W/C 21st September 2020

Monday 21st September

Jay was on an early today, when he went to work Dembe came back up to bed with me – I hadn’t got up. He settled down really quickly and went back to sleep. He has got very good at doing this as he has got older. I really am struggling to believe our little pup will be 2 years old in November. He still seems so tiny to us.

I got up just after 7am but Dembe didn’t make an appearance until gone 7.30am. He really isn’t an early morning dog. He likes an early walk to go to the toilet and then he comes back to bed!

I spent the morning doing bits on my embroidery machine so Dembe alternated between sleeping on the sofa and sleeping upstairs. When Dembe got bored he started bringing me in a different toy every 15-20 minutes to see if he could tempt me away from what I was doing.

Quilt inspector

When I finished on my machine I took my work outside to photograph. Thankfully Dembe didn’t try to lie on it like he does with my crochet. He was quite happy to lie beside it looking very unimpressed.

In the afternoon Dembe spent a lot of his time snuggled on my lap. I swear he thinks he is a tiny puppy still and it is just my lap that got smaller.

Tuesday 22nd September

Jay took these great photos of Dembe lying on the sofa this morning before we had to go over to my physiotherapy appointment. Jay took Dembe out for another walk whilst I was in there, he had already had a walk this morning and a quick go around the block before setting off for Woodbury. As a result Dembe was pretty shattered by the time I finished my session.

Dembe loves lying out in the back garden, we have had lots of military aircraft flying over us of late and an air ambulance. Dembe loves sitting / lying watching these as they fly over which is in direct contrast to our previous dogs who used to freak out at any loud noise.

I love the next photo I took as it looks like he is saying “Good god woman be quiet I am trying to watch the helicopters”

Tongue out Tuesday

When I went upstairs to get ready for dog training this evening, I found that Dembe had tried to steal my trainer from my room only to get caught out by the stair banister!

Dog training went well this evening, he didn’t bark anywhere near as much as he did the first week. He did show us up though by refusing to let go of his toy – which he does at home with no issues, little bugger. He pulled Jay over when he decided he wasn’t going to let Jay have his purple Rhino.

Dembe was shattered after dog training and slept all the way home. When we got in he lay on the rug and went to sleep.

Wednesday 23rd September

Dembe was shattered today had Jay slept past his normal waking up time I don’t think we would have seen Dembe until gone 8am. He was sound asleep from the minute we got home from dog training.

I wormed him today. I have a dreadful feeling I forgot to do it last month with all the stress of the road traffic accident and having the car written off. I certainly never wrote on the calendar that I had done it which I would have done normally. At least he is more than happy to take them in a cheese triangle! He is being really funny with his food today so he may have to go hungry if he doesn’t eat.

We had lots of cuddles on the sofa again with him sat on my lap.

This afternoon for the first time ever he jumped up when I was stood at the end of the bed and put his feet on my shoulders and licked my face, I was stood with my back to him so he made me jump. He normally only does this if I am sat down.

Thursday 24th September

Jay is on a late night today , so Dembe was out early and then again at 11.30am for a walk around the block.It is quite good he gets a lead walk every day as it means Jay can do a bit of lead work training with him.

We made Dembe’s meals for the month today before Jay went to work. Dembe was hanging around waiting for any scraps to hit the floor.

I managed or should I say we managed to neglect to book today’s dog walk. Jay never gave me any late nights for this week. Thankfully we realised on Monday and I was able to contact Happy dogs and get it booked in which was a life saver. So Dembe will be off out with Martin this afternoon.

Martin arrived at 2pm to collect Dembe, who was so good and he waited at the front door to be clipped onto Martins lead. He always races off down the drive now and jumps into the back. He can’t wait to go off on his adventures with Martin for an hour. When he came back I was expecting him to be quiet but no he was bouncing off the walls for a few hours.

He keeps going to the fridge and begging for corned beef, if you give him a cocktail sausage he spits it out until he is quite sure there is to be no corned beef on offer! Cheeky sod.

