Long rest before the fifth pup Michewa whelped

Lasya's fifth pup Michewa was a female too, whelped over an hour after the fourth one - at 3.07pm and was the smallest of all the Lhasa Apso pups weighing in at a mere 145gms. Named Phalden Michewa which means Glorious Heavens in Tibetan language little Mishi has grown up to be a petite little lady.

Mishi suffered from colic within the first week itself and refused to take her feed. Instead she would keep racing in circles around the puppy bed and even when I placed her on Lasya's teat she would still climb over and continue her circling. This meant a weight-loss she could ill afford and when the other pups got Diarhea in the second week little Mishi had a further drop in her weight. Four days after the pups were born, on 6th August, I had to call the Vet for an emergency home visit at midnight because the last pup Tashi was sickening. While this pup responded quickly to the treatment the Vet found Mishi's low weight a matter of concern and instructed me to watch her closely for the next 48 hours.

At 3 weeks while the biggest of the pups Rinchen (now named Akki) weighed 762gms, Mishi weighed just 636gms. This is also when I had to introduce a supplement for the pups because Lasya's milk began drying up. Possibly she was stressed because she was constantly feeding the huge litter of six pups who were always jostling with 1 or 2 always being left hungry. At 8 weeks Rinchen weighed 2.2kgs and Mishi weighed 1.57kgs - almost half his size!

By this time they were already being weaned to kibble food and were discovering their taste buds. Mishi was completely overshadowed and outnumbered by her bigger and more aggressive litter-mates who would push her out of the way and finish her meals. The poor little pup would keep crying out to me after mealtimes when the others were sated and took their naps  - and I thought she was just wanting attention. It was only when she reached for and gobble Simba and Lasya's dinner in the kitchen a couple of times that I realized that something was wrong. This added to her weight issue and growth and she has since remained a slow developer.

Mishi sharing a chewstick with Lasya at 3 months

Being a timid little puppy Mishi was also the quietest of them all, which is why she was always overlooked by prospective adopting families who were looking for a playful pup. After four of the pups found their new homes by December 2010 only Yeshe and Mishi were left with us and that's when Lasya began to train her with more one-on-one attention. She helped Mishi gain confidence and coaxed her into playing games and even taught her - and Yeshe - to get a little aggressive with her!

Mishi exhausted and taking a well-deserved nap after the Dog Show

A little after Mishi turned 6 months old I entered her in the Bombay Presidency Kennel Club Dog Show in the minor puppy class where she won the 1st Place with a Gold Medal on 6th February 2011. The two judges gave positive comments on her good looks and coat quality. I'm currently preparing her for the next Showing season and hoping that she does well. The aim is of course to earn a Championship or even a CC (Championship Challenge).

Mishi in a pretty red dress enjoying her 1st Birthday Dinner on Tuesday 2nd August.

Yeshe and Mishi on their 1st Birthday. While Mishi got a pretty red dress Yeshe got a matching bow tie! Happy Birthday Michewa - my petite baby!