February 2024

 

"While it is February, one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch." ~ Patience Strong

Ahh...February and all its special days. There was Ground Hog Day on the 2nd, (and I never did find out if  the ground hog saw his shadow or not). Here in Illinois, we celebrate Lincoln's Birthday on the 12th and then, of course, Presidents' Day on the 19th. Valentine's Day will be celebrated next week.

Oh my gosh, I almost forgot the beginning of Lent!

For us, the dog shows begin in February. Of course, dog shows happen in January too. I rarely enter those shows.

Before I write anything else, I want to give you my new email address: joyslynslhasas73@gmail.com
I hope you all use it and contact me again with your Lhasas' photos and updates. It has been lonely around here! I lost my entire contact list, including those on the waitlist -- so if you know you were waitlist for a Joyslyn's puppy, please get in touch again using the new email address.

If you receive email supposedly from me using the outlook.com address, delete it. I no longer use that account, so that message is not from me.

Many thanks to those who emailed me at the wiu.edu address, but that is my old work email address and I'd prefer to use the new one for the Lhasas.

I am finally okay. Ever since the hack, I reminded myself of that commercial where the woman holds a paper plate with a smiley face on it to cover her own sad face. I too was just going through the motions, putting off all but essential chores, feeling down, feeling stressed, and staying angry.

(Fact:I eat too many carbs when I am stressed. Not a good thing! Pam, Paul, Rusty, Josie, and Lil One sent me chocolate covered caramels. Now, I dearly love chocolate covered caramels, so I give heartfelt thanks to them for the gift! However, I took the advice of a smart friend and put the package in the freezer. I allow myself 2 a day -- and I have to be patient while they thaw out. It is a nice thing to look forward to each day. Otherwise, that entire package would have been gone in a flash!)

The following quotation is attributed to John Lennon: "Everything will be okay in the end, and if it is not okay, it's not the end."

It's not the end yet, but it is getting there.

Another new (and negative) thing I learned about myself recently is that I dislike change that challenges me to learn something new at which I am sure I will fail. I'm not proud of fearing failure, but it seems to be a fact in this particular case. I feel guilty because my fear caused me to let people down.

A good thing that happened was that Show Sight magazine published an article I wrote on Lhasa Apso coat color change. It is in the January 2024 issue, beginning on page 254. If this link does not work, just google the magazine name and issue number.

https://digital.showsightmagazine.com/view/437705027/

Puppy News

If all goes as planned, we will have a spring litter. I have always trusted my boys to let me know when a girl is ready to breed, and that has always worked out. However, the "modern" way is to do progesterone testing. So at the urging of some friends, I am trying it this time. It is expensive!!

Adult Availability

We will have a retired female champion ready for a new home this spring. She is gold. She is special!! Again, I had a waitlist which has now disappeared.

I have also been asked to find a home for a golden male Lhasa who has lived in a pet home for 6 years. I'll have him here with me at the end of February. I'll post photos when I get him.

Inquiries about either of these Lhasas are welcome.

Miscellaneous

I recently accepted an invitation to a Zoom meeting to discuss low entry breeds. AKC recognizes the Lhasa as a low entry breed, which basically means that there are no longer many Lhasas competing in conformation shows. There are many other breeds in the same situation. During the meeting, which was only an hour long so we did not have time to get too deep into the topic, we talked about our breeds and what makes them special. We talked about some reasons why our breed was no longer popular with exhibitors, especially young exhibitors. It was a good beginning conversation.

We have shows coming up this month and next. I will be showing Ebony and Deacon. I am especially looking forward to the show in Louisville, where my friend and co-presenter Jan and I will be giving a judges' education seminar and workshop about our breed on March 15.

This was featured in the TCLAC newsletter, and I wanted to share it.

I think it is a good response to people who make fun of or belittle those who participate in the many opportunities to have fun and, yes, earn titles on our dogs. Opportunities range from agility, rally, conformation, Fast CAT, lure coursing, obedience, barn hunt, scent work, dock diving, trick dog, therapy dog, Canine Good Citizen...and MORE. Another title you might decide to give your dog could be BBLD (Best Beloved Lap Dog -- I just made that one up!)  

