Letters about Lhasa apsos
Every real breeder will be happy to hear good words about his puppies. So am I. I'm very
happy when I read or hear about my pups from their new owners. And my good friends have permitted
me to publish their letters here.
"About Ricky"
…Dear Svetlana!
I'm very glad that you've answered my letter and I have an opportunity to speak to people who
know Lhasa Apso well. Unfortunately people in our town have never heard about this breed and very
often ask me about it. I like Ricky very much. He is a real friend. And now I realize that it was
no coincidence though I didn't want to buy a dog. My friend insisted on it. And she was right. I
needed a good friend and Ricky became it. I don't think that I spoilt or indulged him. It's very
difficult to do this. Ricky is very clever, he has a nice character.
He isn't naughty, he is calm
and steady, he has a proper pride and he is a very wise dog. So I respect him. You may believe me!
I don't sing the praises of my dog! It is the truth. He also likes "to kiss" me, to be at the
centre of attention. Sometimes when he is displeased he can "take out the soul" only looking at
you. And sometimes I think that he takes away my bad mood and nervousness…
Natalia. Narva (Estonia)
"About Jimmy"
 
This is Jimmy. He is following the path after the rain. And here he is on the beach. We've
bought a headscarf especially for him to avoid sunstroke.
Sveta
"Eva"
Dear Sveta!
These are some pictures of Eva. I'd like to come to you and show Eva. She has a real Apso
character. She gets along together with other dogs but with condescension. Her coat has almost
changed. She will be more beautiful if her coat grows longer.
Irina.
"Dmitriy about Kuzia".
Dear Svetlana,
I've just got your letter. Thank you very much for your quick answer. You are right, it is not
important if your dog is a pure-breed one or not. (Of cause if you don't want to have a dog of
specific breed). We don't care about it. I'm sure we were lucky… And now I think that this dog is
the closest friend of mine than other people in the world. He is a wonderful dog. He isn't like
other dogs. He has a dog-friend - Malvina. Once a year she comes to see Kuzia (with her owners of
cause) and then she has a pup. There are three of them… Kuzia is very healthy. He has never felt
ill and I hope he will not…
…Our children for the granny bought Kuzia. He stayed with us for 2 days. And in the morning he
was at the granny's but in the afternoon we came to see him. Granny was out and we found him in
the kitchen under the chair. He was so unhappy and we took him back.
If you could see how he was
happy and grateful! He was only 2 months old. It is natural that he stayed with us.
We have never thought about training him. We loved and love him very much. So does he. It is
evident that he understands everything we say better than we understand his language. And now I
want to find something about "dogs' language".
I found some articles in the Internet but it is not
enough. If you help me I'll be very grateful to you. Of cause I've learnt to understand Kuzia for
6 years but sometimes I can't do it. I speak to him and look at his tail to know what he wants at
the moment. Sometimes it seems to me he wants to say: "Why are you so silly?"
This dog has a particular status in our family… All of us (my wife Luda, Kuzia and me) get
on. Everyone is neither older nor younger. All of us have equal rights. But Kuzia feels himself
older, cleverer and more significant than our daughters. He loves them very much and he is very
happy when they come home. But… "they are so young and inexperienced so he is the only one to
teach and bring them up"…
One day we watched him doing such thing… Vika (the youngest daughter) came home and went
into the bathroom. Kuzia took his "things" (a bone, a stick, some biscuits) and put them across
the corridor on the way to the bedroom. ("Try to cross it!"). But Vika went to the kitchen. He
took all his "things" again and put them at the way out of the kitchen! ("You are locked up!")…
The bone is his best toy. It is his sacred thing. He puts it in his bed and contemplates it.
We mustn't say bad words about it (for example "it smells bad", "it is necessary to throw it
out"…) because he will really cry. One day he "called" me into the room. When I came in I saw that
he had put his "precious bone" on the knees of a big toy-monkey. And he was very happy when I said
that he was the kindest dog!
