The Arrival of 3 Pigs And A Puppy ....Goes Pear Shaped

On Friday there were 4 new arrivals at Nunnery Farm

Dolyhir Ikkle Elf at Luddenden ("Elf") the Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy
and
3 Mangalitza Piglets (Spanish Woolly pigs)

The journey although long was pretty straight forward without any mishaps and I almost had the job done and dusted when it all started to go wrong.

First of all I lost a piglet ....

Then I lost the puppy!

I backed the van into the area in the drive where I unload animals. I fed the two Saddlebacks so they would be distracted in another part of the field and this meant I would be able to open the gates for the pigs to run straight into the pen from the back of the van without any problem. Two of the piglets did as exactly what they were supposed to do and the other saw a gap under the fence and ran straight through it and joined the sheep in the middle of the field. "Oh Fantastic" I cried ... this is just great!!

Luckily Jean and Nat were on hand to help me capture the piglet. Jean stood guard at the pig gate, Nat started to give chase and I joined in (appropriately dressed in flip flops). Another Nunnery Farm Nightmare was unfolding before my very eyes! Luckily for us Meg was on hand to make matters worse and every time we got within a few feet of the piglet she would appear from behind the shed and charge it so it fled in the opposite direction and further away towards the bottom of the field. Not dissimilar to a scene from Tom and Jerry the pig chasing lasted about 15 minutes before we managed to corner and capture the escaped piglet and get it into the field with the others.

Sweating, stressed and not even nearly amused we walked back to the van to get the puppy out and you can imagine my surprise when I opened the door and couldn't see her - she was gone! We ran round the garden trying to find where she had gone searching high and low, in the chicken shed, under all the bushes, behind the house, I eventually heard a faint cry and ran over to find that she had sniffed out a dead rabbit in the corner of the garden and obviously drawn to it by the awful smell had took a step too many any tumbled into the brambles. She was now completely hidden by the thorny bushes and the nettles! Jean scrambled through the brambles and rescued Elf who was quickly taken indoors and out of harms way!!

A few days on and Elf is a fully fledged member of the Nunnery Farm Pack taking it all in her stride. The piglets are also all settled in to their new home and all seems well ..... for now anyway!

Molly's Puppies 2011 - My Missing Link Returns

Tomo

I have had photos and updates on all of Molly's adorable puppies from earlier this year but no photo of this little one for quite some time. He has been my missing link to the puppies but now the link is complete.

Tomo

Every time I see them I am amazed at just how they are growing and how fabulous they are.  He is a gorgeous boy and it is great to see him.

Buddy

I had to put this photo of his brother Buddy on because they are like twins.

Molly and Rocky's litter The 1st Fab Four of 2011 are all amazing!

Dave The Lamb Another Day Another Dog Walk

Well I didn't think he would start making a habit of it but Dave 'The Dog' Lamb has taken to dog walks like a duck to water. You think he isn't around but he shoots out from nowhere when he sees the troops gathering and looking like a walk might be on the cards - this is pretty noticeable given the amount of noise and crazy behaviour that starts at the beginning of every dog walk at Nunnery Farm and then there he is without a care in the world a little cotton wool ball comes rushing towards the gate with the other crackpots!

He appeared to have yet another great walk but this time there was a bit in the middle that he wasn't too happy about all caused by Bean. Bean is and has been his surrogate mum from day one. She made certain that he knew she was by being with him all the time, none of the other dogs could get too close when he was very young and she let them know she was there to protect him. So Dave truly believes that Bean is who his mum is. Bean on the other hand has got fed up with this game now, and can't be bothered with him all the time and she did just this in the woods. Dave was stuck to her like glue and then all the dogs wandered into the ferns which are at least 4 feet tall, Minnie is a rather large Great Dane and she disappears completely ... so Dave stood no chance.



He would have been fine had she just wandered through them but this never happens. The sight of a clump of ferns to run through sends Minnie into frenzy overboard mode. This in turn sends Bean and Molly crackers and a game starts which cant really be explained its just complete madness and something Dave will not have seen before! So Dave had at this point been lead up the hillside quite a way from where we were stood by his trusty friend Bean and then in a flash she was gone and in the fern game. Poor Dave had no way of knowing which direction to go because the ferns were so tall. We could hear him but we couldn't see him.

Dave eventually got out of the ferns after Daisy had found him and he followed her back to the path!

With all sheep you cannot move them off your holding (land) without a document called a Movement Licence which you send a copy of to the local council which isn't any hassle mainly because you only have to do it now and again because normal folk only move a sheep either to slaughter or market. I am not quite sure of the rules and regulations surrounding temporary removal of lambs for dog walks. Hopefully before I have to make a complete fool of myself and enquire about this maybe Dave will get fed up and grow out of this Dog phase before anyone needs to know!

