Going down.....

Anybody checked our inbreeding coi in the last few days????? It's gone down from 5.1 to 4.8 HURRAY! Ok it's only a little bit but it is definately the right direction.  But then we seem to be developing a couple of other problems.... The number of bitches missing after matings  and when they are in whelp... The size of the litter! I keep looking on Facebook and the litters on the continent just seem so much bigger that ours, nine and ten pups seems standard to them, while here it seems to average four or five pups! Any body got any bright ideas???

Out with the kids....

Now I know why Merlin likes being a grand-dog..... You get to give them back at the end of the day. Boy did I want the end of the day to come yesterday. Took the little perishers (the pups) out with the Troll and Co for a bit of socialisation to a small dog get together raising funds for PAT dogs. It was a nice little everything show just off  the A17. Bit of have a go agility, fastest recall, prettiest bitch ( my personal favourite that)  etc. Not a bad day weather wise, until it rained...and it thundered, and it rained and rained and rained. Typically English weather. There some nice bits of stuff there too. Some Leonburgers, red setters, a pretty Berner called Flo, greyhounds , whip it quicks, jacks.... You got it...all and their two legs. Got promised an icecream too, but as usual I am still waiting. Just cause the two legs deal in cash, doesn't mean we can't too.... Anybody tried that new K9 icecream yet? It's supposed to be awesome.  Her indoors is on a bit of a health food junket at the moment. She keeps looking for dog food analysis sites to see what's in all our foods. Boy is she hard to please! Can't see the problem really... Nice tidy steak, few veg so I get my five a day, three times daily, or perhaps a nice juice chicken. Jobs a good un.... But no she has to go ferriting for more info. According to her, there is more to hurt at times than will do us good, so we are getting more and more home cooked. You don't hear me moaning, I think it's great, especially starting the day with Pâté on toast.... I know but a guy has to have some treats...  Why don't you try looking what you are eating and how much it really needs to cost.... Cool runnings Gryff

Jobs for dogs

Well yet again it's pouring with rain, and I am bored. I've done the puppy club, done the training bit, and I rather thought that with Merlin retiring I had a full time job to look forward to... But no chance!!! Three days off work and he's back again.....that dog just can't keep away. So anyway I have decided to look for a part time job. Been gently browsing thro Dogs for the Disabled...thought about PAT dogs and then found out that great adopted grandad McGyver, (he was a huge great GSD that looked like a bear) great uncle Teague, and even Merlin have all done it before me, so do I want to carry on the tradition or shall I try something else? then I started reading about PAWS... Anybody heard of them? No I thought not... Well Paws are run by Dogs for the Disabled to help families with Autistic children. Did you know that the waiting list for a fully trained Autistic Assistance dog is three and a half years? That's a very long time when you are a child who struggles to communicate, suffers anxiety at the smallest change in their lives... Even things like putting the wrong shoe on first can trigger an anxiety attack. They can't make friends in school, they struggle to learn in a normal school environment and they still have to learn life skills that you and I take for granted. They can't enjoy sharing interests or achievements with other people or understand why somebody is suffering pain or sorrow. Infact as many as 40 percent of people will never speak at all and then as they grow into their teens they are at an increased risk of depression and epilepsy. But the really sad thing is that these children usually have above average intelligence. Now as a Bernese mountain dog I think they need our help. Because there aren't enough assistance dogs to go around, PAWS run training courses for the parents of Autistic children, on how to train their pet dogs to help with the kids. That means that we could help. Simple things like fetching a shoe for a child to put on means that yes it's a change , but the dog is a constant, reducing stress. Walking to and from school every day, or just sitting beside them (wearing your doggy seatbelt I might add) when they go out in the car. Learning to listen for sounds of stress in the child's voice, and going and pushing your nose against their hand, time and time again till they realise you are there for them. To be there if they wake up in the dark and are frightened, they are all things us Berners can do.... Autistic children frequently can't make us understand what they want or need, they become frustrated and difficult to handle, but you and I know that us Berners can cope with most things. When they struggle to keep their physical balance they can lean on us, when they cry because nobody seems to understand them, we could be there for them, we could love them back as only a canine can. We all know that touching and stroking a dog is therapeutic . It relieves stress, emotions anxiety and lowers the blood pressure..... And then there are the parents. We could give them half an hour of our time two or three times a day. Take them out for a walk with us so they can relax too.... Be there for them when life is if you will forgive the pun...Being a Bitch. Us Berners were just made for the job. Loving devoted family orientated and just plain good looking.... We have everything to offer. Sounds like just the job for me. Although I am not a PAT dog, all my family does loads of charity work so we spend a lot of time with children and the physically and mentally dis-advantaged, and they are just so loving. Some even pop in to work to see us in their wheelchairs etc. We have one young man who wears ear protecters all the time, but when he comes through our door , his face lights up and we sit in a row, and he has to decide which dog to stroke first, and to do this he has to say our name.... His carer says its the only time he tries to speak, any other time he will sign, but who cares.... Think about it everybody... Could you do that job, would your owner/breeder help you to help somebody else...... GO FOR IT , Us Berners can do anything if we are taught correctly. If nothing else I hope I have made you think, go on the Internet ( owners permission of course) find out what you can do for others. Do a sponsored cart pull, or a special biscuit and spoon race to raise awareness or sponsorship for the full time assistance dogs at your local dog show. If any dog can , WE CAN. Cool runnings Gryff

