Monday 10th February
Jay was on an early today so he took Dembe out at around 5am before he then had to shoot off into work. Today Dembe needed to be on his best behaviour as I was holding the inaugural session of The Stitchin’ Bitches – a small craft group I was hoping to set up to meet once a month and discuss our craft projects / get hints and tips from like minded others.
Dembe went a bit crazy when Gill the first person to arrive came in but by the time Sue and Sandra came he had calmed right down. He was a very good boy and was loving all the extra attention he was getting from our visitors. The meeting went well and Dembe was shattered after they left.
We had a very quiet rest of the day but I have to share this video with you, which we took this evening. Dembe goes absolutely crazy for cheese and will jump from one sofa to another – sometimes he covers a space of around 2 metres. Normally he does a spin midair but tonight he didn’t. But it is still quite impressive!
Tuesday 11th February
Jay was day off today so he took Dembe for a nice long walk up the common . We had to hose him off after his walk as he was covered in mud splashes. He went out again just before 10am as we were heading into Exeter and wanted to ensure that he didn’t need the toilet whilst we were out. I needed to drop my sewing machine off for a service and for a repair.
Dembe was beautifully behaved in the sewing machine shop. It has really horribly steep steps and he was a bit scared of them but with patience and gentle encouragement he managed them no problem at all. When he first got into the shop Jenna ( the lady who owns the shop) petted him. Dembe sat straight down and gave her his paw so he melted her heart immediately.
When we got back home Dembe had a very long sleep, he normally sleeps for most of the morning but with going out he hadn’t been able to do that. We took him out again just after 3pm for his afternoon walk. Again he had to be washed off on his return.
As dog training had been cancelled on Sunday we were having a double session this evening, one hour of agility with one hour of obedience after. Due to this we had our dinner early
Dembe decided to stick to sitting practically on top of me whilst I was eating!
Dembe enjoyed his agility training session. We have decided for the time being it will be his last agility session as he refuses to do half the obstacles and spends a lot of the time waiting around to use the ones he will do. This inevitably leads to him barking because he is bored. Also I can’t stand the idea of having to listen to this obnoxious poisonous woman sit and slag everyone else off in the room for an hour every Sunday. It is a shame but she really is the most vile individual I have had the misfortune to come across. She literally drains the life out of you. Good luck to anyone who is unlucky enough to be sat beside her in the next class. This isn’t a criticism of the dog trainers we use, we love them. It is just I can’t have another 5 weeks of dealing with this woman for the good of my own mental health.
Due to Dembe having agility before obedience he was a barky little sod throughout the whole of this lesson. As soon as he was stood still not doing anything he would bark. It was one of the worst sessions we had been at with him. It really crushes your confidence with him when he behaves like that and it only seems to be the training centre that he behaves likes this. I am sure he likes the echo that his bark makes in the barn.
Wednesday 12th February
Dembe and I had a really lazy day today as we were both shattered after the two hour training session. I was also in a bad way with my neck and back so needed a quiet day. We spent the day on the sofa.
As Jay was on a late night he took him out for a very long walk first thing. They met a female black Labrador on the walk and they played chase. Dembe came home so covered in mud that he actually looked like a black Lab so he had to be washed off out in the back garden again.
Sadly today there was news of a confirmed case of Alabama Rot in Budleigh Salterton which is just down the road from us. There is a high chance that this dog was walked on Woodbury Common like Dembe is. So it is very worrying indeed as the fatality rate for Alabama Rot is 90%. The only guidelines are to avoid walking in woods and to wash off your dog after each walk. They are no closer to working out what it is that is causing this awful disease and why some dogs contract it and others dont.
When Jay got home just after 10pm he took Dembe for a walk around the block so that he went to the toilet before bed time.
Thursday 13th February
I got woken up at around 3am by Dembe coming in to check on me as the storm was raging outside. It sounded like stones were being thrown against my window – it was huge bits of hail and then out of nowhere we had Thunder and Lightning. Thankfully Dembe just snuggled down beside me and slept. I am so relieved that the wind and the storms don’t seem to bother him.
Jay took Dembe out for another long walk this morning as unfortunately this week he has two late nights on the bounce. Dembe was pickled again so he had to be hosed down outside to ensure all the mud was off him. Especially after hearing yesterdays news. I am also checking him daily to ensure he has no lesions on him.
Dembe was a happy boy as his Cows ears were delivered this afternoon and the ones that have come this time are bloody huge.
Unfortunately Dembe has started getting a bit funny with his food again. He is eating but he is starting to walk away from meals and not seem that bothered about them. So before Jay went to work we went into the kitchen and cooked up three huge instapots full of different meals for Dembe. We have cooked so much that we have had to bring in the small freezer from outside for extra storage. We have put it in my room as that is the only place we have the space for it that is near a socket. So now he has two kinds of Lamb stew and I made him another batch of Scooys stew as that is definitely a favourite. Since changing him over to home cooked meals I have always tried to ensure he doesn’t eat the same meal twice in a day but clearly he is a dog that needs more variety. So fingers crossed this helps him. He is looking really good and much trimmer since switching to home cooking. I was going to cook him another meal but I have run out of containers for him.
Friday 14th February
Happy Valentines day. Dembe ensured he got a card for his dad! It is also mine and Jays 23rd anniversary of being a couple.
I haven’t been up to much the last few days as I have been so out of it due to some medication I am taking due to my back being in spasm. Thankfully Dembe has worked out that something is wrong and has dropped his energy levels accordingly.
He is loving the cows ears, so much so he was desperate to show me the tiny piece he had in his mouth on Friday.
He makes me laugh so much when you talk to him as he tilts his head and raises his eyebrows as you can see above!
On Friday afternoon I decided to lay the blanket out that I am working on to see how big it is. Dembe decided that it definitely needed lab tested.
Saturday 15th February
We had some visitors today as Sam is home from college on his half term. Dembe amazes me, Sam is profoundly disabled and Dembe is so gentle and so in tune that he needs to help Sam. It is so amazing to witness. Dembe was playing. The only person he would give his toy to was Sam, same with the cows ear he was chewing, only Sam was presented with it.
Also Dembe climbed up onto the sofa and very gently kissed Sam, where as with Sams mum Sarah he just charged her and pinned her down waiting for a cuddle. I am in awe of my little boy and his ability to discern the differences between a completely different species. It does make you wonder who is the most intelligent human or animal.
When Dembe realised that Sam was getting ready to leave he staged a bit of a sit in and sat on Sams lap.
Dembe is just so gentle even when he is giving Sam a kiss. He always gives Sam’s glasses a clean and licks Sams hearing aids. But normally when Dembe kisses you he drowns you – he is a wet kisser. Not when he kisses Sam. It is just a sight to behold. I don’t think anyone would believe it unless they actually saw it happen.
Dembe was exhausted after our visitors.
Sunday 16th December
Whilst Storm Dennis ( yes another storm this weekend after Storm Ciara last weekend) rages outside it is a very quiet day in the Morris household. Jamie is full of cold and feeling dreadful. He went back to bed at 11am. I am sat downstairs on my tod whilst Dembe is cuddled up to his dad upstairs.
Dembe has had a nice long walk this morning ……finishing with him being hosed down in the back garden. We have also made the last dish for Dembe’s a la carte menu which is just called rice and meat – beef mince, rice, carrot and spinach. Now just waiting for it all to cool so it can go in the freezer.
This morning Dembe had his one pot wonder for the first time in days and wolfed it down so the variety thing is definitely getting him interested in his food again.
We are on half term now for dog training so we wont be back until a week Tuesday.
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