. He was a bit put off during class but eventually decided he could manage. I forgot how much he shakes his head when he wears a lead! Ugh! Josh has been "off" only since September, so he was more sure of himself. He still prefers to cut the corners as he goes around the ring!

Notes from Others

Kathy (from Missouri) wrote about her Sophie's (Greta's sister's) first experience at class, "I needn’t have worried about Sophie in puppy class—she was the star of the show!  She was friendly, but not intimidated, towards all of the puppies (all of whom were larger than her—including a one-year-old bull mastiff!).  She was one of the best at following direction, and she loved it!"

Marilyn wrote, "Wanted to send a pic of Maci's latest additions to her toy graveyard. Should be labeled "Maci's Isle of Destruction!" Good thing she is so cute!"

 Above, the cute but destructive Maci. Below, her latest victims.

Judy wrote me about Raven, who is the dam of both Duncan and Luna: "Did I tell you that Raven tucks me into bed every night? Once I start turning out the lights leading to the bedroom, Raven starts watching to see if I am going to go into the office and use the computer, or if I am going to bed. Once Raven realizes that I am getting ready for bed, she gets up on the bed and sits in the middle of it watching me and waiting. As soon as I get into bed and pull the covers up over me, Raven comes over and lies down close to me at the top of the covers. She will place her front legs so her paws are at the top edge of the covers or maybe on my arm. Then she will lie her head down and be very still...Once in a while she will give me a soft lick, but then remains still and enjoys me kissing her neck under her ear, rubbing her tummy, and continuing to tell her how beautiful she is and how much I love her. Some nights the "tuck in" lasts just a few minutes. Other nights Raven will stay with me for 5-10 minutes. Apparently she loves this routine. Once she has had her fill, she gets up and goes to lie down on her blanket..."

LaVonne forwarded me a message about Charlie, a six month old puppy sired by her Ch. Mon Ami's Late Night Shadow (Winslow) and out of her Joyslyn MLS Dakota Winter Windy Night Mon Ami (Cinder). I think it is a wonderful and touching story and wanted to share it with you.

This is what Charlie's owner, Kathy (from Illinois) wrote on her Facebook page: "I want to share an extraordinary story about my puppy, Charlie, who will be 6 months old next week.  For those of you who don’t know, I’m type 1 diabetic and wear an insulin pump. It malfunctioned Thursday night, so I replaced it and went to bed. Every time I fell asleep Charlie would jump on me and wake me up. This went on for a couple of hours as best as I can remember. Charlie was very agitated and I was getting irritated because I had a big day Friday, was exhausted, and really needed to get some sleep! Plus he was acting totally out of character. Finally I realized that I wasn’t feeling well and got up to test my blood glucose. As I walked to the bathroom I felt faint and knew something was very wrong. I started eating glucose tablets and when I tested my blood it was 33 – normal is 100 to 120 for me - I was literally minutes away from being in a coma and was lucky that it hadn’t already happened. I made my way downstairs and started chugging Orangina (which I never have on hand but did for some reason) to get my blood sugar up rapidly, and then finally went back to bed. Charlie settled down and we all went to sleep. I’ve heard of dogs who can sense low blood sugar, cancer, etc., but have never had the experience. I would very likely be dead if it weren’t for Charlie – and I’m not exaggerating because once I would be in a coma that would be it because I live alone and no one would have found me in time. I’m seeing my dr Tuesday to find out what the #@*% happened with the pump and will be wearing a continuous blood glucose monitor to alert me if my blood sugar tanks. But I’m so blown away by Charlie’s extraordinary ability to sense this and keep me from falling asleep, thus sinking into a coma, I just can’t believe it. It didn’t even occur to me what had happened until Friday morning at work when I put the pieces together.  And I wanted to share this story about my amazing Charlie with all of you. How blessed am I? Can you believe this?."

Other Items of Interest (Well, to me anyway...)

Great Article
Here is a link to an article "Words Matter" by Elizabeth Brinkley.
Not sure if you want to read it? Here is an excerpt from the article: "…The animal rights cults have a plan and one of the tools they use is called “incrementalism” – one step at a time, one inch at a time, one bad law at a time. They have worked on their plan for years…"

Seriously, you should read the article!!

Substance Harmful to Dogs
Xylitol, a sugar substitute found in sugar-free gum and many other seemingly innocuous products in your home is extremely harmful to dogs. Read more about this topic in a press release from the AVMA: Sugar Substitute May Be Dangerous to Dogs

It's Working for My Dog
Try Pro Den Plaque Off if you are looking for an alternative to having your dog's teeth cleaned. I've used it on one of my dogs as a test. His teeth were the absolute worst! The product is handling the problem to the extent that I have decided to use it now on all the dogs. After recently spending nearly $1000 to have 5 dogs' teeth cleaned, it seems to me that this product might help me save some money in the future.

He's Coming Back!
Our granddog, Henri, dislikes our 18 month old grandson—and the feeling is mutual. To avoid further confrontation, Henri is giving up Florida and moving back to Illinois later this month. I'm sorry it has to happen. Here's the latest picture of the little rascal, taken on his way home from the groomer. He is an Affenpinscher. Cute. Full of himself.

 Black Fast News
Well, the band is on tour now, packed and on the way to NY. Here is a link to the new Black Fast video for my favorite song (The Fall). I love the instrumentals at the beginning and end. Check out the band's Facebook page for tour dates.

Training for Grooming
I have a firm belief that the problems groomers have with grooming Lhasas is the fault of the owner for not teaching his/her Lhasa to accept being groomed. Training for grooming, whether the dog goes to a groomer or is groomed at home by the owner, is an absolute necessity. Read this article for some tips on how to begin. If you have a young Lhasa, start now!!! If you have an older one that dislikes grooming, work with him daily. Start now!!!

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

Joyce