ABOUT US

STRAWBERRY, CUDDLES and SHAWNEE

I purchased my first Lhasa as a retirement gift for my parents; he was a little guy named Shawnee who became a loving member and an inspiration to me. Shawnee outlived my parents, but his memory carries on in every Lhasa I encounter. From that first Lhasa experience I fell in love with the breed and decided that I would have one or my own.

I began searching for a Lhasa Female, (in my early years, bitch was a word I considered slang) and started attending dog shows in Southern California; during one of these shows I met two ladies who owned Dalai Kennel. From them I purchased what they led me to believe was a show quality pup. I named her Strawberry:and unfortunately, the dog turned out to be ill tempered with no show qualities about her----she wasn't even a very good pet, as the list of victims wounded in a Strawberry ambush will attest. With Strawberry's poor qualities and bad temperament, I had my vet spay her. Strawberry's breeder concluded that the dog was not show quality and offered me a bitch for breeding; in addition the breeder offered me a nice male pup, in show coat, for entering into shows.

Champion Dalai Wagtag CD (Companion Dog) was an excellent Lhasa, and I began taking him to matches and entering dog shows with him. And even though I was the one handling Tags in the show-ring, he always finished in the top three and won ribbons. While attending a dog match with Tags, I met Richard Camacho who is an experienced dog handler.

Richard agreed with me that Tags was a great Lhasa, so I arranged for Richard to take Tags home with him and show the dog the following weekend. Richard spent the week conditioning Tag's coat and training the dog for the breed ring. At the show that weekend Tags won winners Dog for both days----in a short time, I had my first Champion.

In 1980, the second bitch I purchased from the Dalai Kennels gave birth to her first litter of six male pups.I decided to keep a pup that had a deep red coat, and because of his color, I named him Joy's Rusty Penny. Rusty started showing in matches and later in dog shows where Richard handled him.

I had just finished an obedience class with a German Sheperd mix belonging to my sons. My oldest son (Alan) had started the classes but stopped to play baseball and I finished the class for him; after the obedience class graduated, I decided to enter another---this time though, I brought a Lhasa.

Rusty and I entered several novice classes before I thought he was ready to enter an obedience trial. After Rusty, I started classes with CH. Dalai Wagtag. Each time one of my Lhasas received its championship, I took it straight to an obedience class.

In training the Lhasa I found the instructors of the obedience classes I attended did not teach how to train a Lhasa. Lhasas cannot train in the same manner as other breeds, but I needed the classes so my Lhasas would become accustomed to working around other dogs.

A change in employment made it necessary for me to move to Romoland California. I bought a house on an acre lot and moved my Lhasas to what most would consider the countryside, and it was here I obtained my Kennel License.

Romoland was a good place for my Lhasas, but there were no obedience classes within a reasonable distance from me; so I decided to place an advertisement in the local paper and give on obedience class with me as the instructor. I discovered that I was good at training not only the Lhasa but other breeds as well.

My life in Romoland was pleasant, and I enjoyed living there; the weather was perfect for training throughout the year, and I was close enough to attend dog shows every weekend. The large lot I owned was the ideal place for obedience, and the kennel license allowed me to have more dogs, therefore expanding my business.

I have a sister who moved to Albany Missouri, just a few miles from where I was born. I felt that it was time for me to retire and thought Albany the best place because my sister and other family members were already there. I sold my house and moved to Albany. What I don't enjoy about living in Albany is that I'm too far from my kids and their families.

These are only the high lights of how I got my start as a breeder and obedience trainer, but this story falls far short of telling the complete saga of how I built a Lhasa legacy and got to where I am today. During those years of climbing, I lost my husband and raised two sons on my own, and through them. I've gained two daughter-in-laws and four beautiful grandchildren; all of whom I am well proud of and love more than anything in the world.

When my children moved away, the loving company of my four legged kids provided me with a hobby and a challenge.

I am not a large breeder, maybe one or two litters a year and most of the Lhasas I keep are my family so I train to achieve their championship and at least one obedience title. I raise my pups in our house until they find new adopted homes; my goal as a dog breeder is to breed quality Lhasas that are easy to train and become a great addition to your family.

My Lhasas have excelled in obedience. I have an expansive knowledge of what it takes to train a Lhasa and have trained sixteen individual Lhasas who have won twenty-four obedience titles. The Lhasa I am most proud of is Champion Joy Marlo Mercedes UD. Mercedes turned 15 years old January of 2005----she is the only Champion Utility Lhasa Apso in the world. I retired Mercedes from obedience competition in 2004 after she jumped off our deck and hurt her hip. She was still competing in obedience, working toward her UDX (Utility dog Excellent) title, and had earned six of the ten legs needed for a UDX.

Within the legendary background of my breeding program lies the colorful history of my obedience dogs; currently, I have a granddaughter and great granddaughter of Mercedes---my goal is to train another dog to repeat her greatness.