Party cake all round

Well we did it, we ad the most amazing BBQ.... Thirteen Berners one shepherd about thirteen adults two kids and a troll. Got the old trout out of bed nice and early and sat and watched the oven from about seven am as a constant stream of goodies came and went and then got placed high up so they thought I couldn't reach. YEH like that would ever happen. You are talking about Mr Catburgler himself here. If I want it I will reach it. Got Freya in trouble tho.... She got caught. Then there was the chicken the steak kebabs beef burger sausages AWESOME and we all got them. We did all us dogs too. Even Morgan who is supposed to have a tricky stomach. Somebody is having a laugh... He can keep up with the best of us and no bad results.! Then there was a cheesecake courtesy of Echo, Brynn bought a couple of crumbles a walnut cake and two TOTALLY DOG CAKES which we all polished off, then there was fruit salad trifles ( now they were great because I snook a bit f one of those, and that cream stuff is GORGEOUS, oh and two bone shaped cakes one blue white for Merlin and one pink white for the girls christening . Got to say that I am already looking for another excuse to party... It was brill. The Troll made us laugh tho.... Asked if anybody wanted to watch the motor racing... Ended up watching with the two kids and him. His face was a picture.... Anyway suppose I had better go and fill those two holes I dug in. Be just my luck if the pups fall in , get all mucky and take it indoors.. Or worse, fall in and can't get out. Cool runnings Gryff

Party mania

Well it's THE weekend at last. Sunday come rain hail or shine its party time. I have planned a SUPRISE party for Merlins retirement and the christening of my two Berner nieces, Lacey and Asti. ( for that read popping their noisy little heads under the water feature with all my k9 mates watching) , except of course they already do it for themselves when they are thirsty. There should be twelve Berners two gsd and three cats, although or some reason the cats have not rsvp'd... I wonder why lol???? Then of course there will be their chauffeur's and the odd extraneous two legs , o and of course The Troll. Hit the butchers today, and collected all the meat ( mega yummmmmmmm) then tomorrow it's the salad dips puddings and the largest pots of cream I can find. Got to be a bit careful and send the troll aswell as she who must be obeyed because my writing can be a bit difficult to read and her indoors needs new glasses anyway. I tried the table out again last night with my mate Fatcat. My butt still fits nicely on one side of the brolly, so it's all stations GO. Just hope the weather is kinder than today. Took both the carts home, so that makes three in the garage and all the harnesses so was thinking of a bit of canine drag racing up our street, or we can go over our back and do off road racing along the river... Depends on the weather really. Can't wait till they let me take my test....still too young at eight months or so they keep telling me. Even got two cakes ordered shaped like bonios for the two legs...one chocolate and one vanilla sponge, while me and my mates have got sausages beef burgers and kebabs. Guess who I think has the best menu.... U got it!!! All that gorgeous meat. Oh and the bar opens at 10am Sunday morning till when ever it shuts... Can't wait. My beloved nanny and grandad Broels are coming too , and although she says she wants to cuddle the pups. I know she will be amazed at how big I am and how clever I can be...and I will get first cuddle. Roll on Sunday.... Cool runnings Gryff

We did it..... Well most of us!!

