FIRST IN OBEDIENCE

The American Lhasa Apso Club held its FIRST Obedience Trial in conjunction with the National Specialty on May 15, 1983 at Kansas City Missouri. Host for this history making event was the Heart Of American Lhasa Apso Club.

ALAC's FIRST obedience chairman was Frank Trujillo (The Bears Den Lhasa Apso) a well know breeder and exhibitor in the conformation ring, owner and trainer of obedience Lhasa Apso "Chu Chu Smoky Bear CD". Frank worked hard his year as obedience chairman to increase the entries at the 1984 National Specialty. In October-November 1983 issue of the Lhasa Apso Reporter this ad ran.

WANTED: Lhasas trained for the obedience trial to be held in August 1984 at ALAC National Specialty in Houston,Texas. Now is the time to get started. Unlike conformation, obedience requires a longer and more regular training schedule. Get your Lhasa in training and earn your reward.

REWARD: The rewards of having an obedience trained Lhasa are many.

* A well trained Lhasa can reflect on your kennel by showing that your dog has the temperment to undergo
this arduous training.
* The prestige of having a Lhasa with more then one title is tremendous especially a title that requires the
dedication of both of you to achieve. Give your champion a chance to show he is a companion too.

Twenty-three years later we need to run this Ad again for the 2006 National Specialty in the Seattle, Wa. area, we still NEED and are in SEARCH of the obedience trained Lhasa for our National Specialty Obedience Trial.

The Lhasa Apso was doing obedience long brefore ALAC's first Obedience Trial, we see this from the three Utility Lhasas entered in this first obedience trial.Yvonne Copeland's "Geraldine" Linda Jarrett's "Junior" and Joan Clarke's "Beaute" were just a few of the Lhasas doing obedience in these early years.

The FIRST Lhasa to earn an obedience title was an unregistered dog named "Segundo Verdejo" in 1949. Bred and owned by Mrs. Dorothy Sabine de Gray, Las Sa Gre Lhasa Apso. He was sired by the unregistered CH. Juanito Verdejo out of CH. Las Sa Gre. He also earned the FIRST Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title the following year.

In 1952 an unregistered Lhasa named "Sargent" earned both his Companion Dog (CD) and CDX Title. The following year 1953 "Sargent became the FIRST Lhasa to earn the Utility Dog (UD) title.

The FIRST registered Lhasa to earn all three obedience titles the CD in 1955 CDX in 1956 and the UD in 1957 was Americal's Sandur.

The FIRST Champion to earn an obedience title was CH. Ming Tali 11 CD, The FIRST Champion to earn a CDX, was CH. Dandi Jin Rik'i CDX and the FIRST Champion to earn the UD title is CH. Joy Marlo Mercedes UD.

This FIRST obedience trial had a very respectable entry of twelve and ALAC's FIRST High in Trial would be Brenda Schmelzel's "Tiger" with a score of 191 from the open "A" class.

In 1973 The American Lhasa Apso Club established the Obedience Record Of Merit. Melodey Haverly earned for her Carmel Lhasa Apso the FIRST Obedience ROM in 1977.

The FIRST Lhasa Apso to receive a High in Trial at an all-breed show was Sargent UD in 1953. After AKC established the HIT Award at an all-breedobedience trial, HIT Halcyon's Golden Kismet UD was the FIRST to receive the HIT Award.

There are two titles not yet accomplished by the Lhasa Apso and this is the (UDX) Utility Dog Excellent and the (OTCH) Obedience Trial Champion.

The Lhasa Apso of today are not just in conformation ring or obedience but you will find them in Agility, Hearding and tracking Trials. You may only find one or two but look for him/her, he/she is there amongst the other breeds.