Friday 25th September

Well Jay and I have been married for 20 years today. Crazy right? He doesn’t have the day off and is on a 9-6 so it is just me and the boy until he gets home for lunch and again when he finishes work this evening.

When Jay goes back to work at lunchtime Dembe will quite often sit at the window like this and watch his dad reverse off the drive. He normally stays there for a bit and has a cuddle with me. He really misses his dad when he isn’t home. He is going to have a lovely week next week as Jay is off work and on holiday for the week.

I was giving Dembe’s tummy a rub in this photo, as you can see he was enjoying it.

As it was our anniversary my friend on Instagram Carolyn sent Dembe a toy as she didn’t want him to be left out. We did have a laugh though as I had the exact same toy delivered the day before so now Dembe has two ducks. But it doesn’t matter as he will love to play with both of them.

I had the hairdresser come over today and do my hair for me. Dembe was very good whilst she was here…apart from when I washed my hair and then he barked quite a bit so I had to shout and tell him to be quiet.

Saturday 26th September

We had a quiet day today as me and the boy were shattered! Plus Dembe hates being woken up early when his dad is on the early shift.

Dembe was a little sod with his breakfast this morning had three small mouthfuls and then refused to eat anything else. He wants corned beef and only corned beef so today he will be very hungry. By the time Jay gave him his dinner this evening he was famished and he ate it all without any embellishments! He always caves quite easily thankfully I just hate having to keep him hungry to make him eat.

Sunday 27th September

Dembe is a happy boy as his daddy is home today. He has been sprawled out over his dad at every available opportunity. He even looks like he is smiling! I used the time to do some bits on my embroidery machine.

Jay took Dembe on a nice long walk this afternoon where they met lots of doggies and Dembe got to run around like a crazed idiot playing chase, which is his favourite game.

He is now snuggled up beside me whilst I transfer his diary entries onto his blog.

W/C 14th September 2020

 

Monday 14th September

As usual for a Monday Jay was on an early shift. I had a terrible nights sleep so ended up getting up 3.30am when Jay got up. Dembe was not impressed at all with both of us rising so early. He isn’t a morning dog at all. Jay took him out at 4.30am and Dembe was happy to come back to bed with me and we slept until around 8.30am.

Knackered pup

I had a lazy day with Dembe due to the lack of sleep. I did some crochet, very slowly as since the accident I am having problems with my neck and back.

Yet again when I have gone to take some photos of the work I have done on my crocheted blankets Dembe immediately lies on them!

Tuesday 15th September 2020

We are back to dog training this evening and we can’t wait. It feels like we haven’t been in such a very long time.

It has been a stressful day here and Dembe is picking up on it. The washing machine broke down with Jay’s work uniform inside. Dembe was incredibly well behaved whilst the engineer was here fixing it.

He has had 4 walks today so should be absolutely shattered but is still running around like a hyper lunatic. We did think that he may be a bit naughty tonight as he was so unsettled today, he was ok not brilliant but ok.

He was absolutely shattered after dog training this evening and went to sleep in the back of the car on the way home.

Wednesday 16th September

Dembe slept until 7am this morning…unheard of he must have been tired from last night. However when Jay got up with him he found a pile of sick in the lounge. I got up to help them clear up. Luckily it was on the laminate and not the rug like he usually does.

Dembe does seem a little under the weather today and quite lethargic

He has been eating ok so I am not too concerned. He does seem to throw up every now and again but is always ok the following day. He refused his breakfast but he has eaten sausages, his frozen kong and a denta stick. So he isn’t unwell in the respect that he must see a vet.

Jay took him for a walk around the block before he went to work and he surprised Jay by doing two enormous poo’s. It always amazes me as a dog owner how easily impressed we are when it comes to dogs and their bowels!

Watching the world go by

Martin came and got Dembe around 14.30 and took him out for a nice long walk on the common. He said he wouldn’t have known Dembe had been under the weather this morning as he was running about and having lots of wee’s .

Dembe was ready to settle really early tonight at 6pm so I took full advantage! We had an early night and watched Heartland, which I have started watching from the start again even though I have only just finished the last 13 seasons! A little bit addicted.

