W/C 20th April 2020

 

Monday 20th April 2020

I have no idea what it is about my crochet but whenever I lay it on the floor to measure it or photograph it Dembe has to climb on it immediately!

We had a quiet day today, Dembe is really enjoying having his daddy home all the time but is getting worse with separation anxiety whenever Jay leaves the house without him, even though I am home.

The highlight of his day was getting a new toy from his friend Sam who he hasn’t been able to see due to the lock down. He now is the proud owner of a Toucan!

Tuesday 21st April

Today we decided to get Dembe’s paddling pool out as the weather has been really lovely over the last few days and very hot. As Jay cleaned it out Dembe cried at the back door with excitement. He went a little crazy when he was finally allowed outside.

He was so excited he flaked out after his walk in the afternoon. He adores his paddling pool and will play in it as often as he can. Unfortunately his solar fountain was broken so we had to get him a new one.

Wednesday 22nd April

Jay took Dembe to Woodbury Castle this morning for a walk for a change and they had a good explore of the woods. Dembe liked the change of location.

He is still waking up at 5am every morning since it started getting lighter. Thankfully Jay gets up with him then as if I do I am really out of it and at risk of a fall / faint.

He likes playing a game with his tennis balls, footballs etc where he throws them and then catches them.

Dembe has played outside a few times today with Ben and Freddie. He now thinks he is the king of the street.

Dembe was playing with Ben next door over the garden fence. Ben found Dembe a tennis ball and threw it into the paddling pool for him. Dembe was trying to jump up the fence to get a cuddle from him.

Thursday 23rd April

Dembe looked after me first thing this morning as I woke up at around 3am with a migraine well under way. I managed to sleep the worst of it off and woke up with Dembe curled up against me on the bed. He had gone out for a walk, had his breakfast and come back onto the bed all without waking me. He stuck to me like glue for the rest of the day.

Dembe enjoyed clapping for carers again, barking along with the pots being hit and fireworks going off. He was keen to get Ben next door out again so barked at his front door until he did. He had a play with Ben and the foot ball again.

He is so good with the fireworks going off, they were really loud and he didn’t bat an eyelid.

Friday 24th April

Well after all those warm sunny days there was a distinctive chill in the air. It didn’t bother Dembe though as he wanted out in the garden whenever he could. He is now branching out and using all the chairs in the back garden to sit and watch the world go by.

Dembe’s venison sausage treats came today. Oh my word they went down well. Just as well as I have ordered him a load more – to up the treat value and I also ordered him an Elk antler chew as his antlers that we bought him last year are now getting quite small.

Saturday 25th April

I am sure that Dembe is listening for the 5am news on The World Service as it seems within minutes of that coming on he starts crying to let me know he wants his dad to take him out. I managed to get back to sleep and didn’t come around until 7.30am.

Dembe has been full of beans all day demanding attention and rarely going to sleep. It has been a bit of a nightmare as Jay and I have both have had things to do.

Jay put a piece of the artificial grass down on the gravel and Dembe loves lying on it in the full sun. He can also see Ben when he is in the garden next door from here!

I managed to get Dembes new solar fountain going in his paddling pool. It then rapidly clouded over! He did manage to get soaked trying to dig it out of the pool.

The first time all day (17.15) that he has settled down for a snooze!

Sunday 26th April

Dembe decided to chance his luck by crying at 4.30am, he was most surprised when he got told off by me and sloped off to his dads room at 5am. He woke Jay up at 5.30am. Apparently he had three huge dumps on his walk, which would probably be the reason why he wanted out so early.

W/C 13th April 2020

 

Monday 13th April

Last night was strange with Dembe at around 11pm he jumped up from the floor onto the bed and scrambled onto my lap. He never wants to sleep right on top of me as he prefers his own space. However last night he wanted held all night long.

Dembe’s walk this morning was at Woodbury Castle. He was going crazy running after his tyre. In the afternoon at a different location he met a cyclist with a dog. The cyclist said in a jokey way that his dog wouldn’t take any nonsense from a randy boy doggy. Dembe tried to play with his dog but his girl wasn’t having any of it. He came home and flopped onto the patio to cool down.

I’ve been telling Jay for months that Dembe runs to the front door when he wants a poo, now that he refuses to go in the back garden. He did this today and Jay couldn’t believe it. I said to him how do you think I know he wants out when you are working a late night??? It is nice that with Jay home he is getting more involved in Dembe’s care during the day.

Tuesday 14th April

He slept in my arms again last night. No idea what has triggered this enormous change in behaviour.

I woke up at 6am as Dembe was crying. I have taught Dembe to go into Jays room with the command ” go and see your daddy ” this means he wakes Jay up and leaves me alone! Jay got up and took Dembe straight out, they went to the model airfield. Jay said they had a massive game of chase and Dembe was loving it. It obviously didn’t wear him out though as he has been a nutcase this morning and all his toys are out of the box and strewn across the floor.

He did eventually settle down.

He was a bit crazy all day long. Really barky for ages today and no idea why he decided to start with the barking all the time again.

Jay gave him an hours walk this afternoon in the hope it would tire him out. He laid out on the patio again in the shade.

Wednesday 15th April

Dembe was back to normal last night and slept in his own bed.

He had a lovely walk with his daddy up at Woodbury Castle this morning. He bumped into a lady who was walking her two black Labradors . They stole Dembe’s ball and played chase which he adored. Dembe doesn’t understand why he see’s so few dogs these days on his walks. He really loves playing with and meeting other dogs. With the lock down not so many people are going up the common, plus the change in the law about essential journeys has been very confusing with many people thinking they weren’t allowed to drive to the common at the moment.

