:Whoops..and then there were 3!

Posted: February 20, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain, Gompa Lhasa Apsos | 9 Comments

Well…it seemed she was done. She was content. I couldn’t feel another puppy in the wings, waiting for the right moment to come into this world. Or I wouldn’t have gone to work!

Rick phoned me yesterday, about 11:30AM. He and David had come to the house from the workshop to have lunch. Rick noticed Nagpo’s bed was pushed almost outside her crate. She and the puppies are in the bottom half of an airline crate, within a 2 x 3 puppy playpen. The playpen is lined with newspaper, covered by a large fleece pad. The entire playpen has a curtain pinned around it, creating a secure den for mother and puppies. It also keeps a certain nosey Labrador from poking his nose where it isn’t wanted. Anyway, Rick wanted to put her bedding back in the crate. He removed two puppies and started adjusting the bedding. David asked if he was going to remove the other puppy. Other puppy? Sure enough!

The final count is 3. Two females and one male. All are thriving. Nagpo is a calm, nurturing mother.

You may recall that Keeper is the sire of this litter. Several months ago I wrote in detail about the decision to introduce Keeper. If you missed that post, search the word Keeper, using the search box in the upper left hand column of the blog. It’s the post titled Very disappointing news about Ranpa. The Gompas are all named with Tibetan names. Nagpo, for instance, means black in Tibetan. I thought for this historic litter, something similar – yet different – would be appropriate. I mentioned it to Shirley Clark (one day soon I’ll blog about Shirley!) over the weekend. Shirley always has great names for her dogs. She also has been supportive of the work with the Gompa dogs. The next day, when I arrived in the grooming area, she said, “Whispers of the past…from the past. Past and Presence.” Yes! That’s the concept! Later, literally as Lhasa Apsos were being judged; her and me going in and out of the ring with the various dogs we were exhibiting, she swoops up to me. “Echoes of the Past.”

The girls are Whisper and Echo. I’d like something similar for the boy. Maybe there’s the perfect word…paying tribute to Keeper (Kai-La-Sha Keepsake is his registered name.) Ideas anyone?

:The icing on the big weekend cake

Posted: February 19, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos | 3 Comments

Was up all night. Nagpo whelped her first puppy at 11PM. The current count is 2. 1 female. 1 male. Strong. Thriving. The ultrasound count was 3, but those can be deceiving. She appears done.

And so am I.

Want to write more about the last two days of the show weekend. Tomorrow. Gotta get to work. Running on empty…fumes. Dante won the breed again Sunday. Saul is now a champion. Zena won a 5 point major Monday. That’s it in a nutshell.

:Saul wins the Bred-By-Exhibitor Non-Sporting Group

Posted: February 17, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos | Tags: | Leave a comment

It seemed as is Saturday would never end. By the end of the day, most bailed from a long-planned dinner at an Italian restaurant. The results of Saturday’s show were entirely different than Friday’s show..which is very often the case. Another day. Another dollar. Another dog show.

Saul was awarded WD for a 3-point major and Best-Bred-By-Exhibitor Lhasa Apso. The same procedure I described yesterday for Best Puppy applies when an all-breed club offers Best Bred-By competition. Saul and I managed to pull off winning the Non-Sporting group.

It was a nice win. It was fun. Then the wait began. The show dragged on and on. And on. Our dinner reservations were at 6PM. At 6:40 Saul and I finally entered the ring to compete for Best-Bred-By-Exhibitor in show. He performed with enthusiasm, far more enthusiasm than I had!

Carol and I stopped at the Italian restaurant, sure we’d find everyone else fed and gone. Not so. We shared a nice meal with Tammy, Matthew, Mark and Ginny. It was a pleasant, relaxing way to wind down from the day.

Ruby walked around the ring again today. Her tail was up. Yippee!! She won her class. Yippee!! Yippee!! Christi was thrilled.

I’m off again this morning for an 8AM – did you read that?! 8AM!!! ring time. This is unheard of with Lhasa Apsos. The short haired breeds, especially the bulldoggy breeds start at 8AM. Not coated breeds. I left my grooming stuff at the show site to force myself to groom there, but I’m stopping by my grooming shop on the way. Edie is getting a bath.

It’s 3:55 in the morning. I think I’m nuts to show dogs.

:Dante wins the Specialty!

Posted: February 16, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos | 1 Comment

Vickie adeptly piloted Dante – Ch. FFT Kisses of Fire – to Best of Breed at the Lhasa Apso Club of Central Colorado’s Specialty show yesterday. Way to go Vickie! And Dante!

Before I continue to report yesterday’s wins, I want to share a victory that won’t be recorded in annals. Ruby walked around the ring with her tail up! Without planting her feet or bucking like a rodeo horse! Score! Christi had her done about for the ring to near perfection. Keep up the good work ladies.

Saul, my Bred-By-Exhibitor (BBE) dog looked awesome, for the first time since his puppyhood. But, he showed ringside spectators that even an ol’ pro like me can be humbled. Halfway through his individual gaiting pattern, he stopped to poop. “Let him finish” the judge directed, from across the ring. Thanks to Linda for the assist! With her help, it was almost like it didn’t happen. Ya. Right. 🙂 He placed 2nd out of 4. The dog that placed ahead of him finished his Championship title, so perhaps we’ll have better luck today. Maybe he’ll have breakfast after he shows…

Ginny’s Ethan and Chloe both showed nicely, from the glimpses I caught. Chloe placed 2nd in a nice class of 12 – 18 month bitches. As sometimes happens – right, Vickie! – Ethan happens to be the only male his age being shown. Since he’s been old enough to be exhibited, he’s always competed alone. Meanwhile, the bitch classes in the same age group have been larger than usual.