Very often he likes to put his "things" in proper order and show it
to us. It is very unusual to see that the dog can make a perfect square with a spot into it or a
circle. It also may be a line where all "things" are on the same distance from each other. I
wonder why does he do it and show it to us! What does he want to say?
…Kuzia was a year and a half when we took him to a river. We wetted him and he ran away.
Suddenly he noticed that my wife Luda went to swim. He began to cry, whine and then jumped into
the water. He didn't know that he could swim he wanted to save Luda. You see how his small heart
can love!
.. Natasha wasn't at home for 3 weeks. When she returned she took Kuzia for a walk. (Usually we
don't take dog's lead and Kuzia always goes ahead.) When they went to the corner of the house they
saw a large puddle. They couldn't cross it. Natasha said in a sad voice: "Kuzia! Look, this puddle
is too large. Let's go through the yard." Kuzia didn't look at Natasha and turned to the yard and
crossed it saying "bow-wow". Some men looked at this scene and asked Natasha: "Does he speak
Russian?" "Of cause!" was her answer.
Recently Vika began to train Kuzia. Before giving him a "sweet" bone she asked him to do
some commands (to sit down, to give a paw, to give another paw, to lie down, to bark). After that
she gave him the bone.
Yesterday Kuzia began "to ask" to give him a bone. And my wife Luda asked
Vika to give it to him. Vika was at the kitchen at that moment. Kuzia came into the kitchen and
very quickly sat down, gave one paw then another paw, lay down, said "bow", took his bone and ran
away…
… In the evening Natasha wanted to go to bed. It was necessary to slide apart the sofa. And
at first she was going to move the carpet near the sofa. Watching at it Kuzia took his piece of
cheese and put it on the carpet. ("You mustn't touch the carpet!")
Natasha: "Kuzia, why are you doing this!"
Kuzia: "R-r-r-r!"
Natasha: "If you bite me I'll bite you twice!"
Kuzia: "R-r-r-r!"
Natasha: "Mom, help me, please!"
Luda took his cheese and put it on the floor. Kuzia has never disobeyed her! So he sat down
on the carpet himself and stared at Natasha. Luda could do nothing!
Natasha: "OK! I'll sleep in your bed, I'll play with your bone…"
And she on all fours went to his place.
Natasha: " Oh, I like this bed. There are a lot of interesting things here! Wow, all of them
are mine now!"
Kuzia went to save his "treasures"… So Natasha could move the carpet…
Dmitriy and Kuzia of cause.
Ukraine.
"About Lhasa Venka and parrot Jasha"
… And now about Venka. He managed to lose me! It was difficult to do this on a long dog's
lead but he could. I was in a shop. I bought some things and said him: "Let's go!" and went away.
I felt that the dog's lead became longer and longer so I turned round. He looked at every person
and didn't see me. I called him but he didn't hear me, he was very busy he was finding me… I had
to go back and call him again. I was in time because Venka walked around a man and the dog's lead
had got tangled around him. And only at that moment Venka saw me…
…The page under the title "You must know it" amazed me very much. They are small predators…
I notice Venka also looks after our parrot Jashka. When Jashka is going to take wing Venka jumps
and tries to catch him. Every time I tell off him but he tries to do it again and again. So I
don't leave them tete-a-tete…
… Jashka cried out so loudly that people outside could hear his voice… He was full
indignation with a doctor who came to treat Venka. He is sure that we love Venka more than him.
"Everything is for this stupid dog. The doctor is for Venka; the clyster is for Venka too. And
nothing is for Jashka who is the best bird, who can fly, go on foot as a man, who can "comb" his
feathers himself…" Jashka couldn't believe that we love him very much too for a long time. But I
say him that Venka is his defender and he protects Jashka against crows. Venka sends away even
doves from our balcony.