He has been having lots of play sessions with Jay, Dembe loves it when his daddy gets down on the floor with him and they have some rough and tumble.

Here he is with my sock that he had just taken off!

Thursday 16th April

Dembe decided this morning that he would have his first nap stretched out with his bum on my lap and his head on the foot stool . How on earth can that be comfortable? He stayed there for a good 30 minutes absolutely sound asleep.

Jay decided to give Dembe his leather football today. Which of course Dembe kept bringing inside, which is fine until he starts throwing it around …. So far no breakages but it really won’t be long.

Dembe joined us outside at 8pm for the Clap for Carers. It is the highlight of the week as he gets to bark as all the humans clap. He went and got Ben from next door and played out in the street for 20 minutes chasing the ball. He adores Ben and stood at their open front door barking trying to get him to come outside quicker!

Fireworks went off again and Dembe was absolutely fine which was good.

Dembe’s new treats arrived this morning, he now has chicken feet to have a munch on. He was going crazy for them. He also still loves his daily cows ear to chew on.

Friday 17th April

Dembe has been a really sleepy boy today and very cuddly.

Jay has been teaching Dembe how to play nudge with his football. Jay rolls the football to Dembe and gets him to nudge it back to him using his nose. I have been training Dembe to touch his nose to my palm on the command “touch”. He really loves playing the touch game but it is probably the bits of cocktail sausage that he is really enjoying! He likes to be kept occupied and barks more when he is bored. So by teaching them these games we distract him from barking.

Despite the wet weather Dembe still likes getting in his favourite chair in the garden.

Although Dembe has been back to sleeping on the floor every night at around 9 or 10pm he is coming up on the bed and climbing onto my legs / lap and having a cuddle.

Saturday 18th April

I have finally managed to get a photo of Dembe sleeping with his tongue out!

A brilliant week as Jay has managed to lose both of Dembe’s toys on the common this week!

Dembe refused to move as my bed was changed so it was made around him.

Sunday 19th April

Dembe modelling a baby bib I made yesterday.

W/C 6th April 2020

 

Monday 6th April 2020

Sunday night we had some fun in the garden with his blue dinosaur. I managed to capture some lovely photos.

Dembe was ridiculously cuddly on Monday morning. He spent the first couple of hours that we were up snuggled up next to me.

He is slowly getting used to having his daddy home 24/7 and the clock change thank goodness. It was killing me him waking me up at 5am!

Dembe is loving the weather change and is spending lots of time outside in his chair.

Jay went out shopping today for the first time since lock down began Dembe got very upset crying and howling. Jay was gone for over two hours due to them limiting how many can go in and out of the store at any one time.

When Jay got back Dembe was beside himself with excitement and would leave him alone for the rest of the day.

Tuesday 7th April

Dembe had a nice afternoon walk with his dad and had the added bonus of being chased by a Westie which is his favourite thing ever…chase! It was the first dog he has met on his walk for quite some time due to the lock down.

Jay cooked Dembe some meals, he did a huge batch of Scoobies Stew which is one of Dembe’s favourites.

Crazy sleeping positions today

Wednesday 8th April

Dembe is moulting like crazy at the moment. Everything is covered in hair and the vacuum cleaner is full of it!

It is a 2 man job grooming him now as he rolls onto his back so you can’t brush him. Jay had to hold him whilst I gave him a quick brush. I got this glare for a few hours afterwards.

I made it up to him by playing a long game of find it bunny and putting it in harder and harder locations. I am also able to start directing the areas Dembe will search in by moving my hand and asking him to search. He really is very focused when he plays this game and it wears him out quite quickly. He doesn’t give up as easily now when he can’t locate the item.

Thursday 9th April

Jay and I have been upcycling furniture whilst he is off and Dembe has been such a good boy. He just goes onto his garden chair or onto the sofa and sleeps whilst we work.

On Thursday night at 8pm Dembe came outside with us when we clapped for the NHS. Someone let off fireworks . He was so good, it did make him jump but we made a real fuss of him and turned it into a bit of a game and he just lapped up all the attention. He played with Ben next door again – and he went into their house the nosey bugger. Ben was throwing Dembe a ball up the road when a miserable git of a neighbour came out and had a go at Ben telling him to watch his car. Ben wasn’t anywhere near the car but the neighbour is a bit mental these days and to keep the peace we took Dembe inside.

Dembe flaked out as soon as he came inside after his running around the street with Ben.

Friday 10th April

Today on Dembe’s walk he decided to pee on the molehills that he came across. Not on the side of them but right in the middle of the mole hills so the moles knew he had left his calling card! He has also started chasing birds now which is a fun game.

Today we cooked up Dembe’s other favourite his meat loaf recipe. We made loads and were able to top up his meals so that we won’t need to worry about them for a little while again now.

Jay and I did more painting outside so Dembe entertained himself.

After his walk in the afternoon due to the heat we gave him a hose down in the back garden which he liked. He was throwing his broccoli around in the garden.

Saturday 11th April

We painted the TV unit today so Dembe got lots of attention during the breaks. When we were painting he would sit on his garden chair and watch us. He has been so good at entertaining himself.

Sunday 12th April

We are all having a lazy day today as I managed to take my evening tablets first thing this morning. I have felt like I have had 8 pints of beer due to this. Not good. Jay went back to bed and whilst I watched a Tv show Dembe slept on Jays dressing gown with his blue dinosaur.