Roscoe Bobs His Hair

Above: Roscoe looking quite scandalous, and fabulous, in his new bob.

So around the time of their first birthday, I received some emails from my now one-year-old pups.

Pandora wrote to let me know that she was celebrating with a bottle of champagne. As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But, in truth, her new dad told me "she didn't think much of the Champagne, but did like the new toys!" And, the icing on the cake, Pandy came into heat for the first time which can make you feel both like a rag and really horny. It's a strange and wonderful combination. Take it from me.

Bruin, who lives near Boston and spends his summers and most weekends in Vermont wrote to let me know he "had an outstanding weekend in Vermont...hiking, swimming and celebrating." His new mom, Debbie, added "All is well and he is the best. Pics and further details to follow soon." I'm waiting!!

Now Roscoe he sent two birthday photos. He seems to be sporting a bob.

"Do you think I ought to bob my hair, Mr. Charley Paulson?"

Charley looked up in surprise.

"Why?"

"Because I'm considering it. It's such a sure and easy way of attracting attention."

So wrote the twenty-four-year-old F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), conjuring Bernice a society belle on her way to becoming "a society vampire" in his story "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," published in 1920. History credits French libertines with inventing the scandalous hairstyle, cut sharp and short at the jawline.

Opposition was formidable. Schoolteachers, nurses, shopgirls, and railroad office workers were prohibited from wearing the cut in various regions. "If a girl goes so far as to bob her hair, her work will probably be affected and she could not give 100 percent efficiency," argued a Baltimore insurance executive, convinced a bob demonstrated a distracting vanity.

Modernism called for drastic measures. The story of Fitzgerald's Bernice grew from a pointed 10-page letter he'd written from Princeton at age nineteen to his sister Annabel, then fourteen, instructing her on how to become a fascinating modern woman. He told her to groom her eyebrows, choose jaunty hats, refine her awkward walk, and kid the boys, while cultivating a "pathetic, appealing" expression to win them over (head hung, staring up directly into their eyes). "You have beautiful hair," he conceded, assessing her best traits. "You ought to be able to do something with it."

Mocha Choca Lata Ya Ya

There was a lively Facebook discussion on the topic of chocolate Tibetan Terriers the other day. Well, I guess, THAT REALLY depends on your definition of lively. Anyway, I have never had the pleasure of meeting a chocolate TT, but I think the one pictured above is quite fetching. I found another pic of a chocolate TT who needs a home. His name is Red and he looks a bit like Scooby-Doo or, perhaps, Burl Ives. Don't you think? Bit of an underbite, but quite lovable I'm sure. Note his light eyes and BIG brown nose and lips and read the Facebook discussion I've posted below. BTW, Red's owner wonders, "Over two thousand years did the monks ever have a Chocolate TT?" I bet they did! And I bet they loved their chocolate TTs!!


Claire Mathieu it is a very nice TT...



Claire Mathieu there a few breeds that accept chocolat color maybe it could be time to revise the standard...


Kuo Yarlung Namtso TibetanTerriers wow this dog is beautiful indeed, no matter his color!!


Rhonda Bailey I have always wondered why Chocolate is not allowed. With a limited gene pool, I don't think I agree we should not allow them. I don't know of any health issues associated with the colour?

Danièle Richer Greenwood I agree Rhonda, I love chocolate brown TTs. I would love to have one, regardless of the breed standards.

Donna L. Ogden Chocolate TTs are not allowed to show because they do not have black noses and very often do not have dark eyes or eye rims. I do not know of any specific health problems from a TT being a chocolate color, perhaps someone else knows more. Perhaps the lighter noses and eye rims did not fare well in the snowy cold climate of Tibet.

Rhonda Bailey The lack of pigment could be a reason! But I know that a lack of pigment is documented on many other colours of TT's.....that are not Chocolate. I wonder if Chocolate has a lack of pigment or does the line have a lack of pigment no matter the colour. A few commented on my Sable (almost gold) boy for his lovely pigment...it sounded like dogs his colour were not always heavy in the pigment department? Just guessing.

