Stories2

Stories and Testimonials from People Who Have Purchased Lhasas from Joyslyn's Lhasa Apsos (continued)

I can remember the year 2002 like it was yesterday. In February I lost my job of 17 years and in early June we lost our precious Megan (female Lhasa) of 13 years. I was just devastated! I remember walking around the house crying all the time, just devastated with so much hurt and loss. I remember the horrible feeling of coming home to an empty house knowing our little dog Megan would not be there to welcome us home. After many tears had fallen, my husband said he thought it would be a good idea to find another dog. My first thought was how could I possibly get another Lhasa that could even come close to the loyalty Megan showed me for the past 13 years and how would I even go about trying to replace her? After looking in our local newspaper and having no luck, I went online and found a website called ALAC Breeder Referral Information and this is where I was referred to call Joyce Johanson. My husband called for me because I was still upset over just losing my Megan, and he explained to her all that had happened. Joyce was wonderful. She told my husband that she had a new litter of puppies that would be ready by July 4th. When I spoke to Joyce I told her I wasn’t sure I wanted another Lhasa since I had just lost one and didn’t want to try to replace her. Joyce told me I would think you would want another Lhasa since Megan was such a loyal dog to you. It was like a light turned on and I knew I wanted a new Lhasa puppy. After many questions from Joyce, she picked out Daisy May for us. As we got off the phone I told my husband she lived 6 hours from us which was a concern I had. He said he would drive anywhere to get me to stop crying. Smile.

Joyce went above and beyond. She took special care of us one step at a time from the first phone call to emailing us newborn pictures of Daisy May, her mother, father, sisters and brothers too. Such professionalism, it just overwhelmed me to no end. Her website is full of information. She gave us wonderful directions to her home and when we arrived she made us feel right at home from the very beginning. She helped me get prepared ahead of time for the arrival of our new puppy and even gave us a starter care package for Daisy May.

Again I must say Joyce cares about her Lhasa puppies. Her goal is to place them in good loving homes of people who will love and care for them for life which says a lot about her integrity when it comes to breeding them not just for the money but for the love and care each of her puppies will receive. Also a blessing to know is that Joyce is always there for any questions I might have regarding Daisy May and it’s been 5 years. She is not only who I purchased Daisy May from but she has become a very dear friend to me for life.

Daisy May is the most intelligent, dedicated, devoted and protective dog I have ever owned. Daisy May is so smart that when I leave and come back from anywhere she unties my shoe laces to let me know it is time for me to stay home and not go out again. She is more human than animal.

Again, thank you Joyce for Daisy May. She is truly a blessing to our family and that could not have happened without your knowledge of Lhasas and love and understanding.
Sincerely,
Kathy

Hi Joyce....Hope you still have the same e-mail and we can let you know how much we appreciate Cooper. We took a six week car trip this fall to about 22 states so that we could attend meetings and still have Cooper with us. He did not really love cars up until the trip. He rode OK but you always had the feeling he was a little car sick. He was incredible on the trip and grew to love the minivan. Wonderful in hotels. He had to jump as far as possible from bed to bed like he was flying every night, and everyone that met him loved him. He is not anything like the other two Lhasa's that I have had the pleasure of knowing (in some ways very much like them, but in most ways very different). He loves everybody...runs to strangers faster than to those who he knows. Very good with the cat, truly appears to love her. No need for a leash, he stays with us, though will explore until I whistle and then he immediately comes. Never even trained him to do this, it just seems the way he likes it. Loves to get groomed, sometimes sits on his stool and waits for us to groom him twice a day. He loves the beach like you would not believe. All across the country we had to look for beaches that he could run on. Though he appears timid, he is not. He met my niece's very large Labrador retriever and within minutes had the poor thing running to get away from Cooper's playfulness. As you might have guessed, we love him dearly and think of you often. He stayed at the Country Bed and Biscuit for three days in Sheridan Wyoming while we were at a dude ranch that would not allow pets. When we picked him up, the husband of the lady that ran the B&B ran to meet us and wanted to know where we got him and if you had any more like him. He sees fifteen dogs a day and the first one he totally fell for was Cooper.

My approach to obedience is I ask him please, and if he won't then that's the end. I know this sounds like it would lead to a spoiled, hard to control dog, but it does not at all. With other dogs it well might not work, but with him a "please" will get him to do it unless he really is set against it. I feel that if he is that set against it, there is no point in forcing him (safety issues not included). Cooper has a large vocabulary, to the point that we spell things if we don't want him to get excited quite yet, and he has now learned most of the spellings. As you might guess, we are totally in love. Our best to you and your family.
Chuck and Jackie

One of the best presents I received for Mothers Day was Caesar. We drove to Macomb, IL the weekend before Mother's Day and saw the cutest Lhasa's running around your family room. But the minute I saw Caesar- I knew he was the puppy for me. It could be his crazy hair that made me like him so much... he has really thick hair that makes him look 3 times bigger than he really is. He is such a wonderful dog, I can't imagine him not being in our family. Although he will be 2 in January, he still acts like a puppy. He is never too tired to chase me around the house or run up and down the stairs with his stuffed squirrel in his mouth. And when he gets tired of carrying the stuffed squirrel around in his mouth, he sits in the backyard underneath our Willow and watches the real squirrels run up and down the trees.

