W/C 27th July 2020

 Monday 27th July 2020

Jay is on holiday this week so no early morning wake up . He did still wake up at 5am so I rang Jay on his mobile to wake him up and take Dembe out!

Dembe spent the day draped over his dad and getting as many cuddles as he could with him. It is wonderful to see how close they are.

We had a lazy day today the three of us as we spent so long sorting out the garden and the Gazebo yesterday.

Tuesday 28th July

Today we had a delivery from Next which contained a statue of a dog, we got it as it looks like a cross between a Weimaraner and a Labrador so reminds us of all the dogs. Dembe wasn’t sure and kept barking at it. It was making us both laugh as he was doing the play stance to it trying to get it to engage with him and the more it “ignored” him the more irate he was getting. I wound him up further when I petted it and told it that he was a good boy.

He has spent the day on and off barking at it and pushing it with his nose.

I managed to do a bit of sewing in the afternoon, Dembe decided to lie in the Gazebo, which has quickly become his favourite place since it was erected on Sunday.

We had a brilliant session at Obedience Training this evening run by Happy Dogs. Dembe and Jay were top of the class again, I managed to get some video of them working together and some photos. Dembe’s mate Rufus was poorly so didn’t go so there were the 3 usual dogs and then someone that was shadowing the trainer Martin, had his dog with him.

Martin told Jay he was very impressed at how he had developed as a dog trainer over the last 12 months. That #TeamDembe has surpassed all expectations. We had a bit of a chuckle at that one as at home I do the majority of the training, we are lucky in the fact we have an incredibly clever dog who just wants to please and learn. Jay has developed the skill of being able to work with Dembe and do the training in the sessions. However now that Dembe gets walked at lunch times most days when Jay is working he gets lead training everyday, you can see the improvement in his walking.

Dembe was so tired after training that he slept all the way home and almost had to be carried from the car to the house as he was so tired!

I forgot to say at the end of the session Dembe decided to celebrate his good work by jumping onto my lap and sitting there for a cuddle.

Wednesday 29th July

I woke up with Dembe at 04.30am feeling really sick, so I came downstairs to see if eating something would settle my stomach. Obviously my little shadow followed me. At 8.30am I had a migraine start so went back up to bed, Dembe came up and lay right beside me keeping me company. I got up about 30 minutes later, feeling ok however the migraine came back again at 11am. So this time I went back to bed properly and slept for a couple of hours. Dembe of course came with me.

At 2pm our friend Leanne popped over for a socially distanced catch up. Dembe spent the whole time trying to get cuddles from her and wanting to give her kisses which she wasn’t too keen on! Dembe keeps getting over excited when people come to the house as it has been so long since we have had regular visitors with lockdown .

I was pretty shattered all day, Dembe stayed beside me all the time.

Thursday 30th July

Today I had a hospital appointment at the eye clinic, we decided to take Dembe with us but due to Covid Jay and him would stay outside whilst I had my appointment.

Dembe enjoyed walking around the hospital grounds, Jay used it as environmentalisation training and lead training sessions. After a while as the temperature was starting to rise Jay found some shade under a tree and they sat there whilst I had a ridiculously wait for my appointment. Dembe was fascinated by a tiny baby that was also sat in the shade with his mum. The baby was fascinated by Dembe also so there was a bit of staring at each other going on.

When I got out of the hospital my eyes were really blurry after having some drops in them to help dilate my pupils so they could check the back of my eyes. I was being blinded by the sun, so I couldn’t see Jay or Dembe. I heard Jay shout behind me and then I could hear Dembe straining on the lead to get to me. He attempted to hurl himself straight onto my lap he was so excited!

After we got back from the hospital I went up to bed for a few hours as I was wiped out. Dembe was wiped out from the heat also.

Friday 31st July

Jay went to Plymouth on Friday to visit his parents and to see his brother. Dembe was very good and did settle. He was a little barkier than normal as he does tend to guard me when it is just the two of us. I was finishing a quilt, so he settled down on the rug behind me and slept. He also went outside in the garden for a bit but the heat was oppressive today and it felt very thundery.

He was so excited when Jay got home he brought him three different toys, Monkey, Carrot and Sprout. He kept picking one up dropping it and then running and getting the other one. His tail went non stop.

In the evening we played some games with Dembe to keep him entertained as we hadn’t done it for a while. We played find it Bunny until Dembe decided it was game over and he ran and hid on the stairs with it!

Saturday 1st August

When I get ready in the mornings Dembe settles down and goes to sleep on the bed behind me. I do get some really gorgeous photos of him when he is doing this. Today was no different, he is so good he is very patient. We have our little routine, when we go downstairs he gets a dentastix and then a cows ear!

We had a lazy day today as I was shattered. Lots of Dembe cuddles and playing with his toys. He is happy as long as he is with you.

Well it wasn’t that lazy as we spent the morning making Dembe’s meals for the month. He is eating a lot better again now. We don’t feed him breakfast until about 9-10am as we know he will eat it then no issues as he is very hungry. If you give it to him earlier he is a fusspot. The Wolfworthy wind has settled down now as well. Jesus his bum gas was lethal initially!

Sunday 2nd August

I can’t believe it is the last day of Jays holiday already, the week has just gone by so bloody quickly it is so unfair. Dembe will miss his dad tomorrow when he goes back to work but as Jay is late night he will have a nice walk on the common with Martin.

Dembe was desperately trying to to wake me up this morning when he got his dad up. I had his blue dinosaur dropped on my head a few times and also had my face washed. Some how I managed to remain asleep and didn’t wake up until 7.30am. Dembe was on the bed with me and we came downstairs together. Whilst I watched some tv, Dembe curled up and went to sleep beside me.

A couple of time he snorted so loudly he made me laugh! He does snore quite loudly but it is nothing compared to his Uncle Frankie. He made me jump yesterday morning as whilst asleep he let out a blood curdling howl. He does it every so often in his sleep and it always makes me feel so sad as I don’t know why he has done it. What is it he is dreaming about that makes him howl. He has never howled whilst awake. When he howls in his sleep I always go to him and give him a cuddle just in case he is howling because he is lonely / scared or sad. I never want him to feel any of those things ever. I will do whatever it takes to ensure my boy is happy and knows he is loved.

Dembe is enjoying the day with his daddy having lots of cuddles and playing with him. I did a bit of sewing in the morning sorting out some new sides for the gazebo from some fabric that had been destined for landfill that I was given for nothing. I am so glad I have managed to use it as it frees up a considerable amount of space in our airing cupboard now!