Pierre Tarraran Rhonda, when are you going to come over to the dark side and get yourself a cat.


Rhonda Bailey Ha!!!!! Never....but I can still be dark without a cat :)


Pierre Tarraran Good point, I like your way of thinking.
·


Cyndi Egbert That is a beautiful dog!!!!



Lynda Zittier I have produced a chocolate puppy .. and he is a lovely colour .. his litter mates were 2 white / black girls ( one of them is my "Bits" ) with lovely strong black pigement and one litter brother who was black and white .. .. no pigment problems with him either .. so I don't think it is the line that lacks pigment

Suddie Lancaster-Taylor Very Pretty. Is this your dog? Is he/she named Mocha Choca Lata Ya Ya?


Claire Mathieu I have look in the CKC/AKC standard for coat color and they accept any color....the only specific color is nose:black
So the only think that is against that color is the nose being brown.... Maybe someone could be courageous enough to show a beautiful chocolat TT in the ring.

Suddie Lancaster-Taylor Rhonda. Does your dog have a black nose or a sweet chocolatey one? What about the eye rims!!

Lynda Zittier Claire .. the TT standard also calls for a dark eye .. which the chocolates do not have ......


Claire Mathieu But there is no disqualifications mentioned in the standard how pale are the eyes of the chololate TT... are they yellow, hazel.. or very pale brown??? here is thel listing of the faults

Faults--Weak pointed muzzle. Any color other than a black nose. Overshot bite or a very undershot bite or a wry mouth. Long narrow head. Lack of fall over the eyes and foreface


Lynda Zittier they are yellow or greenish



Claire Mathieu wow that is a big issue. were there any chocolat TT with darker eyes???or they always come with yellow eyes..

Rhonda Bailey This is not my dog...would love to have him, he looks so adorable. I was sent this photo by Deb Mcfarlane. I hope she doesn't mind me posting this photo. I think this dogs eyes look quite dark but yes, his nose looks brown. I have heard of some TT's with blue or green eyes finishing in the US....not sure how easy that was done but I know it was finished.

Margy Pankiewicz Chocolates are a simple recessive (bb) so they do not make black pigment but are 'self colored". Dogs that "lack" good pigment actually are dilutes which is caused by a modifier and dilution of the black pigment (BB). They are totally separate issues. Some chocolates have darker eyes than others (green or hazel as opposed to yellow) but they cannot have the dark brown eye of a dog carrying black pigment. And no, there are no health issues associated with chocolates.

Tibetan Terrier Lost in Oakland, CA

I just learned that a sweet Tibetan Terrier named Sparkle is lost in Oakland, CA. I have posted Sparkle's pic above. Sparkle was wearing a collar when she was lost, but no ID tags. She is microchipped. If you have any information, please call the number listed below.

"We have a dog who is lost. She was last seen 11/2 in the area of Joaquin Miller and Skyline near the Dunn Trail At Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. She is a Gray and White Tibetan Terrier named Sparkle. If you have friends or family in this area please pass this along to to them to help us get her home. Could you forward this onto your list serve and glen friends? Any help would be greatly appreciated."

Please call 510-703-8163 with any information.

Good Genes?

I received a note from my boy Sherpa, Deep Acres Autumn Splendor, today. I just have to share it with you.

He's such a handsome boy and quite a good writer. Sherpa you make your momma proud.

I LOVE YOU!

Dear Mom,
Happy Fall. I can’t believe the holidays are almost here and it will be snowing again soon…. I’m very excited about the snow….My coat's a little longer than last year, so I’ll be toasty warm when we go on our hikes in the forest….

Remember last year when my dad sent a picture to that guy you live with, and when he saw the picture he said “OMG Sherpa is so handsome have you thought of showing him?" And my dad replied “No I’m not showing him, I’ve never been to a dog show." Hummmm….famous last words…..