Thursday 17th September

Jay was middle shift today which Dembe always struggles with the wait until 6pm for his evening walk even though Jay walks him around the block at lunch time. We had lots of cuddles today and in the afternoon we played find it with his elephant toy which Dembe really enjoyed.

Friday 18th September

Jay was late night tonight, so he got to spend a nice amount of time with Dembe before he went to work at 12pm. Dembe and I played upstairs whilst I attempted to give my bedroom a tidy up. Dembe didn’t hear Martin arrive at 3pm until he rang the door bell. He was a very good boy and waited whilst Martin put the lead on and then ran down the drive and jumped into the back of the van! Makes me laugh how he would insist on being lifted in initially until Martin made it clear that he had to jump in.

As usual Dembe enjoyed himself out of the walk, meeting a lady Labrador and having a good game of Labrador zoomies. He is a ladies man our Dembe!

He was shattered after his walk up the common

We managed to get up to bed reasonably early, before 7pm and had lots of cuddles whilst watching the tv waiting for Daddy to get home at 10pm.

Saturday 19th September

Jay was on another middle shift today. Dembe was full of beans today and playing lots of games of nudge and find it.

He wasn’t very happy when his dad went to work this morning and refused to kiss his dad goodbye like he normally would. As soon as Jay was gone Dembe put himself up to bed and snuggled into Jays dressing gown on the bed.

Jay was late getting home for lunch well past 1pm his usual time. So Dembe stayed at the window looking for him, waiting for him to arrive.

He was very barky this afternoon. I managed to catch this photo of him just before he went to bark whilst waiting for his dad to get home.

He was so crazy with energy after I gave him his dinner at 4.30pm he conked out and went to sleep with his head on my foot. Something he hasn’t done for a long time.

I bought Dembe a new toy and that arrived today. It is a hedgehog and has a squeak in it. Dembe will sit and do the squeak repeatedly until he manages to break the squeak.

Sunday 20th September

Dembe is a happy dog as mum and dad are home together today. He woke up at 5am and had a walk and then he woke me up just before 9am. I can’t believe both of us slept in so late, very unusual but I have had a rubbish week sleep wise this week.

Dembe has spent the day draped over his dad.

We are having a bit of an Indian Summer here the temperatures are well above average for this time of year. Dembe is finding he is getting very hot after his walks so he likes to lay on the patio slabs to cool down.

W/C 7th September 2020

 Monday 7th September

Jay is working his usual Monday morning early shift. Dembe is incredibly soppy today, I can’t move without being covered in kisses. When I am sat on the sofa I am being laid on. He demands that either I hold his cows ear whilst he chews it or that he has a cuddle. He also wants to play endless games of nudge.

Tuesday 8th September

Jay is day off today so Dembe was out early for a nice long walk, then back to bed for a few hours. I had a physiotherapy session booked for 11.45am so before we left Jay walked Dembe around the block as with Covid rules he can’t just drop me off , we have to wait in the car for the physiotherapist to come and get me. We were stuck in the car for ages despite leaving late.

When I eventually got called in Jay took Dembe for a long walk on Woodbury common at the Woodbury Castle site. They met lots of dogs who all played with Dembe. By the time we got home at 13.30 Dembe was knackered.

He spent the afternoon asleep, we took him out for a little walk this evening just so he could go to the toilet before bed. He spent most of the day asleep.

Dembe had to be persuaded with a cocktail sausage to go upstairs to bed! He is so easy. He has been spending most nights fast asleep on my bed as the temperature is dropping overnight.

Next week we will be back at obedience training, we missed the last one due to the car accident so it feels like it has been ages since we have been at class.

Wednesday 9th September

Dembe is still knackered after his mega walk yesterday on top of his usual walks.

This morning I found him on his dads bed. He loves lying on his bed and sleeping there if I am busy in the morning. He reminds me of Mollie who was Jays dog. She passed away on 5th January 2019 and is very much missed by the both of us. It is lovely that Dembe is both our dogs especially since he started attending the obedience training sessions with Jay.