Notes and Photos From Others

From Marsha M: Hi. Just wanted to tell you Jimmy is 11 years old  today and doing well. He’s a good boy.

From Nanda: "Hello! So sorry your email got hacked. We’ve been there. It sucks! We did get an email asking for help to buy a $200 Amazon gift card … these scammers are so annoying. Ty is 3 (01/21)! He is gorgeous, funny, delicious, loving, super cool, happy and healthy! He is 100% Kris’s dog. But Gigi is all mine!!!!! Thank you for trusting us to love and care for them. To say we love them is an understatement… we are completely obsessed.

In a later message Nanda sent this picture of Ty at "work." She wrote. "He knows we are supposed to be quiet due Kris’s meetings so if you walk by them, he (Ty) totally gives you the evil eye. And if you try to reach for something on their work space or if you come closer he checks you out like a tsa officer. He takes his job of protecting [Kris' company] very seriously. But the minute you put him back on the ground, he’s all play. Go figure." 

Cathy sent this picture of her Willow.

From Mary R, "Belle turned 15  XMAS Day.  I have never had a Lhasa get to that age. There are health issues as with any senior dog;  her attitude is always willing to try;  getting up and moving is sometimes tough--her knees, but once up she is on a roll.  Her vision, hearing are both minimal...She wants her independence and is proud to have it. Her sense of location amazes me. We have ramps at each deck entrance. I watch her carefully or just carry her to the yard but she most often finds a ramp...She has to have her crate pad folded a certain way. I finally gave up straightening it and folded it the way she likes. she cuddles into it.   If daylight and we are outside, I put my arms high in the air. She runs like a locomotive to me. I have memories of her in agility:  the instructor comment:  “YOU are going to have to move with this one!”   She was fast and fun.. She always has a happy attitude and wants to be with the other 2 dogs. I think her “security”.  Rafe is especially patient with her inquires into his crate. He won’t tolerate one of the cats near his den but he lets Belle do any investigation. He is very soft with her. I just try and make each day the best it can be for her. She has given much to my life and my household.    We could all take lessons from her attitude."

These 3 photos are of Belle. The first two when she was around 1.5 years old and the third at age 15 years.

Here is a photo of Rafe's brother, Gabe. His owner, Mary D., sadly reported that Gabe passed away recently. I was so very sad to hear that news. I know how very much she loved him and he adored her. When Mary called me with the sad news we shared memories of when we met and of Gabe as a puppy.

Judy G wrote, "Winter received her first leg in Rally Intermediate. ...She is a one-of-a-kind!  If you ever have another 'wild child' please let me know. Just being with her makes everyone happy."

Judy L posted this picture of her Gus and Lippy on my FB page.

DJ sent this picture of Charlie.

From Lisa about Duncan, "Duncan is a  fun but cerebral dog. I can see him trying to figure things out. For instance, I was watching a movie where there was a train on railroad tracks that blew its horn. I think this may have been a new sound for Duncan. He stared straight at the TV and then tilted his head ever so slightly before looking at me.

He definitely knows what he wants and how to get what he wants. Love my little mountain lion. 

After writing to notify me about the hack, Vivian, whom I had not heard from in years, wrote this: "On the bright side. I had a VERY good time looking at everything on the internet about you and our wonderful Lhasas. The pictures, history, memories, and chat items were super satisfying and brought me great joy.  It was like a wonderful sit-down chat with an old friend.  So, a small bright point to a horrible intrusion into your life!"

You may recall that a few months ago I wrote about two Lhasas who needed a home together because their owner had fallen and sustained a head injury and was not expected to live. Marsha & David S. took the dogs and Marsha tells me Baron and Willow thriving and fitting into their new family well. Both were over weight when she got them but now are down to more reasonable weights. 

Something to Ponder on Leap Day

This year is a leap year, a February of 29 days. I found this gem, written by Kara Douglass, as I was reading:

"During a Leap Year, as Leap Day approached, I began to have this sense I was to get what I always seem to need: an extra 24 hours in the day... Then I started to think Leap Day should be designated a holiday so people can take advantage of the extra 24 hours however they wished... By marking this bonus day in some special way, we would celebrate time — really consider what it means to have time here on Earth — and thus, be present with our life and our time together." ~Kara Douglass Thom, "Look Where You Leap," Winning as a Fit Mom, 2015

No, I am not going to forget Valentine's Day! Here is a greeting from my heart to yours, whether we have been friends for years or are friends who have yet to meet. One thing we all have in common is our love for a very special breed, the Lhasa Apso. Lhasa Love!