I’m not sure what happened BUT the past 2 weekends I received 5 more points and now I have 2 majors and 13 points…….What does it all mean??? Neither dad nor I are sure, however almost every show we’ve entered I’ve received points or a major….And we haven’t been to that many shows…… 2 more points and I’ll be a champion…..

Dad says I have great GENES, I have to agree because when I look at you, dad, and my brothers and sisters, we really are a handsome lot…One lady who breeds TT’s asked dad if he would bring in my pedigree…. She told dad not only does she think I’m handsome she also likes my personality…..Dad's friends call them beauty pageants……I think it’s a lot of fuss about nothing……Humans, go figure….
Well mom just a quick update, I’m sure we’ll be talking soon…

I love you-
Sherpa

Con Brio!

Do you remember our summer trip to Montana to visit our Tibetan Terrier friends?? Miss Mary, Bill (aka The Doctor), and so many more. What the hell were all their names? I loved it so much, I just have to repost our Montana video. It makes my tail wag. Real fast. Yes. just like you do Toby. Toby is the pup's dad.

When I think about our trip to Montana, I think about the beauty, good friends and good food. I remember Miss Sheryl's fantastic enchiladas and Dan's fresh baked bread. I have been howling and, as a result, Miss Sheryl emailed me her enchilada recipe. She recommends that you use Las Palmas enchilada sauce if you can find it. Sheryl does everything con brio!!

Sheryl's Montaniladas

good corn tortillas, fresh
enchilada sauce, two large cans
jack cheese, cut into sticks about 1/4 inch thick
good cheddar cheese, cut into sticks
green chillis, whole, cut into long strips, (one large can)
onions, about 2 large yellow or white
good, ripe, black olives

set up: small frying pan with nearby corn oil
one saucepan with heated enchilada sauce
a frying pan, where onions are resting, after sauteeing , caramelized , not burned

Procedure, Use a large baking pan for baking the enchiladas
1. preheat oven to 350
2. pour a little sauce into your baking ban to coat the bottom with enchilada sauce.
3. Heat the small fry pan with a little corn oil, fry a corn tortilla, both sides, til toasted, cooked, but not hard
4. Use tongs, dip the tortilla into the enchilada sauce to coat
5. Roll the tortilla into an enchilad, filled with a few sticks of white jack cheese, few sticks of cheddar, a few strips of green chillis and a tablespoon or so of onions..
6. Keep making the enchiladas, lay them into the pan so they are fairly tight and packed like little envelopes beside each other. for crowds, i have made two layers in a pan.
usually keep it at one layer, but tight and full so that they dont dry out from exposure.
7. when finished, sprinkle top with drained olives and some extra cheese/pour sauce over the top, dampen and thorough, but do not drown them in sauce.
8. set aside sauce remaining for table or later, after baking
9. bake til all is heated and browned, melted, nice on top/about 40 minutes.

What Not to Wear!

Boo! Are you dressing up for Halloween? Ever wonder how your dog feels when you dress them up? If you want to know you should read Inside a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know? by Alexandra Horowitz. Although I can't say I feel the author gets it exactly right. When my dad dresses me up (which, btw, is pretty rare) I feel a bit like a floozie. Which, I have to admit, I kinda like. I mean what self-respecting dog doesn't like to get busy and then get treats? I haven't really read Ms. Horowitz' book, but we do have a copy on our bookshelf.

ON DRESSING UP YOUR PETS
Posted by Alexandra Horowitz

It’s the final week of our Critterati contest (winners will be announced on Wednesday). The New Yorker Magazine's Book Bench asked one of our judges, Alexandra Horowitz, the author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, how your pet might feel about being dressed up.

The philosopher Thomas Nagel famously asked, in his titular essay, “What is it like to be a bat?”: what, in essence, is the subjective experience of a non-human animal?