… Yesterday I bought filleted chicken for Venka and chicken legs for us. I cooked boiled
rice with chicken for Venka and fried chicken for us. Venka liked his supper very much. But when
he saw that we had chicken legs for supper he forgot about his rice and began "to cry" that "he
was ill and didn't eat for two days"… He got these chicken legs out of me like a child get out
sweets. So I had to give him tow small pieces.
… Once I ate Venka's rice. I was very hungry. Venka looked at his plate and thought about
something. I only wanted to excite him: "Look, I'm eating your rice! One spoon, two, three…" So
his rice was eaten. He was very surprised. He couldn't fancy this!
… I'm touched one thing… Once I gave Venka some milk after his walk on the balcony. And now
we switch the roles. He goes to the balcony only after I give him some milk. You see, he gives me
a reward!
… I've made him hair-do. I've taken away his hair from his eyes. And now he wants everyone
likes him and tells it to him. And if somebody takes no notice of his hair-do he tries to bite him…
… Haven't written you for ages. We are nice. I try not to feel nervous about plicae in his
coat. And Venka doesn't care about it at all. Bad boy bit me last week! It was terribly painful!
We couldn't agree about the overalls. So everyone was a winner. Venka didn't put on his overalls
and I didn't take him out for a walk. He walked on the balcony. By the way the overalls becomes
small for him. He grows bigger…
… I can't understand why it is so important for him what leg to raise. What's the
difference? He can go around a bush and raise first left leg then right leg…
"About Maggy (dedicate to Barry)"
Dear Svetlana Ivanovna!
Our Apso lived for 19 years. At the 10th of March it was 10 years as Barry died. And we
didn't even want to think about buying another dog! He was as clever as a man… When I saw little
puppies on your site my heart ached. Thank you very much for your answer. Unfortunately we had not
Barry's photo taken. We have only the pictures of our family where he is not the main person…
I've got this dog by accident. I've never heard about Lhasa Apso. At 80th after my graduating from
the Institute I worked at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. As usual students keep
animals and when they go home they don't take their animals with them. And then these poor
creatures find themselves in the station for homeless animals. When I went there on business this
dog chose me looking at me through the grating. He put his head on my boot and I saw tears in his
eyes. He took his name after the name of a student who was the first in the students' list - Barry
Abdulay. And when I regis!
tered him in the vet. clinic I knew that he was Lhasa Apso. Of cause he hadn't got a pedigree.
But I've never regretted that I took him home. When he died my daughter's eyesight became very
weak…
You see, I'm a woman of forty but I'm as a child. I want to have a dog very much…  Êîãäà óìåð, ó äî÷åðè íà íåðâíîé ïî÷âå çðåíèå óïàëî íà 70%.
Âû çíàåòå Ñâåòëàíà, ìíå äàæå íå óäîáíî, òåòêå 40,à ñîáàêó õî÷ó äî ñëåç, êàê ðåáåíîê.
Yesterday we went to see Vika and Granny. We took Maggy with us. He felt good in the car. He
sat alone on the back sit and looked through the window. Vika was delighted with him. How
beautiful he was! Granny was glad that he was "a nice obedient boy" and did "all his deeds" on the
paper in the corridor (though at home he sometimes doesn't obey). Everybody liked Maggy except the
cat. He came up to him and smelled Maggy but didn't take him. When Maggy ate his food he took it
easy but when the pup lay down on Barry's mat (it was the cat's mat now!) he couldn't stand it. He
took offence very much, went to the Granny's room and while we stayed there he didn't eat and
drink at all. The cat spat at Maggy but didn't rush at him. But Maggy was not confused at all. He
barked the cat and forgot about him…He was at the centre of attention the whole day and on our way
home he fell asleep. He even slept when we put him on his mat. But at 6 o'clock a.m. he played
with his ball and sta!
mped as "an elephant". Thank you very much for this dog and our happiness!