I swear in his former life, he was a horse because he is an incredible jumper and does it so quick and with such ease you think he has wings. He can leap onto my King size bed in one move, rolls around the bed, plops his head on my pillow, lays on his back and then smiles. Yes he does smile.. or smirk.. it's hard to tell the difference.

I think Caesar also has ESP because it never fails, when I pull up in the driveway, he has his face and paws pressed up against the window wagging that crazy tail of his. I think his name fits him perfectly for Caesar is really the King of the House.

Michele B., Proud owner of Caesar

Bill, my husband, and I purchased two Lhasa Apso puppies from Joyslyns almost 13 years ago. Our beloved Dusty, a 16 yr. old Lhasa, had just died and her "sister" Snickers was alone for the first time in 15 years. Bill and I went to Arlington Race Track here in Chicago to a dog show hoping we would find a breeder of Lhasas as we were intent on getting two puppies.

Alas, we found no breeder but there was a woman there who was showing her Lhasas so Bill and I watched her prep them for their "performance." While observing, a woman next to me asked me if we had Lhasas and I shared our heartbreak with her. She quickly brought out her repertoire of her puppy's photos and highly recommended her breeder, Joyslyns. She gave me their number and I called them that very day.

The rest, as they say, is history. Maggie and Lilli are from the same litter and have been well-behaved, well-mannered, highly sociable from day one. We got them when they were 9 weeks old. I never thought we would find dogs like our first two, but we did.

No question that Bill and I have given them an abundance of love and tender loving care, but were it not for the way in which they were brought into this world, with outstanding lineage, and nurtured for those 9 weeks, I doubt we would have had 12+ years of unequivocal joy in their being in our family.

Do not hesitate to "grab" a puppy from Joyslyns while you can. You will never regret the decision.
Gayle B.

Dear Joyce,
We are writing to let you know how much we love our little Ellie. As you probably know she'll be 2 years old in January. She goes by many names, Ellie, Ellie Bell, Ells, Ells Bells, Sweet Pie, Girl Dog, Little Button, and Little Ninja to name a few. Little Ninja really fits because we can't believe how agile she is. When she chases our male Lhasa through the house, she'll jump on the couch, use the back of the couch as a spring board to turn around and jump over him from the couch. It's quite entertaining to watch. Ellie is very spirited and daring. We love that about her. When she leaves the room and comes back with a toy in her mouth, her head is held high, her tail is up as it always is, and she prances as if to say, "LOOK AT ME, LOOK WHAT I HAVE". She has it, whatever it is, she's got it. She is a very happy-go-lucky dog. And when she settles down she can be very affectionate and loving.

Ellie is definitely the center of attention and she doesn't have to try very hard to command it. She is always "up" for play and adventure. The toys she chooses to fetch are sometimes almost half of her size, but it never stops her. She still has so much "puppy" left in her and we're hoping she never loses it. She is a true joy to have in the family. When I come home from work, she makes it her business to be the first one at the door to welcome me. Ellie is also very good with children. My two nephews adore her, especially the younger of the two boys. Ellie wants to be friends with everyone - children, adults, dogs, cats, etc.

We are extremely fortunate to have met you and thankful that you allowed us to take Ellie home with us. We traveled approximately 500 miles round trip to bring her home and it was well worth the drive. When you go to a breeder, you hope to get a healthy dog with a great temperament. Ellie has that and so much more. We would highly recommend your Lhasas to anyone.

Dan C. and Laura J.

Joyce,
I would like to take a moment and thank you for the opportunity in allowing us to adopt one of your Lhasa's. Teddy is such a great dog! He is so affectionate. Every morning when he wakes up, he has to visit each family member and say good morning and licks us for a couple of minutes. When I get home, he goes nuts and licks me/is so happy to see me. His temperament is good, like a true Lhasa, skeptical and first, and once he knows you very (but not overly) friendly. He loves to play, and just be with you. We would cage him during the day when we are not home; however, he did not want to caged at night because he wanted to guard us. He is a true guard dog, as he sleeps at the opening of our bedroom door and is on the watch all night. He is the most beautiful Lhasa I have seen, and his coat is so full, and flowing.

Our family also appreciates the caring you showed to us, and being there for any questions or concerns we might have. It was great meeting your husband and you, as well as both of Teddy's parents. We see how much you care and love your dogs, and feel like an extended family.

Thank you again, and we will send you his 1-year birthday pictures.
Hiam and Sheri, Skokie, IL

Maddie is just WONderful! Our experience with Joyce has been nothing but positive. She's in contact with us on a regular basis always inquiring about our puppy. Maddie's a typical Lhasa. She's playful, but shy with new people when they come to the house. We made it through basic obedience in typical Lhasa fashion...she knows it all but is just choosing when to show off! Joyce had her for an un-typical five months before we got her. I attribute her attitude to brushing to what Joyce must have done with her in the early months. Her coat is easy to keep longer, and she actually doesn't mind the brushing process (thanks, Joyce!). She's a star when we go visit the local pet store. She's always wanting to meet new dogs and their people and just lays on the floor and wiggles all over. Everyone thinks she's so cute. She's a joy to have in our family. She's our fourth Lhasa, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Joanne and Maddie