Lhasa Apso Blog: December!!

December is the twelfth and final month of the Gregorian calendar and the first month of winter. It derives its name from the Latin word decem, meaning ten, as December was the tenth month of the oldest Roman calendar. The Latin name is derived from Decima, the middle Goddess of the Three Fates who personifies the present." ~ Daily Lore

2017 is coming to an end and I can hardly believe Christmas is only a couple of weeks away. Is it only me, or do you also feel as if the days, weeks, and months just speed by? Maybe it is because we are all so busy and our calendars are so full of places we have to go and things we have to do.

My December began with a dog show -- the Edwardsville Kennel Club show, which was held in Belleville, Illinois. We had only a bit over a three hour drive to get there. Fortunately, the weather was great for a December show with temperatures in the 60s: no snow, no chilly winds, no sleet, no frost on the windshields.

This show was strange for me because I took only one of my Lhasas, my black girl Onyx. I've been so used to having two or more for most of our shows this year that it sort of felt like a vacation. Everything, especially grooming, went faster and easier.

Onyx took Reserve Winners Bitch on Saturday and on Sunday took Winners Bitch and Best of Winners for a 3 point major. Hurray!!! Her judge was Lisa Warren, who seemed pleased when I told her that she was the judge who'd given Onyx's sire (Josh) his final points. Onyx now has 10 points and needs a 3 point major and two single points to finish her championship. We'll work on that next spring.

Since the win was a major win, we had our picture taken with the judge. I'll post it when it comes.

My Christmas preparations are well under way, actually ahead of schedule. While I was making Thanksgiving Dinner, my husband (Lynn) set up and decorated the tree. He made the tree and our living room look quite festive. I have all but one gift that is still in transit wrapped. Everything is set for next week's office Christmas lunch. So far, preparations have been stress-free and fun. I hope yours have been the same.

A Quick Note About Grooming Feet
Those of you who are not showing your Lhasas and are grooming at home rather than taking your Lhasa to a groomer need to be aware of how to take care of the pads of the dog's feet, especially with winter approaching, bringing with it snow, ice, and rain.

If you have not noticed before, you should pay attention to the hair between the pads of your Lhasa's feet. That hair grows quickly. If ignored and left to its own devices, it will mat! In the winter this is especially bad if the dog gets his feet wet from rain or snow. The mats can get hard and packed. Left alone, the mats increase in size and can spread the pads further apart until the dog feels pain or discomfort. Even in dry winter climates or spring, summer, fall in those areas that get snow in winter, if the Lhasa is outdoors a lot, burrs, stickers, and bits of gravel can adhere to this hair or become lodged in the hair between the pads, again resulting in the Lhasa's discomfort. Ignored, the mats can cause hot spots between the pads, resulting in a lot of discomfort for your Lhasa.

Keeping the pads neatly trimmed is an easy task. If you are not showing your Lhasa, you probably will only have to trim the between the pads every 4-5 weeks. With the dog on his side or back, hold a leg steady at an angle that is easy for you to work with. The hand that holds the leg will have to do double duty because you'll need to spread the pads slightly apart so you can trim down between them. You can use a small scissors for the task, although it is easier and faster to use a small trimmer. My old faithful pad trimmer just died. In its place I purchased for about $17 a men's beard trimmer. It's working great -- a Phillips Norelco Multigroom Series 3000 (rechargable). It came with a lot of attachments that I won't use, but I like the size of the trimmer. I also like that it is fairly quiet so the puppies are not afraid of it.

Notes and Photos from Others
I was pleased to get some email messages and photos and would like to share them with you.

From Lori about Finn: "We've had 3 puppy playschool classes so far and he's doing pretty well. Really good on the "sit" and "down", but we're still working on the "stay". The best part is, he's so well-socialized. They're small classes, just one or two other dogs, but he's always the little guy. He goes right up to the other dogs and says hello with a sniff and a kiss. He's great with the people, too (and their kids). Just the best temperament, so sweet and mellow. Everybody loves him. Especially me."

Lori's Finn

Kim wrote: "Hi Joyce, Hope you are doing well and enjoy this holiday season. Here is Snickers. He turned 5 yesterday. He loves his toys as he has so many. (spoiled he is :) Again we can't tell you how amazing he is and we are so thankful for you and him. He has blessed us in so many ways we can't even begin to start. He is so smart and just so lovable to all of us. He is the best dog we could ever of hoped for. Thank you always !! Have a Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season."

Snickers

Snickers with his birthday treat

From Krista: "Hi Joyce just wanted to touch base and say Winston is doing great. Puppy class was good and entertaining of course he was the class clown believe it or not. He's come out of his shell was just say that. He's growing fast and he's going to be a big boy. He is going to puppy daycare in the afternoons twice a week. And he goes to the dog park when it's decent on the weekends. Trying to keep him socialized with kids and people. He's definitely entertaining and loving! Here are a couple pictures of him, one of him after he got done with his first grooming which he did great at. One of him being silly and trying to get the ball out of the cat's toy. This is almost a daily routine it will crack you up. Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know what a wonderful puppy he is and he is loved very much!"

Winston

Tom and Penny wrote, "Joyce, Griffin sends greetings and best wishes on his 6th birthday. He is well and continues to be a blessing in our lives. Happy holidays to you and family."

Griffin

Judy wrote: "Sophie joined Raven today for the every-other-Friday Spa Day...The two of them get along really well. I've probably told you that Sophie sleeps on the bed now. Raven moves over from her normal corner to lie next to Sophie."

(Note: Raven on the left, Sophie on the right. Judy got Raven from me as a "retired champion." Sophie, Judy's older Lhasa, came from a Canadian breeder when she was a puppy. The two seem to be fast friends.)

Maria wrote, "Hi Joyce, Sending happy holiday wishes to you and yours! Ella will be celebrating her 5 th Birthday on December 3rd. She has had some change in her daily activities. My mom passed away......and Ella would visit with me almost daily. She notices and also is missing her! So it’s been an adjustment just like it is for us. Ella was not only a friend to mom but to mom's friends. They waited for her visit. She was so sweet to all of them.
      It’s been hard to go back and visit the friends because I know she’ll go straight to mom's door! So waiting for warmer weather and maybe we can catch some residents out of doors to visit.
     So now she has a new friend at home ...to play with ,walk with ,sleep with ,and have girl fights with on occasion! My daughter bought a dog and named her Paisley. She’s full of energy ... all the time. And has been a great addition to our family!
    In the picture Ella is on the left and Paisley on the right! Looking out the porch door. There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by that I don’t think of you and your wonderful Lhasa’s!
We are so happy We have Ella!!"