My Sadie boys – Wyatt and Thateus – were entered in both Sweepstakes and the regular classes. Tammy handled Wyatt. I showed Thateus. Born August 7, this was their first dog shows. Wyatt was awarded Best Puppy in Sweepstakes. In the regular classes, Thateus was awarded Best Puppy and RWD (Reserve Winners Dog) to a 4-point major. Way to go puppies!

This particular specialty is called a designated Specialty (as opposed to an independent Specialty). What that means is the Specialty judging occurs within the context of an all-breed dog show. Plum Creek Kennel Club holds further competition for puppies one day. The next day of their show there’s further competition for dogs awarded Best-Bred-By.

Because of this, Thateus competed against all the other Best of Breed puppies in the Non-Sporting Group. Cheered on by Shirley, Bud, Ginny, Christ and Vickie, he was awarded 2nd in the group!

Carpe Diem! I saved my own personal best for last. That nice 12 – 18 month puppy bitch class I mentioned above…well, Edie won it, both in Sweepstakes and the regular classes. She went on to win Best in Sweepstakes under Tibetan Terrier breeder Andrea Reiman. In the regular classes she was awarded Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex for her second major, another specialty major, another specialty Best of Winners.

Waiting for the judge to mark his book, Dante and Edie the only Apsos left standing in the ring, it occurred to me they’re Tequila kids. The judge found a half-brother and half-sister as his choice for Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex. Best Male. Best Female. Am I ever glad Julie let me breed Ian to Tequila! I didn’t have a compatible female here in Colorado for him, so she allowed Tequila to have one last litter. And that Best Puppy? He’s a Tequila grandson.

Before I close, feed the dogs breakfast, groom Saul and Edie for today’s show (Wyatt and Thateus were entered only for yesterday’s judging) and head down the hill at 8:30, I want to acknowledge Tammy. And thank her for all she does. There’s no way I could have shown 5 dogs yesterday! (And I’m glad we’re not showing 5 dogs today!) Tammy helps with everything; from training, to grooming, to exhibiting, to packing up, to hauling. She does a great job presenting the dogs in the ring. She’s been giving private handling lessons to Ginny and Christi. She’s great!

Off for another day of fun, seeing friends from far and near.

:Julie on..understanding front assembly

Posted: February 15, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: Lotsa Lhasa Info | Tags: | Leave a comment

This weekend is really busy for both Julie and me. Julie’s son is getting married. I’ve got four days of dog shows. Hey! Julie! Why did your son pick this particular weekend – one of the top ten biggest shows in the country – to get married?! 🙂

My monitor started acting wacky yesterday…perhaps in celebration of this upcoming crazy weekend. It pixelates. There’s little moving thingees. Rick said it could be the monitor. Or the computer. Maybe I’ll need a new, fancy monitor! Yippee!!

Here’s Julie…

Debby asked if I would put into words what I, as a judge look for in the “front assembly” of a Lhasa, especially for Faye who is evaluating her puppies.
The front of the Lhasa for me is way easier to understand than the rear.  The Lhasa has normal “dog” structure, which in one word means EQUAL.
Equal length of bone, equal height , equal angulation.  Bone length: the length of the shoulder blade should be the same length as the upper arm (measured from point of withers to point of shoulder & point of shoulder to point of elbow).  The height from point of withers to point of elbow should be  equal to point of elbow to the floor.   Where should the withers lie?  In the perfect dog, it would be about at a 40 degree angle from point of shoulder, but Lhasa’s “layback” is far from perfect!!  I don’t want the withers in the neck!  That may sound funny but many Lhasas withers start in the neck rather than forming the start of the topline.  Now picture this, draw an imaginary line down from the withers, the point of elbow on the Lhasa should fall directly into that line.  If a dog with withers “set high” the upper arm has to be short, so it fall s in line from the point of withers. You will not get correct movement. A dog with a short upper arm will “pound” the floor in movement.  What I see a lot of is “high ” set withers with equal length of all bones, but this places the point of elbow far behind the “line down from the withers”  This also is incorrect dog structure which may give the illusion of good gait in a puppy, but as an adult what you will see is the front legs cannot “reach”.  These are the Lhasas you see in the ring who are straight coming at you but in side gait the front feet have a hard time breaking through the chest hair, no way is it possible  for it reach past the nose which a dog with correct structure should.  This is a simplified explanation,  there is a lot more that goes into making “movement and structure”  So Faye measure-equal bone length, equal height, and equal angles. Also, the width between the shoulder blades ideally should be close, far set shoulder blades end up with what I term “a loaded front” a wide chest usually will accompany this, giving the mature adult Lhasa a bulldoggy muscle bound front.  I don’t want a chest that is much wider than 3 of my fingers.  If you can put the whole palm of your hand between the puppies front legs-it’s chest is to wide. Also make sure you have  depth of chest and nice tight elbow.
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