Thanks for reading!

Joyce

January! New Year, New Beginnings

 

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" ~ Senica

We had a nice Christmas and I hope you did also. It was the year for "Florida Four" (daughter, SIL, and two grandkids) to stay in Florida, so we were a small but lively group. Here I am with one of my gifts. Cute pillow!

If you want one, it is available on Amazon.

Actually, the new year has not gotten off to a great start for me. The first thing that happened involved flickering lights and my guardian angel. I flipped the bathroom light switch, saw a flickering light bulb, decided it was wearing out, so I put in a new one. Still flickering, as was the light in the bedroom. We were getting ready for church, so Lynn went downstairs to the electric panel and flipped the switch, saying we'd deal with it when we got home.

When we returned home, we decided to call an electrician. I was reading and decided to make myself scarce while the electrician was going up and down the stairs and into the rooms that were affected. We have 3 spare bedrooms in our now empty nest and I decided to go in the one that had belonged to our oldest. I opened the book to read and heard a quiet but annoying rattling, like a piece of plastic caught in the floor heating register. The room had been occupied by our granddaughters, and I thought perhaps one of them had dropped something that ended up in the register. I leaned over the side of the bed to look and what did I see but sparks flying out of an outlet! The electrician did the repair and all is well for now. It seems that whoever built our house in 1964 used aluminum wiring on all the outlets in the rooms that have outside walls. They all have to be replaced as does the electrical panel. The estimate was $12,000. Happy New Year.

In such cases, a person has to look for a silver lining: we did not have a fire, we are alive and well, the dogs are fine.

A few days later, I received a phone call telling me I'd won a Publishers Clearing House prize. Oh boy, and I never even entered the contest! The caller said I would get 4.5 million, a 2023 BMW, and $7000 a month for the rest of my life. I hung up on him. (Just so you know, if you happen to be a lucky PCH winner, they never call, they always come to your door to deliver the good news.)

Still, you know, when you get a call like that, you cannot help but wish it were true and ponder what you would do with all that money...

And then, my computer was hacked. I imagine many of you reading this already know that because the hacker got into my joyslynslhasas@outlook.com email. I am so very sorry that happened and hope that if you received an email from me asking for money that you recognized for the scam it was and did not fall for it. I would never ask for money like that! A few of you called to ask me about it and I appreciate your concern. I did have virus protection for the computer, but....???

I haven't slept well since it happened. I keep thinking about it and wondering what else the "Hacker from Nigeria" may have gotten into. People who know me well know that I am a worrier. It is not a wonderful way to be, but it has helped me become rather pro-active. I tend to look at a situation, think what could go wrong, and then figure out how to keep it from happening. The hacker was smarter than I am.

This hacking incident has caused many emotions. I am, of course, angry and scared when I consider what else the hacker may have done. I hate feeling so vulnerable, frustrated, and helpless. I think of all the stories about what people lose: identity, money, reputation, peace of mind.

So that is the main reason this blog is later than usual this month. The computer spent some time at the Computer Source store in town to be cleaned and when I got it back, it has take a lot of time to change the many passwords, contact my bank, and call the credit card companies, "just in case." 

You need to know that the outlook.com email account is not working. If you sent me a message after January 9th, I did not get it. If you need to contact me, until I get things sorted out, use jk-johanson@wiu.edu 

On to Other Things

I ran across a special holiday deal on piddle pads so I bought 600 of them! Do you know how much room 600 piddle pads take up? Let's just say that closet shelves, book shelves, empty dog crates, and numerous other nooks and crannies are now housing piddle pads.

The puppies have all left for their new homes but the last photos we took of them were all so cute that I want to share them.

This is Autumn's puppy that we called Little Pete. His new name is Ollie.