… Maggy is very well! He grows up. Our walks become longer. His teeth have changed so he
bites and gnaws everything. The other day he fought with a two-year-old Mops. After this I lived
at my mother's for a week. The cat has already got accustomed to Maggy. Maggy ate the cat's food
for old cats. But the cat didn't eat after the dog. And I had to wash the cat's plate with
"Fairy"! Then we put the cat's plate on the chair. While the cat was eating the dog was catching
his tail. And the cat beat Maggy on the head by his paw but without claws.
Sveta, I thank you every day for this dog. All of us loved him very much.
… Sometimes we call our dog Barry instead of Maggy. And when we realize that the name is
wrong we try to correct our mistake and the name turned out Baggy…
…We have bought a worm overalls for Maggy. He created a furore in the shop! All of shop
assistants were around him. They put the overalls on Maggy and let him walk on the floor to see
was it comfortable or not. He looked like Filja from children's TV show "Good night"!
…Maggy likes to play with me. At first I laughed until I cry. And now I'm already got
accustomed to it. When we walk in the forest in winter I go on a path but Maggy likes to go on a
ski-track. At the place where the path and the ski-track disperse Maggy goes through deep snow.
He
goes ahead and turns round. I hide behind a tree near the path, he finds me, I kiss him and the
play begins from the very first. And one day I hid behind a tree, I was waiting for Maggy but
nobody searched me! I peeped out through the tree and saw Maggy's tail behind three very thin
birches. I began to cry: "Where is my lovely dog? What shall I do without him? How can I find
him?" Maggy lurked but wagged his tail and tried to hide his muzzle in snow. He saw me and didn't
want to go. He wanted me to find him. I found him and kissed…
Maggy doesn't like dog's leader. When I fasten it to his collar he takes it in his teeth,
goes ahead and leads me. "Look! I'm taking my owner for a walk!" He doesn't obey when I say: "Come
here", but when I say: "Where is my obedient boy" he comes to me as fast as he can. I had to say
Barry "Please, come here my dear". He obeyed at once and he even forgot about bitches with heat.
… I've bought a red collar with dog's lead in the shop "Beethoven". There is a label with a
picture of a dog with a word "Barry" on it. (I even don't take it off).
Alla.
"Ratibor-Borika-Boriska"
Dear Svetlana!
We are very good. And now I can say that we are fond of dog-shows. Should we go to "Russia"
dog-show? You see it is very "infectious". Though he has a lot of burdocks in his coat after
walks. It is nothing! It is difficult to have good coat for dog-shows but I'm sure that for the
dog it is necessary to walk a lot. Everyone likes Boriska in his clothes. :)
Sveta.
"Leka"
Dear Sveta!
I had no time to write you! I send you Leka's pictures. Good luck!
Kulikova Marina
"About Leka and Monia" (dedicate to Monia)."
Dear Sveta!
I'm at the office now. And I have a little time to read articles in your wonderful site. I'm
reading the part "Listen to Lhasa Apso". It is really a wonderful breed! (These words belong to a
person who loves other breeds!)
Maybe they are (Lhasa) more sensitive, more "tactful". Maybe I
exaggerate it but your dog presented me the most value thing he had - his life. (I'm writing these
words but tears are rolling from my eyes though a lot of time passed).
I don't believe in
mysticism at all but nonetheless if it were not for Monia everything would be otherwise. I'm
obliged to this tiny dog that everything was changed to the best. …A tiny shaggy creature with
thoughtful eyes… If he didn't "stir up anger to himself" I could be at his place or maybe (it is
the worst) my daughter. I don't know what will be in future but I know one thing that my gratitude
to this dog knows no bounds…(it is awful to cry in the office).
Thank you very much Sveta. It is
heartfelt gratitude.
Monia lived with us only some weeks but he gave us a lot of love and tenderness. It's a pity
we had no a photo camera! How did he play "he" with my daughter! I was surprised that the dog with
so phlegmatic character could play any jolly game with a little child! It is not easy to make
Akbay play if he doesn't want to do this. He will growl very threateningly! But Monia every time
was ready to do smth. together. Maybe he didn't like it but he did. And he NEVER refused.
