There has been many great breeders with lhasas. As we began to plan our own breeding program – we realized that there were few breeders and lines that kept producing even type and nice lhasas generation after generation. There is no point of breeding a lot but to produce something very good and valuable in each litter.

We found that there was and still is a tradition in USA, that was quite impressive. Marianne Nixon and her daughter Leslie Ann Engen have done wonderful job with their San Jo lhasas. Most of all San Jo has created that line in about the same kind of conditions that are here in Scandinavia. Small scale breeding where quality is far more important than quantity. There is something to show in each litter, not only champions – but many of these champions are real good champion producers too.

After getting to know Marianne Nixon and Leslie Ann Engen I realized that they had such a strong and rational attitude with their breeding. For them the movement is an important indicator of overall structure and quality. A Lhasa is a sound normal dog under that beautiful coat. They have to have nice reach and effortless movement. Most of all they also have to be able to carry themselves. I couldn’t have agreed more and soon I was sure that the San Jo line would be my foundation.

Generations of top winning and producing champions. Not only the movement and carriage was unique, but many of the dogs were ideal in size and I haven’t seen such a bites with any other lhasas. Head type is very nice and most of all the skull and muzzle are nicely connected – smooth good pear shape of heads, without too strong stops. Coat textures were really impressive too.

Marianne Nixon and Leslie Ann Engen had a bitch that was and still is one of the top winning lhasa bitches of all time Multiple BIS & BISS AM Ch San Jo´s Hussel Bussel . She moved like a dream and won for ex. twice The National Specialty BISS. This wonderful bitch was mated with BIS Winning Am Ch Anbara Rimar Grin´N Bear It. That combination produced some outstanding lhasas such as BISS AM Ch San Jo´S Rusty Nail and Am Ch San Jo´s Out O´The Blue. Hussel Bussel not only had a legendary show career but also became a top producer with 9 champions.

Multi BIS & BISS Am & Fin Ch San jo Zhantor Joint Venture

BISS Am Ch San Jo´s Rusty Nail has an important part in our breeding program as he is often found behind some of our dogs. Rusty was also an impressive producer with 25 AM Ch offspring. His son Multi BIS & BISS Am & Fin Ch San jo Zhantor Joint Venture came to Finland and his daughter became our first foundation bitch namely Multi BIG-win. Fin & Am Ch San Jo Wellington Rose Tattoo. She is for ex. grandmother of our most important stud dog BISS & Mlti BIG-win. Int & Fin & Am & Swe & Norw & Dan & Est Ch Chic Choix Ashley Wilkes.

Multi BIG-win. Fin & Am Ch San Jo Wellington Rose Tattoo

There is also one legendary dog that we have to mention namely Multi BIS & BISS AM Ch San Jo Wellington Waffle Stomper. He must be without a doubt one of the best lhasas of all time. Unfortunately he passed away far too early by accident and he didn’t leave many offspring behind However Hussel Bussel was mated with him and that combination produced top producer Am Ch San Jo´s Hussel Mei. She was mated again with a Waffle Stomper grandson – that combination produced Multi BIG. Int & Am & Can & Fin & Swe & Norw & Dan & Lux Ch San Jo´s All Gussied Up. We were quite fortunate to have him here in Finland. ”Gus” now lives in Denmark with our friend Klara Bork Borum where has become a top winning veteran of all breeds 1999 at the mature age of 11 years.

Multi BIG. Int & Am & Can & Fin & Swe & Norw & Dan & Lux Ch
San Jo´s All Gussied Up

The best lhasa bitch I’ve ever seen in real life must be Multi BIS & BISS AM Ch San Jo´s Shutterbug – this wonderful bitch is a half brother-sister mating to BISS AM Ch San Jo´S Rusty Nail. Waffle Stomper was behind Shutterbug too. Later on Shutterbug was mated with Gus – this combination combined my favorite lhasas many times and Marianne Nixon and Leslie Ann Engen let me have a male from that litter namely Multi BIS & BISS Int & Fin & Am & Can & Swe & Norw & Dan & Est Ch San Jo´s Shutterspeed. We have this wonderful personality with us at home and he has an important role in our breeding program. ”Speedy” sleeps his nights in my bed and is the real king of the house. He has superior charisma in the ring and at home.

Multi BIS & BISS Int & Fin & Am & Can & Swe & Norw & Dan & Est Ch San Jo´s Shutterspeed

BIG-pl. Ch San Jo´s Ooh´La´La

We also have another foundation bitch from San Jo namely BIG-pl. Ch San Jo´s Ooh´La´La this red bitch is again line bred to Rusty. She was mated with a Gus son Ch Chic Choix Snowmobile. We have continued this bitch line carefully continuing smooth San Jo line breeding. We also have a ”Speedy” daughter from an all champion litter Multi Ch Chic Choix The Ultimate ( by our top producer Int Ch Hylan Sho Tru Bye Bye Birdy )who will have an important role in the future breeding back to the San Jo line. As “Olivia” comes from an outcross litter she offers many possibilities.

The late Lynn Lowy with her Marlo lhasas knew the value of San Jo lhasas and bred some of her bitches with San Jo males. Here we must to mention one special litter. Marianne Nixon and Leslie Ann Engen had an outstanding Hussel Bussel son BIG-win. AM Ch San Jo´s Soshome Up. Lynn Lowy mated her Am Ch Marlo I Love Lucy with him and that combination produced the record breaking Multi BIS & BISS Int & Multi Ch Marlo Rocky Road. Lynn did some nice linebreeding to Rocky which produced for ex. BISS Am & Can Ch Marlo Phantom. Lynn Lowy had a beautiful bitch Am Ch Marlo Something Else who was mated with Phantom. From that combination Lynn sent a bitch to be mated with Ashley Wilkes. This bitch Marlo Somethin Jessica ended up to staying in Finland and has been an important bitch helping us to continue linebreeding to the San Jo line and also at the same time added some new interesting blood in our breeding program.

Later we have also imported a super male from Italy Ch Cadeau dell Alberico whose sire is a Jessica brother Multi BIG-win AM Ch Marlo Somethin Basic Black (top producer in USA ). Cadeau is linebred to Rocky Road. We mated an Ashley daughter with Cadeau and we have three very promising bitches growing up which will give us a lot of opportunities in the future. Our ”Speedy” daughter Multi Ch Chic Choix The Ultimate is also bred to Cadeau and here we hope to get more smoothly San Jo linebred puppies to work with in the future. These links also help us to build up our parti color breeding program.

Multi Ch Cadeau dell Alberico

We are very honored and proud to have such a strong San Jo influence. Marianne Nixon and Leslie Ann Engen have been very selective breeders and their outstanding dogs have been well guarded. They haven’t been specially interested of exporting their dogs and that is why this San Jo line is very rare outside of USA. We hope to continue this unique San Jo line and hope to keep it well guarded. It is so nice to see little self centered lhasas who move head proudly up – puppies that have this very typical head and impression…most of all puppies that have such different pedigrees and produce much needed genetical variation. Maybe one day with these little puppies we can once again produce one day lhasas like Hussel Bussel, Waffle Stomper – but at least their legacy continues here at Chic Choix.

Needless to say I’m also very happy of Marianne Nixon and Leslie Ann Engens friendship. I have seen much with the dogs around the world but never have I met such a talented mother and daughter team. I have learned a lot with lhasas from them and I cannot ever thank them enough for their guidance and friendship.