Pearl Puppies: Amelia and Paul

Emmy's Puppies: Lucy, Tia, and Tashi

We'll be entering some shows soon, weather permitting. The busy Christmas season, the recent snows and way below zero temperatures have kept us from the much-needed training classes. Ebony has not been to a show since early September and Deacon has never been to a show, so let's just say our first shows of the year might be "interesting." Anyway, here are recent pictures of Ebony and Deacon.

Notes and Photos from Others

Many thanks to those who took time to keep in touch during the hectic holidays!

Sally sent this picture of Jaxon and Ginger

Nanda sent pictures of the "twins," Ty and Gigi. Here is one of them.

Debi sent an update on her Lacey: "...Lacey is wonderful! We can't believe she is already 2 years old. She brings us so much laughter and joy! She is a happy girl and full of energy. She loves to run. We have a piece of cardboard in front of our sliding glass door because when she gets the zoomies, she runs full force grunting and crashes into the sliding door on purpose, LOL. She also loves to chase after toys and the cats sometimes. Her favorite thing to do is catch her stuffed toys in the air. She will run ahead before you throw it so she can catch it in her mouth, then she gives you that proud look...She is definitely a character, but that is one thing we love aabout her so much!"

 Jan, Rick, and Nick sent holiday greetings and a photo of Sophie and Zoey. Nick wrote, "The girls give us so many reasons to smile, and we are so grateful to have them."

Pam sent this picture of Rusty napping. Sweet boy!

And her husband Paul sent this one of Rusty, Lil One, and Josie on guard, protecting the motorhome.

Lisa sent this picture of her Joyslyn's boy, Duncan (black and tan) and his housemate, Dresden, Christmas shopping in their matching outfits.

Ginny sent pictures of Maple and wrote, "We needed a shorter than normal cut at grooming this last week as our normal every five week schedule was pushed back a bit and things got a little out of hand...she'll be fluffy again before we know it and wearing our Piper's sweater until that happens"

Jan and Diane sent this picture of Gabby decked out in her holiday reindeer antlers! Gabby is a litter sister to Bekka and Chance.

Molly Anne sent an update on Luna's 2023 adventures: "...she attended 3 outdoor concerts, 2 tea parties, a St. Patrick's Day get-together, the St. Patrick's Day mile walk, had a special birthday by a lake, and the Christmas tree lighting in Grove Park. We go on a trail walk or to the dog park every other day...She continues to amaze me with her courage, curiosity, and intuition--not to ignore she's a perfect hedonist. She loves delving down into her down pillow. She is a joy every day!"

Jerry wrote that Bekka (who is Luna's daughter) has finally learned how to jump onto the bed. "Against all expectations Bekka is now able to easily and consistently jump from the floor to the bed..."

Judy G updated me about Winter. "Winter was so happy to go back to Canine Connect this morning. Her dog friends were there to greet her. She missed a month of classes and it showed in her taping. She decided that I could not walk around her. Who knows why? So we had 10 points off for that miscue, plus a few more for not sitting straight. We should get a leg. We will find out in a month after and AKC judge scores the taping.

I am awed by Judy! Besides keeping busy with her Lhasas in agility and rally training and trials, Judy is an accomplished artist. She does stained-glass and other artistic projects. Here is an example of a piece of art she did for me of our dog Kimmi. I sent her a black and white photo of Kimmi. She applied the image to glass and it was fired to 1465 degrees. The result was the photo in a sepia tone on a white opalescent glass. 

Here is a photo of the glasswork, but it does not do justice to the actual artwork.

Valaree wrote about Tia: "She did great on her first night with us. She was very well behaved in the car. For some reason she wanted to sit on my shoulders and once she was up there she slept the majority of the ride. She is getting accustomed to her new home and is just so cuddly and sweet.

Nick sent this photo of Paul and told me that Paul was adjusting well to his new home.

Dawn wrote about Ollie: "You are correct that he is a pistol! We don't mind and are thrilled to have him. Our other dog , Bailey, is not very happy right now but hopefully she will warm up to him in a few days."

Kalah wrote that Tashi "...is such a good, loveable little dog.We are so happy with him. Bob said that he is everything we hoped for."

Jacob sent pictures of Harley and Lucy

Advice

I know that some of you may not have the space for it, but if you do, get an exercise pen to use during these bitter cold days when neither you nor your Lhasa wants to go outside. I have an exercise pen set up in our garage. The dogs use it when we have bad weather - rain, snow, bitter cold temps.