And Leka! His everyday run in the forest!
He runs with his tail on his back in any weather!
Leka surprises me every time - he always is in a good mood! If his owner wants to run so he is
though he would better sleep on the sofa. But I really began to respect Leka when in the country
he went for a big Husky who wanted to come to Anna. At first when he saw this big dog he was
afraid a little. But when he realized that that dog was running to us he put his tail on the back
and went for the "enemy".
After that he proved us many times that he was a really brave dog. And
you see this dogs (I mean Lhasa Apso) will never go for or bark for no particular reason. And he
fells any negative act from people or animals and he is always ready to help his owners.
… My letter is very confused. I don't know why… I wish you good luck. And let your business
will give you only happiness. Remember me to your dogs!
Yours Marina Kulikova.
"Anna and Maharaja"
Hi, Sveta!
Everything is OK. We had no problems during our trip. Maha had a lot of funs in Bulgaria… They
called him only "Your Highness" and "Sladur"…
…You know, I'm a very disorderly person but now I know where all my things are. He finds
them and gives them to me or puts them into a container. He counts my bags and knows where they
are.
Sometimes he checks them if they are on their places or not. Maha began to do this in the
airport. When I moved off he checked all things and calmed down ("All bags are here so the owner
is here too".).
He obeys me ("if you really need it all right I'll do it, be happy")! He is on
friendly terms with Gena but he walks after me. In the night and in the morning he usually checks
me if I'm here or not…
…I want to tell you an interesting story. It's about the eruption of Etna. It is 1000 km
from Sofia. And some days ago Maha jumped up in the night and yelled! He didn't bark, didn't howl
but he yelled! It was silence everywhere so all neighbours were frightened very much. I couldn't
even calm him down... If you remember I've told you about his strange behaviour. It was when he
hid in his house and I said you "maybe he feels earthquake"…
…Hi! Here is a new story about Maha's feats. So I was in a hairdressing salon. Gena and Maha
stayed at home. You see our electric kettle is under repair. And we use an immersion heater to
boil water. All sockets are near to the floor and we have to put a pot or a cup on the floor if we
want to boil water. I forbad Maha to come to this place. And he obeyed me. That day Gena decided
to have a cup of tea. He switched on the immersion heater and went out of the kitchen. He forgot
about his tea and remembered only when I came home from the hairdressing salon! When we came into
the kitchen we saw that all water (of cause) boiled away and the immersion heater was switched
off! Who could do this? I was out, Gena worked at the computer… so Maha did this…
Ìàõð.
Àííà
"Elwin"
Svetlana thank you very much for your letter. I've a male. He is 1,5 years old. His name is
Old Tomarctus Lajichum (we call him Elwin). He is a jolly boy. I don't know who are his parents. I
can look it in his passport. I had Apso without pedigree before. He died when he was 15. And after
his death I realized that I don't want to have another breed… Olga
"Vanka-Balovanka, prince Kurodavkin (Hens Killer)"
Dear Sveta!
I was so shaken by your present that I didn't realize what it was for me… You know I saw a dream
when I came to Altai. I spoke to my former dog Baal (Balu) or rather he told me that he knew that
I wouldn't have another dog except Lhasa Apso. So he decided to be incarnated in Apso's body to
meet me again. And now he is in Vanka's body. I don't know can it be reality or not. And now I
notice that Vanka has the same habits.
… Balu-Vanka likes this place very much. He made friends with our cat Silasy at once. But
the cat at first was ashamed to play with him when I saw it. And now he as an older friend
teaches Vanka but not only good things.
Vanka didn't make friends with the dog named Tiulika. She is jealous of her owner old man
Mesrobich. Balu-Vanka became the general pet at once.
 Ó íåãî áûë íåêîòîðûé ïåðåðûâ â êóðîäàâñòâå.
