What’s New


:Merrick’s wedding
February 24, 2008, 6:44 pm
Filed under: :Julie Timbers

The reason Julie wasn’t here last weekend for the dogs shows was because her son got married.

Julie and Tim..

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The new couple..

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The wedding party.. 

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:Julie on..understanding front assembly
February 15, 2008, 6:41 am
Filed under: :Anatomy, :Julie Timbers

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.


Julie on..sharing
February 2, 2008, 12:51 pm
Filed under: :Julie Timbers, :Lifetime Companions
I love hearing from the people who have adopted dogs from me.  It gives me a special
feeling knowing I’ve added joy to both people and dogs lives.
Here are a couple of pictures I received this Christmas.
This is Bella (Lily & Iris littermate). She went to her “forever” home in July of ‘07, owned by Martin and Edwina.

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 This is Dana, owned by Paul and Patricia.  She is a littermate to Anna
and went to live in her “forever” home December’04. Paul and Patricia’s daughter
adopted a dog  (Edie’s littermate) from  me in ‘06, also.

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Fernando’s Group Two
January 28, 2008, 7:53 am
Filed under: :Champions, :Julie Timbers

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Julie on..letters..and dogs.
January 22, 2008, 7:25 am
Filed under: :Julie Timbers, :Lifetime Companions
Now here are the kind of letters you like to receive!!! Being an Edmund sibling, it is easy to believe how wonderful he turned out.
Subject: Our Lhasa
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:24:05 +0000
Hi Julie, I never look at our precious Toby without thinking about you. Somehow or other I misplaced your e-mail and stumbled upon it by accident. I am sure you probably don’t offhand remember us. We purchased Toby about 4 years ago at Christmas time. You also had Vienna for sale.
   I cannot even begin to tell you what an awesome dog he is. He loves the world and all who are in it. Not only is he a very adorable dog to look at, but every one who meets him threatens to steal him when we are not looking. I was reluctant to have a male Lhasa as we also have a male Golden. Toby is our 4th Lhasa but our first male. He will not be our last male. He is incredibly affectionate and when picked up will immediately nestle into our necks and cuddle . He is not wary of children but instead looks forward to the grandchildren’s visits. Our vet who says he has had many reasons to be cautious of the breed keeps asking what we do to have such great Lhasas.
  I will admit our females have been a bit more snobby but this guy is straight out of a Disney movie. I do believe it is thanks in a great part to your wonderful breeding practices. He was actually potty trained in a little over a weeks time. His coat has been by far the easiest to maintain. We have never shaved him down but keep him about puppy length.
  I sound like a proud parent and I am. He is so careful about showing favoritism between my husband and myself it is comical. Just want you to know how much one of your precious puppies is loved and I am so sorry it has taken this long to tell you.
Toby’s loving family, Tom and Randi Carlson


A Week at the National in Houston, Texas
January 11, 2008, 6:59 pm
Filed under: :Exhibiting, :Julie Timbers

Julie wrote a fun article about the National Specialty, which was published in the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club’s latest newsletter.

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From left to right, Marsha Sushog, JoAnne Hayes and Julie Timbers

See more photos and read the article.  



Julie on…being a Breeder!!!
December 30, 2007, 11:44 am
Filed under: :Julie Timbers, :Reproduction
Debby and I have spent a lot of time on the phone to each other the past week, boosting each other and commiserating with each other over our lives with dogs. Sometimes we wish we could change things but in the end we know that dogs will always be a very important part of our lives.
After a very long day that turned into a longer night waiting for puppies to arrive, a holiday season based around going to the vet - no way a little snowstorm wasn’t going to stop me! - I thought the following article was most appropriate.
  

          A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and commitment.  One that shares this knowledge and guides those interested.
          A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! She gives up the dreams of a long luxurious cruise in favor of turning that all important show into this year’s “vacation”.
          The Breeder goes without sleep in hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, over every little wiggle or cry.
          The Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight. She disregards birth fluids and puts mouth to mouth, to save a gasping newborn, literally blowing life into a tiny helpless creature that may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams.
          A Breeder’s lap is a marvelous place where dogs of proud and noble heritage often snooze.
          A Breeder’s hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy’s wet nose.
          A Breeder’s back and knees are usually arthritic from bending and sitting in the whelping box, but are strong enough to guide that new little pup to maturity.
          A Breeder’s shoulders are often heaped with responsibility, but they’re wide enough to support the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations.
          A Breeder’s arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.
          A Breeder’s ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being talked about), or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone receiver). Often deaf to criticism, yet always fine tuned to the whimper of an anxious puppy. 
          A Breeder’s brain
is foggy on faces, but can recall pedigrees faster than an IBM computer.
          The Breeder’s heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope everlasting…….and it’s always in the right place! Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are Breeders!!!
Author Unknown

Connor x Rosie puppies born 12-27-2007
red girl, parti boy

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Mom…on Kaylee’s accomplishment
September 1, 2007, 12:07 pm
Filed under: :Apso Aficionados, :Julie Timbers, :Kaylee Timbers

What is a Register of Merit Breeder (ROM)?  Every breed has different guideline and numbers, but basically it is being the “listed” breeder with the AKC on a dog that obtains its championship. The American Lhasa Apso Club requires you to be the listed breeder, on 10 champions to earn the ROM status.  It is an awesome accomplishment and shows you have knowledge of the breed.