Now Here Is An Idea!

Does your Lhasa put his whole head in the water bowl for a drink and then drip water through your house as a result? Think about using a water bottle adapter. Those things are great and the dogs learn to use them quickly. Our last litters watched their moms drinking from the adapter and quickly learned to lick the spout.

Here is a picture of the water bottle attached to the dog's crate so you can see how it attaches.

But...what if you are a person who does not have a crate for your dog? Well you can still use the water bottle and adapter, if you want to pay about $90 for a lucite free standing holder.

Instead, make your own. First, buy a paper towel holder that looks like this. You can get them at Walmart for not much money at all.

Paper towel holder + water bottle with adapter

Then all you have to do is attach the water bottle and adapter to the paper towel holder. Ta-da!

If you think you need a sturdier base, you can attach the bottom pieces of the towel holder to a piece of wood.

You can buy the water bottles and adapters from https://www.pawmarks.com/water-bottle-adapters

This is so cool!!

If you have time, take a look at the the 3 videos listed below. Bernie, who is a brother to Nanda's Ty and Gigi, and his owners, Jody and Bob, have "adopted" a 3rd grade classroom in Texas. Bernie is known to the students as "Bernie the Science Dog."

Bernie, Jody, and Bob present a science challenge to the students. This particular one challenges the children to build Bernie a dog house to the specifications Bob gives them.

The videos below show (1)Bernie and friends (human and canine) with the previous challenge - the bus project - and the new challenge - the dog house. (2) The children receiving gifts and supplies from Bernie, and (3)the results of the children's responses to the dog house challenge. (I cracked up when I saw that one group of children wanted to make sure Bernie knew where to poop!)

Video one:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vfNQEHP2qUwzkjopSqkzMdJM-NWWKPiG/view

Video 2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eYLWGt8Qak0rz95iG38x_oDsPyKjACSp/view

Video 3

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b-rD-Y_8I0IbTOBm1RVxXLmyu4dnNY11/view

Things to Remember

• This too shall pass (but maybe like a kidney stone!)
• We all have a special angel watching over us
• Watch out for hackers
• Count Your Blessings
• Until I can get things working again, use the email address jk-johanson@wiu.edu to get in touch
• Life is Better When You Have A Lhasa to Love You 

May you have an apsolutely happy, healthy, and prosperous 2024.

Thanks for reading!

Joyce

Hectic (No, I Mean HAPPY!) Holidays!

 

“We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” 

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Well, November passed in a hurry and before I knew it, Thanksgiving descended. We had no company for Thanksgiving and I was not in the mood to make a turkey dinner for just the two of us, so as we did last year, we decided to eat out. Ooops...the joke was on us. The restaurant - all of them - were closed. So we drove home, and Lynn made pasta with arrabiata sauce. It was yummy!

Suddenly, the calendar said it was December and supposed peace and joy of the season became a whirlwind of setting up the Christmas tree, getting Christmas lists from the kids and grandkids, ordering, shopping, wrapping, donating, spending, spending, spending.

But I am pleased to say that the craziness was not as bad as it sounds. I love getting ready for Christmas and having family here to celebrate. All the prep is worth it. And I am happy to say that I'm done shopping and that once a few more items arrive from Amazon and I have them wrapped - ta da. I can relax for a while.

That's a joke. Relax?? We have puppies so relaxing is a bit difficult right now.

Ebony and I were supposed to go to the dog show in Belleville the first weekend in December. I decided not to go. Ebony needs the practice but she was the only class bitch entered and I knew that at least one of the males entered was also not going to be there, so we stayed home. I was also concerned about the new respiratory flu that has been taking the lives of many dogs. Better safe than sorry at this point. More on that later.

Last month I wrote about two Lhasas, a male and a female, that had to be re-homed because their owner was in the nursing home and not expected to live. I went to the boarding kennel where the dogs were housed and picked up the dogs from the owner's friends who had called and advised me of the situation. Fortunately, only a few days later, the dogs were leaving for their new home. I was so glad that their new owner opted to take both of them. At last report, they were settled in and doing well in their new environment.

I thought it was so kind of the new owner to take them both. They had been together since puppyhood.