…Mesrobich worried about Balu and hens. Balu in spite of frost for days together is sitting
in front of the hen house. Mesrobich has hammered in the trapdoor and Balu can't get through
there. So he only can just miss a treat. And he takes offence. There was time when Balu didn't
catch hens. But before my birthday he was at his best. He brought me two neighbor's hens with
their legs bitten off. Then he began to catch our hens but now he can't get to them. So he is in
ambush all day long.
…He looks like a snow-lion. His coat becomes longer. When he is in the yard he is always in
snow. He looks wonderful. If he isn't in ambush he plays every time. He likes to go for water
because we let him go out of the gate. There are a lot of interesting things in the street:
horses, cows to say nothing of other dogs! ("I can play with all of them!")
Balu has a nickname - Kurodavkin (Hens Killer). But now he can't get them. All hens were
isolated from him. I explained everything to my neighbors and I hope we'll not have problems any
more. But I try not to leave him alone though he likes freedom.
… We have just gone for water. Balu was glad to have a chance to play with calves. On our
way home he noticed that our hens were sitting in the sun on the hen house. His eyes were full of
supplication. He wanted to come to the hens but I didn't let him.
…I want to make a picture when he is in ambush - he is so funny and happy…
By the way I don't remember if I told you about it or not. During the holidays I gave him
some chicken to eat. He was very surprised. "Well, you punished me but you do the same" he thought
(I've read these words in his eyes). Recently our neighbors slaughtered a sheep. And Balu realized
that he hadn't seen a real life…
…He continues his hunting but without results. Hens are very careful, quick and agile…
… My friend Sergey promises to take him to a partridges hunting. I know myself some places
where there are a lot of partridges… Let him hunt…
… Lena taught Balu to kiss when she had a piece of cheese in her lips. Balu likes it very
much… But I don't know what he likes better… She is sitting by my side Balu is sleeping on the
pillow. By the way after our telephone conversation Balu was very nervous…
…Now he is very obedient boy. In winter he tried to be injurious. He didn't want to go home
and tried to hide himself under the car or any place where I couldn't take him. But now he goes
home at once as I call him, he doesn't catch hens (though I know he wants). I've never seen such
obedient dog!
Lately an interesting case took place. He woke me early in the morning (usually we wake up
an hour later) and asked me to go to another room. He did it very insistence, whined and scratched
his paw. When I came there I saw that near the manhole to the cellar were excrement. Neither Balu
no the cat does such things at home. The little dog Tiulika and Mesrobich were in the other
village. I began to clean the floor and saw that the wires in the cellar were sparking. And the
insulation was scorched. (Mesrobich unscrewed an electric light bulb but didn't take out the wire
from the socket)…
…My friend Sergey (he is from Altai) begins to sew equipment for Balu for a horse trip. (It
will look like a small knapsack. We will put Balu there if he is tired).
…Lena conveys thanks and sends her best regards to you. She likes Balu and the contact to
him helps her very much. She is in her bed period her Granny has died. And Balu helps her to go
through this period.
…Balu-Vanka becomes cleverer. He treats hens as if he is their owner. "These are our hens.
They give eggs (but not so often as I want and only yolks…) And I also like mutton and can eat it
any time I want…" He likes carrots, tomatoes, and apples. But he takes vegetables only from my
hands.
 When our guests try to give him fruit or vegetables he doesn't take it. I've gathered in a
harvest of carrots and divided it into three parts: 1 part - bad carrots, 2 - good, 3 - the best.
He ate carrots only from the third part. He likes to eat apples without peelings.
…In the village everyone likes Balu-Vanka. Children cut theirs dogs like Balu and buy them
hair-ins as Balu has… Now there is a period of heat of local bitches. All male-dogs go everywhere
and don't keep borders. So the words "Let's go for a walk" became the best and the most favorite
words in the world! He tried to guard his borders from the big dogs. Thank God I always was with
him!…
…
Mikhail
Moscow- Altai
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