It was our sponsored cart pull and Berner walk this last Saturday as part of the carnival...( We cheat a little bit because their inscurance covers us and means we don't have to pay for a separate one). And we did it, all of us except her indoors that is. It was a really good day, not too hot and with a wind but with sunny periods too. We were all mixed in with pipe bands (the Scottish variety) dancers fire engines classic vehicles and this AWESOME ST BERNARD WHO WAS RIDING IN A SIDE CAR WEARING GOGGLES AND A CRASH HELMET. Honest, as I have four paws and all of them on my secret stash of sausages its true. He was ( or she was) amazing. Got to say that I still stole the show though... Had to be done it did. If only to embarrass Uncle Dick who I took with me....I got caught short and did the most enormous DUMP in the middle of the road.....He went this lovely shade of bright red and me and aunty Jackie were killing ourselves laughing, although she did help him clear it all up. Then when we had walked the distance, we went back to the party in the park to raise more funds for our charity.... Blind Veterans , which used to be St Dunstans. That was when her indoors decided that she would join us....lazy two legs. Her indoors had been wandering around all the previous week a lovely shade of green, having been clever enough to catch the current upset stomach bug that was going around all the schools. I told her , if she couldn't do the blogg for me as my secretary then she couldn't come round with us! Silly mare took it to heart, and the Troll had to come round instead. Have you ever noticed that the few times the female of the species does as it's told , it is ALWAYS ALWAYS when you didn't really mean what you barked.? I mean we could ave stuffed her in one of the carts with her legs hanging out the back and nobody would have minded.... Except perhaps the dog pulling the following cart. As it was she came and joined us when the party started and spent all her time answering people's questions on Bernese, all dog behaviour problems (yes she did a course although she says people need to speak dog, instead of expecting dogs to speak human or even mind read) and putting one poor man straight because a certain rescue centre had told him they will not home a Bernese with children because they are unpredictable in their presence.... I assume that meant the children because us Berners just love kids and cats and anything we can cuddle. Her face was a picture... She suggested that he and his wife and kids look around them, because they were totally surrounded by screaming laughing kids hugging and kissing Bernese they had never met before. Fair to say they went away with a different mind set. We spent all afternoon there and these two guys belonging to Cambs Search and Rescue came and fussed us all up. I was just in time to stop one of them putting one f us in his pocket to train for searching.... In your dreams mate... Although we did say we would join them on their next demo, SO GUYS YOU HAVE OUR NUMBER! Anyway I think that covers all the scandal and goss for the last few days, now we have the christening puppy BBQ to look forward to....nanny and grandad Broels are coming, bet they don't recognise me, I am so big now and really really handsome. Perhaps that bloke as a point.... Being in uniform is always a bit of a totty magnet, and search and rescue could be anywhere.... Perhaps it is a career to consider after all.... Anyway would just like to say a huge thanku to all my doggy mates who turned up, especially the honorary Berners who came aswell.... Thanks muchly. Cool runnings Gryff

She means it.... We even went in the church

She does she means it.... We really are going to christen the puppy's , we all went in church this after noon to see what it is like. There was Flo Dexter Bryn Echo Merlin and me, and we all went in. It was pouring with rain but they even let two carts in aswell. There were loads of children about and they sang God Save the Queen and lots of old songs from the 1940's. (well that's when the two legs said they were from). Never thought I would say I had been to church but they were all quite nice. It had a lovely CLEAN VACUMED carpet when we went in, and now it's covered in red white and blue tinsel and paw prints. That was after she took Merlin and me to this major pet shop so I guess that was to sort out the catering for their christening party. She bought loads of bits including two new miniature bowls....well they must be because I doubt I could even get my nose in them, a couple of collars that won't do up around my paw and some bags of food. Told her we want chicken and SAUSAGES and beef burgers and more SAUSAGES and all things meaty. If there's going to be a party I need to make sure that all my guests (4 footed ones that is ) are fed properly. She can look after the two legged ones because they can be hard to please at times. Anyway need to go and have a good shake all over everything white in the kitchen before I get too dry..... Enjoy the break everyone, Cool runnings Gryff