Then again this is Nunnery Farm!

Dave The Lamb Does The Valley Dog Walk

It started out as a simple dog walk with my little boy and the 5 loonpots that are my faithful and trusty dogs - well I use the word simple loosely as nothing concerning me and my dogs is ever simple.  We set off through the gate for a walk that usually takes about an hour. We had almost gone through the gate when I heard a little bit of clip-clopping behind us. Yep, sure enough the lamb we call Dave was hot-footing it down the path as quick as his wooly legs could carry him.

I just wanted to get out as quickly as posible but Bean and Minnie insisted on acting up as is always the case playing with each other both stood on their hind legs and scrapping with their front paws - this may be amusing to someone who sees it for the first time but every day they do the same and always right in front of you so you trip over them and so this meant we were held up as usual - this gave Dave ample time to catch up. Great!

The reason I was unsure about him coming is just because the walk is quite challenging with many stiles and brooks to cross - I only remember too well having to climb trees and rescue him in my flip flops when he was about 3 weeks old - it was not pretty! So Dave starts the walk with us and then after about 100 yards he simply turned back and walked home towards the gate. Breathing a sigh of relief we continued along the lane.

Not for very long - Dave had a change of mind and ran all the way back to us. When he got to us there was no way I was turning round to take him back - that would have caused too much confusion with Minnie in particular who is a pest for the first few minutes of any walk jumping on everyone and generally being annoying so I was not going through that again - there was only one thing for it .... Dave the Lamb was in for the long haul!

I could not believe that he actually completed the whole walk with us. He went under stiles when the dogs did and over the stepping stones in the brook with ease.

Dave did get into a little difficulty in the overgrown fern patch and got lost. This was because Bean lead him in there and then just left the poor thing. But he returned with us all in one piece.

I wondered whether he would want to stay in the field when we returned (the walk ends up back at the bottom of our field) but he shunned the REAL sheep instead opting to get ruffed up by the dogs joining in their games.

He left the field as soon as he got to the top and appeared more relaxed when he was back on the driveway.

It's My Bed Minnie - Not Yours

Now Dave knows that to come inside the house now is not allowed so its great to know he is taking notice of the house rules.

This was where I found Dave last night before locking up and going to bed. In Minnie's Bed!!

I

You can see he is not strictly sleeping and has one eye open just in the hope that I have not noticed said lamb in my kitchen

When inspecting closer he seems to try and look like he is asleep.

With Dave back in the field, or at least on the front door step, Minnie can get into bed and go to sleep.

Hello My Name is Elf

My brothers and sisters are just so comfy

Posing for the camera is just exhausting

Its all toooo much for me ..... good night

A day in the life of ... Elf xx

Amazing News - Here She Is .... My Beautiful Baby Bernese Mountain Dog

This morning I received some very special and eagerly awaited news from the home of the Dolyhir Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Rocky and Reba are the proud parents of four gorgeous brand new Berner Babies, 2 boys and 2 girls and all of us at Nunnery Farm have been waiting to hear if a little girl may be coming our way and today I got the news I had hoped for - we are going to be her forever family - we can now all get excited about the newest addition to be joining the gang at Nunnery Farm!!

Ikkle Berner

Rocky has produced some gorgeous puppies and I know she is going to be adorable.  We love her lots already.

A Sister for Molly

Now the little matter of a name!

Photos and updates of Mum, Dad and the Fab Four can be found on the Dolyhir Clan Blog!

Tia Attends the Hounds for Heroes Charity Dog Carting Event

Molly's puppy Tia is in training here hoping to follow in her sisters' footsteps attending the latest Hounds for Heroes Charity Bernese Carting Event. 

Not quite big enough to pull her own cart Tia enjoyed being carried around and fussed over being the Diva she is! I am sure it will not be too long before she is joining in!

"Hounds for Heroes" is to provide specially trained assistance dogs to injured and disabled men and women of both the UK Armed Forces and Civilian Emergency Services.

Well done Tia.

Molly's Puppy Buddy - Class of 2011

It seems so long ago now that Molly's little Berners were all at Nunnery Farm. It is lovely to see how they are growing and how magnificent they all are. Here are Buddy and Barney.

Buddy

Buddy

Barney

Hope to have some of Tia at her first charity carting event soon.

The Class of 2011

I cant believe its a week since the last Bernese Bubba left me for his new home. All the puppies are having a brilliant time in their new homes and have got the most amazing families caring for them. By the sounds of it they are all becoming expert diggers!!

The Luddenden Four Have Gone but Dave turns a corner!

Well Dave has truly amazed everyone by how well he has improved and continues to improve on a daily basis. He has been adopted by Bean our Newfoundland with the assistance of Minnie the Great Dane. He is a fully fledged member of the gang and I feel it is going to be quite a task to get him to go back into the field!