Here are their pictures. First Willow and then Baron.

 Speaking of puppyhood, here are pictures of our current puppies.

These three were sired by Chance out of Emmy. They were 6 weeks old when the photos were taken. All have been reserved. The one in the middle is the male. The other two are females.

These two were sired by Chance out of Pearl. Age 5 weeks when the pictures were taken. The first is the female. The gold one is a male. They both have also been spoken for.

Autumn and Josh had one puppy, a male. As a singleton puppy and a younger one at that, he is put off by the older puppies and seems to prefer sleeping. He loves his fluffy bed, as do all our other dogs. If your Lhasa does not have one yet, it would make a nice Christmas gift. I have found a good source for the beds at temu.com where the prices are quite reasonable and the beds have held up very well in the washer and dryer. (I was warned not to use fabric softener when washing the fluffy beds.)

We also have Deacon, who just turned five months old on the 6th. His sire is Josh and dam is Millie. We are hoping he will be our next show dog. Right now he is a shaggy puppy! His AKC name is Joyslyn's Legacy of the Wind.

So, in the midst of all this, our Russian Blue cat, Boris, died. He was always Lynn's special pet and tolerated me only when (1) Lynn was not around to give him attention, (2) He wanted something and I was the closest human, (3) He knew I would be irked when he sat on my chest while I was reading a book, so he did it as much as possible! He was a beautiful cat and would have been 16 in a few days. We miss him a lot.

Notes and Photos From Others

Thanks to all of you who sent photos of and/or notes about your Joyslyn's Lhasas. I enjoy sharing them on the blog.

Jessie sent this picture of Qat and wrote, "Here is Qat's first haircut.  He looks like a different puppy...He has been a great puppy and is getting along well with the other dogs.  The two young ones play and wrestle all day.

And also this picture of Qat with San, Jessie's other Joyslyn's Lhasa.

From Julie T. who now owns Jenna. "I hope you are well. I purchased Jenna from you in 2020 (I renamed her Linda). She is doing great and I love her so much. She’s a very healthy dog and I feel lucky every day we are together."

Nanda wrote about these photo of Ty and Gigi: "Always chewing on the same toys at the same time. We call it team work ❤️"

Shelly posted this photo of Tucker.

Stacy and Lisa sent Thanksgiving greetings from themselves, Lola (12 years old), and Enzo (age 4).

From the Johnsons: "Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!! Hope you have a wonderful day filled with blessings. Nick took this picture of Snickers today as that was one of his Christmas presents but the boys caved in LOL!! You and Snickers are our blessing as we love him so much!!

 

Doreen wrote about Henry: "Here is a handsome fella fresh from the beauty shop wearing his Xmas bandana ❤️. The groomer says Henry has the thickest hair she has ever seen on a Lhasa…he feels like the fur on a stuffed animal. He’s kept some of his red.. it has lightened up. Nightly, he sleeps on my pillow on top of my head 🤓I guess it’s our own version of Daniel Boone. He’s a sweet boy who gives the lightest of kisses-just a soft touch 💋 Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday.

Gigi wrote, "Thank you so much for sending your blog. I look forward to it and enjoy it every month... I just wanted you to have my baby, Cinder’s picture! She just had her hair done. “Don’t I look pretty in my holiday bling?” She liked it and kept it on for almost a week!

Debby sent this photo of Archie, watching attentively as as she played monopoly with the grandkids. (I crop photos that have children in them. I know my daughter does not want her kids' photos on the internet so I do not put others' kids pictures on the blog.)

Once in a while I get an email and photos that are a "blast from the past" when a puppy buyer from years ago sends me photos and a message about their Joyslyn's Lhasa. This came from Tom and Penny: "Joyce, greetings from Griffin on his 12th birthday.  Following are some recent pictures. Griffin has been a wonderful boy, a treasure for Penny and me.  We have taken very good care of him. He is still handsome and has never been sick.  You had him for his first three months and we believe your initial care for him contributed to his good health. We are very thankful to you. Tom and Penny."