Dembe was very excited when Jay popped home for lunch , he brought him two dinosaurs in succession as he couldn’t work out in his excitement what to parade in front of his dad! Jay took him out for a walk around the block. Apparently the builders on the next street over stop and say hello to Dembe on every lunch time walk.

Today on his walk Dembe came across a lady carrying her child on her shoulders something Dembe hasn’t seen before so he barked the place down. Thankfully the lady and her child laughed. All Dembe’s hair went up.

Thursday 10th September

No idea what has got into Dembe this week but he is extraordinarily soppy this week. Whilst I was having my morning cuppa he plonked himself on my lap and sat there for ages.

Whilst I got on with my day Dembe made himself comfortable on the small sofa.

He will quite often sleep on his back in the sun on the sofa.

His new ID tag arrived today as we will be switching him over to his winter collar shortly. I wanted him to have a nice new ID tag so I didn’t have to lose my nails taking his current one off his summer collar.

We got this one from Sweet William Designs and it came very quickly. All the legal stuff that we need on an ID tag in the UK is on the back.

Friday 11th September

Jay is on his third early of the week today. As we had already cancelled one walk this week, we didn’t want to mess the dog walker around by cancelling another, so we kept his walk for this afternoon. Jay popped home at lunch time to give Dembe a quick walk around the block so he wasn’t desperate to go out.

I have been working on a crochet blanket and Dembe always loves lying on my crocheted blankets

I always laugh and call him the crochet inspector.

Dembe has become obsessed with his carrot again the last few days and this is now what he is greeting Jay with.

Martin arrived just before 3pm for Dembe. Dembe was keen to go as soon as he realised it was Martin at the door. He never gives me a backwards glance which has really put my mind at rest. Initially I was really scared about letting Dembe go with someone else out of my site, none of my other dogs have done this. So it was a HUGE deal for Jay and I. However Dembe was like a coiled spring when Jay was on a late night and with him refusing to have a poo in the garden ( Dembe not Jay) it made it a necessity that he was taken out for a walk. Dembe adores Martin, although when they get back Dembe can’t wait to get back in the house!

Dembe was still full of beans when Martin dropped him off which is unusual as normally he would flake out either on the cold stones of the patio or on the floor. He was bouncing around all over the place. 15 minutes after he got home, Jay walked through the door, so we went straight up to my parents van as they were staying at their caravan. It is only the second time we have been there this year, Dembe loves going there as there are lots of new smells and he gets to play with Maggie my parents Jack Russell. He was shattered by the time he got home.

Saturday 12th September

Jay is on a late night today which is a pain in the bum as we dont have a dog walker booked for Dembe. So this morning Dembe has had two huge walks on the common and I just hope we aren’t creating a fit idiot. He was pretty settled for me all day bless him.

I managed to finish my blanket and I whipped it outside to take some photos. Dembe was fast asleep on the sofa. As soon as the blanket touched the floor he was lying on it! He loves it for some reason. Possibly because it will smell of me due to me handling the yarn. It has been popped in the wash now to reduce the Dembe hair being gifted with it!

Dembe is still a very cuddly boy and spent ages with his head on my lap this afternoon.

Sunday 13th September

Dembe had a lie on this morning not waking up until 5.40am, I woke up when they came back from the walk as his feet were wet and cold from the dew on the grass up the common. He settled down quickly and went back to sleep. When I woke up after 8am he was in with his dad. As soon as he heard me stir he came in and gave me a cuddle.

He is being a bit of a sod with his eating again. Quite often he is only having one meal a day in the evening as he just turns his nose up at his breakfast. We are holding fast and if he doesn’t eat his breakfast he gets it for his dinner. Ive never known such a pain in the bum. If it is anything he shouldn’t eat or shouldn’t eat a lot of he is all over it! He turned his nose up yesterday at cocktail sausages as his dad had given him ham from the fridge earlier in the day and suddenly cocktail sausages weren’t good enough.

Dembe is a happy soul today as his dad is home all day with him. He got quite upset when his dad went outside to clean the car with out him. He really dies love us being all together on Jays days off.