"Puppy Love"
by Ana Rosa

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies."
Gene Hill

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All Gompa puppies are placed under the approval of the directors and are expected to continue the lineage. We have developed Participation Process packet, which is sent snail mail. After application approval, the next step is a conference call with the Program's directors. We ask many questions, all of which will help us decide whether you will be a good candidate for participation in the Program.  If you're interested in a puppy, the first step is to contact us requesting a Participation Process packet.

The Gompa Lhasa Apsos interest people for wide variety of reasons. The coast-to-coast community that continues to develop around them is diverse. The Program is dependent on people willing to open their heart, mind and home to a Gompa dog.  

Although the total population of Gompa dogs is small, it is still too large to be housed at one location.  The Kennel Without Walls is a unique approach; individuals host a dog, or dogs, in their home where they become a cherished member of the family and yet are available to participate in the breeding program at least once. Because of the logistics of breeding and whelping, the focus is on pockets of dogs developing near a Program director or an experienced breeder.

Science is the underpinning of the Program and the foundation of all the activities to perpetuate the lineage. Tracking all dogs through the course of their lives is an extremely important function of the Program's Database. Fun events are held in order to gather updated information and connect with caretakers. Executive Director, Ruth Gerath, and Breeding Program Director, Debby Rothman, met a number of dogs for the first time in April 2005 at a Dog Party, held in Virginia. . May 2006 Ruth flew to California, with a stop in Colorado, hand-delivering puppies to caretakers in each local, meeting new people and reconnecting with others. September 2006 will see a Gompa Picnic, to be held in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

Any Gompa dog is a joint member of both the owner’s home and the Program itself. Possession of a Gompa dog comes with agreement to participate in the Preservation Program. Puppies are registered reflecting the name of an official representative of the program.  With respect to placement, two kinds of homes are sought: homes for dogs to be used in the breeding program and homes for dogs retired from the breeding program.  Placement screening is taken very seriously. After completing the Participation Application Form and the Contract, each applicant is screened through interviews, reference checks, and a home visit to protect both the dog and integrity of the Program. In the event the caretaker becomes unable to care for the dog placed with him or her, the dog is to be returned to the Program for a new placement. All puppies born within the Program remain participants in the Program. All donations received for puppies, adult dogs and retired dogs belong to the Gompa Lhasa Apso Preservation Program Trust.