Another "blast from the past" from Kyle and Trish, who  wrote about Fin: "It has been way too long since we sent you an update on Fin, he will be 10 in January and we wanted to send along a note and some recent pictures! ... we’ve moved from our condo in Chicago to a house in the suburbs... Fin loves having a yard to run around in and guard. It’s hard to overstate how much we’ve loved having Fin as a member of the family. He’s just as protective as he was several years ago, when he would plop down next to the kids as newborns. He has a real talent for snuggling up to your lap or leg (really anywhere) to steal a few pets or rubs...he is a great companion in the office on work from home days."

Michelle posted pictures of her Sunny, celebrating birthday #4!! Here is one of them.

Lisa wrote about Duncan, "His personality is confident (indoors at least), playful and at times — stubborn.  He continues to be increasingly affectionate, climbing into my lap for some attention. I have been trying to curb his desire to play his latest “game” of throwing his toys or treats off sofas and beds on purpose so I will have to pick them up and return them to him. Hard to believe this time last year I was getting ready to make the 8 hour drive to adopt Duncan. I already cannot imagine life without my little “dark haired warrior.”

Mary R  sent Christmas greetings from MN and these photos of her three Lhasas. Rafe (middle) and Belle (right) are her Joyslyn's Lhasas. Rafe stills holds a special place in my heart. He and I had some wonderful times together at the shows.

Judy G wrote about Winter: "she is loving the cold weather and running through the leaves. with Nyx. We have Rally class tonight as we are preparing to test for Virtual Intermediate. The vet said that Hobart Vet has not seen any of the new strain of respiratory problems. That's good to know but I have cancelled Nyx's December trial.  With 3 senior dogs in the household I need to be careful. The head vet from Purdue  Emergency in Westville said that they had 2 cases of young dogs and one passed away. She trains in agility with Nyx."

And that brings us to the next topic: 

The Latest Health Concern for Our Dogs

A new respiratory strain is killing many dogs in the US and Canada. Information about a fairly new canine respiratory disease is all over the place. I listened to a webinar and the vets on the panel seemed to downplay the problem as if it were not a problem. They blamed the media for the hype about the illness.

One article I read recommended getting your dog to the vet ASAP as soon as symptoms were evident. Great idea. But in many towns and cities it is nearly impossible to get an appointment at a vet clinic unless you schedule well in advance. Emergency clinics cost a fortune.

AKC posted this information:

Here are two links to articles about the illness if you want to read more about it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/mystery-dog-illness-respiratory-what-know-rcna125992

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/20/us/mystery-dog-illness-spreading/index.html

It is a time to be sensible and take precautions about going to dog parks, letting dogs sniff hello to other dogs on walks, etc.

So while I am looking forward to 2024 and going to dog shows again, I also am hoping that going to shows does not cause harm to my dogs. They are more important than champion titles and ribbons.

What I Do to Relax

I don't want you all to think that I am all about Lhasa 24/7, although it often seems that way to me, especially when we have puppies.

My favorite way to relax is to pick up a good book. I have been an avid reader since I learned how to read many many years ago. My usual preferences are mysteries, detective stories, maybe a light romance or historical romance once in a while to lighten things up. I also enjoy fantasy fiction. My daughter recently convinced me to start reading the seven-volume Throne of Glass series by Sarah Maas. I just started book 7 and, although I really want to know how the saga ends, I sort of dread the end because I have grown fond of the characters. Why am I telling you this? I don't know! 

A Good Thing For My Husband

Many of you are aware that my husband Lynn, besides being a huge help with the grooming and care of our Lhasas, is both an award-winning playwright and an author of an award-winning detective mystery series featuring a Chicago detective, Joe Erickson. The series is gaining popularity, and his next book will be out in the spring. He is currently working on one for 2025 release.

So, yes a bit of a brag here. He was recently interviewed for a publication in the UK and, after I read it, I asked him if I should go get a tape measure to see if his head had grown any bigger! Here is a link to the interview, in case anyone is interested in reading it and perhaps becoming a Joe Erickson fan. Hmmm...maybe put one of his books on your Christmas list! (Over the years, I have managed to get him to mention a Lhasa in the books.) 

And with that I will bid you farewell for 2023! May you have a wonderful holiday season whichever holiday is yours to celebrate.

Always remember:

Joyce

"The story of Christmas is the story of God's relentless love for us." ~Max Lucado