I am a bad mom, and not because I never recorded when my kids got their first tooth, or took their first step, or said their first word. No! I forgot to keep record of something really important. After our big weekend at the Minnesota Specialties, we all figured that Kaylee was now a Register Of Merit Breeder, because she was breeder on 2 of the dogs which earned their Championship last weekend.  After I got home from the show on Sunday I sat down and made a list of the dogs that Kaylee was a breeder on. (I was going to surprise her when she got home from work.) It came to a surprise to me that Kaylee earned the status of Register of Merit Breeder on June 22nd of this year!!!  Kaylee is not only a breeder of, but also a co-owner of:

1. Ch. Timbers’ She Tsabo Shot O’Tequila ROM
2. Ch. Timbers’ She Tsabo Tequila Rose
3. Ch. FFT. Fernando
4. Ch. FFT All Said N’ Done
5. Ch. She Tsabo Magic Man
6. Ch. FFT Veni Vidi Vici
7. Ch. FFT C’est la Vie
8. Ch. FFT Que Sais-Je
9. Ch. FFT Sine Qua Non
10. Ch. She Tsabo Timbers’ Magic In Th’ Air (finished 6-22-07)

We now add to that impressive list:

11. Ch. FFT Do U Wanna Dance 
12. Ch.FFT Kisses of Fire 

I’m not sure how we verify that she is the youngest ROM breeder of Lhasa Apso (at the ripe old age of 20) but possible the youngest ROM breeder of any breed.

Kaylee has paid her dues not only in the show ring - she has shown at one time or another 9 of the first 10 champions and C’est  La Vie and Veni Vidi Vice were also her Junior Showmanship dogs - but she has whelped, groomed, fed and picked up as much poop as any seasoned breeder. Anyone who knows Kaylee, would tell you she truly knows the breed from heritage, to structure, to understanding their temperament.  FFT is proud to have her as part of our team, and hope she continues in Lhasas in the future-the breed will benefit from her knowledge.



Julie and Becky
August 1, 2007, 5:52 am
Filed under: :Julie Timbers

Friends I will remember you, think of you, pray for you
And when another day is through I’ll still be friends with you
“-

These are the lyrics from my 8th grade graduation song. This past week I renewed a friendship with my childhood friend Becky.  Becky and I met in the 6th grade and a common background of family situations quickly had us forming a special bond.  Best Friends  through grade school and high school, Becky was the maid of honor at my wedding. Somewhere along the way, growing up and life itself, separated us, along with thousands of miles. Keeping in touch through Christmas cards and emails we were able to write each other about our lives, but we had not seen each other in person in almost 20 years!! When Becky wrote and told me she was vacationing in Wisconsin with her parents, I quickly rearranged my schedule and made my reservations! Becky and I, quickly fell into the easy comradery that we shared so many years ago- Proof that real friendship withstands the test of time. We spent a jam packed 24 hours together, full of stories , laughs and a few tears. We have promised not to let life keep us apart in the future.

Becky and me on her parents’ boat in Wisconsin

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My day with Becky, made me think not only about past friendships but about present friendships, also.

I am truly thankful to all of you, that I call, “my friend.”  You are my present, but you will also be my future. 

For when another day is through, I’ll still be friends with you

My hope, is that this story inspires everyone to renew a past friendship - Julie



Judge Julie
July 24, 2007, 7:38 am
Filed under: :Julie Timbers

Shared with Bev’s permission…

mollymenewchampbevsimms.jpg Hi Debbie,

Your web site is beautiful and has lots and lots of great information. I love all the information on all the books and the info on genetics. Thank you so much for your hard work and sharing. I didn’t even know you had a website until I did a google search for FFT Lhasas after Julie judged in Reno.

Julie gave my Molly a four point major in Reno. Molly is my very first bred -by owner handled Champion and finishing under Julie was just the icing on the cake! Everyone of us that was there would go under her again. She looked at every dog and went over every dog completely. Not to mention that I have seen some beautiful FFT dogs and for a judge who breeds, grooms and handles such gorgeous dogs to pick my bitch for a major was so special. I will truly always remember that day.

So Darby had mentioned you might be coming to California for a visit? We’ll all put out the red carpet.

Bev Simms