11/06/2026
It's really a bit sad how I felt about the Bernese specialty show on Sunday. I took Billy, my old dog and also Yrien , my pup to show Billy was in the veterans parade and very amazingly to me and it shocked me and I was very remiss is that Billy did not handle it the way I am used to him handling big situations. He was always been a dog who is very bold and exceedingly confident and, you know, bombs could explode and nothing would worry Billy. οΏ½He would just be rock solid. So as as an eight-year-old rising nine year old who has been neutered and I'm not sure if that's got anything to do with it. He was neutered because he had a prostate issue and needed that to be done. οΏ½So he had that done as a seven-year-old. So I'm not sure if it's just the lack of testosterone or just ageing really, but, you know, he was very happy in his crate and on our mat. But when he was out there in the ring with all the other dogs, he was anxious. οΏ½He just didn't want to be there. And, you know, we actually popped him to the back, so he felt comfortable, which he did, because he jumped straight on the podium. He thought that was his place. οΏ½And he really enjoyed that part. But it was really a shock to me that the worst part was that one of the people he loves most in the world is Jodie and when he went over to see Jodie, she was standing with Coco and Assai, a dog he's lived with for years and years and years. And he seemed to not recognise Jodie for quite some time and he didn't want anything to do with Assai for some time. οΏ½It took him a while to realise who these people were, people that are so well known to him and both love him dearly. It's, yeah, it was really a shock to me and very saddening that, you know, he's very physically, strong and happy and I'm a very routine person. He's very happy in the routine he has day-to- day. οΏ½But out of that routine, I was quite shocked at what age can do to our minds as we get older, both human and the dogs. So, yeah, it was a bit sad. On a happier note,Yrien was absolutely amazing. οΏ½He showed perfectly. I couldn't have been happy with him. He was so happy to be in the ring. οΏ½He was easy to do everything with my stacking lacks basically everything. So that was that. he's going through a gross spurt because he's a minor puppy. οΏ½So he finished second of two. So last in his class. But while we were waiting for photographs, the winner and him were wrestling and he had an absolute ball, so I was very thrilled with him. οΏ½He's a lovely dog and will grow into a beautiful dog. So I'm very happy with him. But yeah, it's sad. οΏ½Next year I'm going to, if I'm blessed next year, that Bill can come with me again to the Veterans Parade? Let's have everything crossed. I will be a lot more aware that, you know, he's not the confident, bold boy that he has always been. οΏ½And I don't know, I just find it a bit sad.
