Dillons bags are packed if anyone wants a hooligan.
He is being more than a blooming monkey. We have left him for hours while house hunting and he hasn't touched or damaged a thing in the house. He has now started when we are home scraping at the sofa and chewing and if you tell him off getting very mouthy and challenging.
I have now settled him with a big frozen marrow bone else I could feel my temper going.
He is a challenge and he will be the last Bernese and big dog I own.

Oh Lynn, it will be OK long term, he is probably feeling a bit unsettled as everything is being taken away to the tip, you have been really upset about this move yourself and it will all be taken in by him, he can't understand what is going on, so he is going to react, plus he is still very immature in his ways. I reckon another year before he settles down. He is only the equivalent of about a 7 year old child now remember, if that.
I think he is doing really well when you are out, because I wouldn't leave any of mine in the house on their own, Cariad would be hanging out my bedroom window within seconds, and she is 8 this November, so he could be worse!!!!
Helena, I don't go in Asda Casualty till after 3.30 when everything gets reduced big style!!!!! I got a cauli yesterday for 32p Had hardly any money, but you can't walk away from a bargain like that. Have got some chicken breast from my chicken factory out of the freezer today, so girlies will have some for tea and I will have a piece along with some of the cauli, the girls will have the stalk grated up with their veg
Eileen, good morning, not a sleepyhead as such, I get up and give brekkies out and then clean yard and kennels before getting my own brekkie, then I have a couple of hours doing emails etc before I start walks.
Mini, veg soup sounds delicious, do you make it in a blender and then cook it.
Joedee I can't understand why you don't go it alone, I bet lots of the people would follow you.
I did learn my training the old fashioned way, but I have been lucky enough to re-learn with people that embrace new ideas and concepts and have been on up to date courses and are able to combine the best of the old with the successful new methods.

Already have & we have a fun class on a Friday in a different village I only go on a Wednesday to socialize Tommee

Oh thats nice, shame about the other people though isn't it, they are missing out on so much when they refuse to move forwards.

Joedee, thanks for explaining to me the differences in trainers. Amber's training is mostly done by my son Steve although he very seldom walks her. He uses reward system and is very insistent that she get it right before she gets her reward. I benefit because I have great difficulty in walking so I use a rollator (walker) and can go out onto the green and give Amber her exercises by her fetching and retrieving the ball I throw from a sitting position. Sometimes, she gets lazy and puts the ball down rather than give it to me but I always insist that she pick it up and actually give it to me. Now she gets no reward for that other than a good girl from me when she gets it right. She was two in May. I think she is pretty good and she plays well with other dogs.

Hi all, I had a lovely FaceTime session with Marco earlier, was fab listening to his tail wagging away

He's been a bit of a rebel though as each night when my son has put him in his crate he's barked and barked until Nat gives in and let's him out, on both nights Nat has slept on the sofa with Marco at his side on the floor - today he slept until 8:30!!

I've told Nat to calm him down late evening and then when he settles for him to put him in the crate and for him then to go straight to bed....here's hoping!

That's an achievement Cacoll when you can communicate with your dog from half a continent away. Bet he loved that.

Afternoon everyone who snuck on while I was busy.


June I have looked up the age calculator and Dillon is the equivalent of a teenage boy 19. It says adult but as we know large breed dogs it is nearer 3 years old with some till they mature mentally.
Dillon is going to be the latter like his father who was a holy terror and as Dillons breeder pointed out started to mature mentally when he turned 3.
He has settled nicely now after a good long chomp on a marrow bone. There is no doubt he is picking up on my stress levels and all the times we have been out at least once a week for 8+ hours house hunting until recently.
Hopefully when we're moved and he has 120ft of garden to run up and down once or twice before breakfast he will start to settle down nicely and a jaunt round the village later in the day will sort him out.

Afternoon to everyone I missed earlier

Sun is shining now, it's going to be a glorious afternoon after all that rain overnight. Had a lovely walk first thing cos all the numpties went back to sleep when they saw it was raining so we had the whole of the woods to ourselves for a change, and soon, it'll be like that again every morning when the kids go back, can't wait.

Lynn, oh dear, Dillon's playing you up, but I'm sure he senses a change going on what with all the turmoil lately, and he's probably so glad to have you home for so long now without you doing the house hunting, he's letting you know he's happy. Either that or he's attention seeking cos you spoil him rotten and he's got Zena's problem!!! No answer for it Lynn but to cave in, 5 mins of play will soon have him zonked out on his side again and not winding you up. If you're reeeeeeally, reeeeeally fed up with him, then he can always come down here for a little holiday with us????

Moyra, I know what you're getting at about the printer, but I've got the blue light on telling me it's wireless connected, and when I use the printer scroll bar it doesn't seem to work properly either, in that I can get on what I want, but by pressing ok, it just send me onto the next one each time instead of letting me reconfigure it That's HP for you I think!!! I'll probably try the wire connection tomorrow when Dave's here and if that doesn't work then it'll be going up the tip.

June, thanks for the tip about Asda, but I can't do afternoons, cos I'm otherwise engaged as you know I was in his way this morning, he was standing behind me holding a plastic crate waiting to get to the front of casualty, so I turned around and said "sorry, am I in your way here?" and he replied that it wasn't a problem, with a big smile on his face, unlike that other chap (was it you???) who was so rude to somebody on here in Asda the other week

Dyanne, I don't like the sound of that particular training club, wouldn't suit me, they don't sound very friendly either, let alone making it fun and upbeat which is what you want really isn't it. How can that "head" trainer be in charge of decisions like that when she's too busy sorting out paperwork and chatting and not taking any notice of what's going on in the class I'm afraid I'd be having "words", but at least you have the other one to attend or run or whatever you do there.

Jen, I did hear some thunder earlier, would that have been around 10 am????

Now I've forgotten, oh yes, our Pat, you're busy deciding what time to go and chill out on the beach, alright for some isn't it One day, when I'm proper retired, I'm gonna take a leaf out of your book, cos you sure do know how to enjoy life

Anyone watch 24 hours in A&E last night? I loved that 60yr old woman who was run over and taking it all in her stride. She was so lovely, and she reminded me of what I imagine our Bitkin (yes you Sally!!! ) to be like. When they'd done with her and were ready to send her home, she got up to "test" herself standing and walking, then she walked over to the consultant and said to him "I'm thinking when I get home, I should pour myself a very large litre of gin and tonic, just to kind of take the "edge" off what has happened to me today, what do you think?" Then she laughed and said "or maybe I would be better off having a cup of tea" Oh she did make me laugh and I'm sure she made him laugh. I love that type of person, not a care in the world, and she'd just been bluddy run over lol!!!!

Anyway, better get moving here, this place needs yet another tidy up cos Dave will be home tonight and I don't want him to see how we doss about here when he's away.

I have a question, I feel soooooo guilty I cooked up some mince for Zena, left it on the worktop to cool down a bit with the open window and when I came back in, a bluddy bluebottle had landed on it, so I shooed it away, but I gave her the mince Is that bad??? I mean reeeeally bad???? I wouldn't have eaten it myself, let's put it that way. I should imagine dogs eat a lot worse than that though.......

Catch you later

Helena just checked with Gorden we have an HP printer, scanner but not wireless. He says he would putting a wire in and making it non wireless. We have had no problems with ours.

Off to the cottage on Tuesday to do some measuring.
Packing and clearing out going slowly today.