Of course, one should be clean. But, sometimes, it’s difficult – even with short hair. The beard’s the problem. It just seems to pick up every bit of dirt and becomes discoloured really easily.

So now, there’s a new ‘habit’. That of washing the beard. The bidet is used, the specific towel to be used is at the back of the bidet. Everything is ready – always.

I am instructed that I should do this every time we come back. Of course, I won’t. But, then, I haven’t said I would. I make some sort of grunt when I am told that this should be done every time. There’s enough to do without worrying about that. And, anyway, he’ll be there to do it, most of the time.

Dino is the worst. His hair is growing at an incredible rate! And, of course, that includes his beard and, as a result, it gets dirty just by dragging on the ground as he sniffs something or whatever.

So, I guess the ‘beard washing’ will continue until his next haircut, at least. They aren’t called Bearded Collies for nothing.