Around this time of year, one might revise Nagel’s query to “What is it like to be a bat—dressed in a Superman costume?” Or, more accurately for of many contemporary American pets, “What might a dog (or cat or hamster or parrot) think of being costumed and festooned, or forced to don a hat and fake mustache in our celebration of Halloween?”

Inasmuch as I can speak to the experience of any animal (including members of my own species), my answer is “The dog, he does not like it”.

This is not to say that it is entirely torturous for your pet. The dog is of the species Canis familiaris: the latter part of that name indicates their familiarity with, well, their extended family, humans. Thoroughly domesticated, having put up with human behavior and its attendant silliness for something on the order of fourteen thousand years, the dog may suffer some costuming gladly. And this is why: by submitting to be a jack-o-lantern, hot dog (with bun), biker dude, or princess, the dog gains something valuable. He gets your attention, and probably an extra round of liver treats. Aside from the liver, there is little as nourishing to a dog as the attention of his owner. So we have bred dogs, and so they cooperatively are—sometimes to a fault.

On the other hand, to put raiments on a dog is to blithely ignore his essential dogness. Consider the Canis part of his heritage. Both wolves and dogs are descended from some wolflike ancestor; thus, we might look at the behavior of the dog’s cousin, the present-day wolf (Canis lupus), in order to provide one explanation for dog behavior. Among wolves, one animal may “stand over” another: literally placing his body on top of and touching the other, as a scolding or a mild putting-in-one’s-place. To a dog, a costume, fitting tight around the dog’s midriff and back, might well reproduce that ancestral feeling. So the principal experience of wearing a costume would not be the experience of festivity; rather, the costume produces the discomfiting feeling that someone higher ranking is nearby. This interpretation is borne out by many dogs’ behavior when getting dressed in a costume: they may freeze in place as if they are being “dominated”—and soon try to dislodge the garments by shaking, pawing, or rolling in something so foul that it necessitates immediate disrobing.

Another approach to answering the question of what Halloween might be like for the costumed dog is to engage in a little exercise of perspective-shifting. Imagine that you arrive at work one day and are told that today is the day you will be walking around in your skivvies (the human equivalent of putting a naked dog in clothing, perhaps). Socially, this is awkward; physically, it might be decidedly uncomfortable. But your colleagues grin at you, point and giggle happily, and ply you with extra liver treats—er, I mean, candy. In the end, you might put up with it for the day, secure in the approval of those around you, and the happy circumstance that you can wear your full office regalia tomorrow. So might it be like for your dog.

We are, ultimately, a culture of celebrants, and our dogs will be included in that celebration, regardless. But if you are willing to be that over-exposed owner aside your over-dressed and be-costumed dog for Halloween, I feel certain your dog would appreciate the gesture.

My Little UK Calendar Girl

Above: Ella Ridsdill Smith, decidedly not a model, looks fabulous in the United Kingdom's Tibetan Terrier Association's 2011 Calendar.

Well, I finally heard from my girlfriend Ella. She has been on holidays with her little sister Maisie. They look FABULOUS. Don't you think?

Dear Suddie,

Do you remember when we first met online and I was really wee and looked like this?


You encouraged me to start a modeling career and enter some competition you had read about in a magazine. Well you probably remember the reaction, talk about strict parenting, I was not allowed to be a celebrity, super model or IT girl. I can’t even go to dog shows ‘cos we live too far away. Well I have made it onto the UK Tibetan Terrier Association 2011 calendar, so that showed them. I didn’t even have to have to apply or go on a special photo shoot ‘cos my FB profile pic did it for me.

Do you think mum needs some instructions on braiding my hair? She is trying plaits now.


And poor Maisie looks like this.


I do feel for her, but I had to go through it too. I know mum loves us but hairdressing is not her forte and a girl has standards even if we do live in the back of beyond. Perhaps your dad could do another video.

Lots of luv’n’liks to you and Roxie and special big liks for Angus XXXXXX

Ella Ridsdill Smith

PS. If you're interested in ordering a calendar, just click the following link (they accept paypal) so you can order via email if you like. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO