W/C 3rd August 2020

 

Monday 3rd August

I have to share this video from Sunday afternoon when Dembe went crazy whilst waiting to go out fr his walk

Jay was back to work today after his week off. However to confuse us all he was late night which is rare on a Monday. Dembe was booked in with Martin at Happy Dogs for a walk later on in the afternoon.

Dembe went out just before 3pm, for a long walk up the common. He was shattered when he came home and wanted cuddles. I had come down with a migraine in the hour before he left so spent the time lying on the sofa. I was only too happy for Dembe cuddles when he got home.

Dembe coped well with Jay going back to work and was a good boy for me.

Tuesday 4th August

I was still feeling really rough after the migraine so we had a quiet day altogether. I was feeling so awful by the time dog training came along, that I didn’t attend. Happy dogs very kindly shot dome video so I could see how well my boys were doing. If you are on Facebook you can find the video on their page https://www.facebook.com/happydogs.uk/

You can also see videos of Dembe’s walks following that link if you use Facebook. I can’t share the videos on my blog as the copyright doesn’t belong to me.

Wednesday 5th August

We all had to get up early today as we had an electrician coming over to fit an outside socket for us. Dembe hasn’t been great with strange people coming into the house lately, since lock down he hasn’t seen that many people and now barks like mad when someone he doesn’t know comes in.

I kept Dembe on the lead for the whole time the Electrician was here to ensure he didn’t get in the way. He was very good on the lead, we practiced focus work and calm giving. Both these techniques we learned at dog training and this can bring a very excited dog that is bouncing off the ceiling back down to earth and responsive to your commands.

He was knackered when the electrician left and slept for the rest of the morning.

We had a lazy day as I was knackered .

Thursday 6th August

Ever since Dembe was a tiny pup when I get ready in the morning , Dembe settles on my bed and goes to sleep. Probably as it takes me so long he has decided that he will use this time constructively!

From around 3pm ( despite the fact his dad was home for lunch) Dembe was looking out of the window for his dad. It was a bit of a nightmare as Jay was on a 9-6 so I had to try to keep Dembe occupied .

Dembe is still getting annoyed at the statue!

Friday 7th August

Jay is on an early today and tomorrow, so he took Dembe out at the crack of dawn for a nice long walk. The temperature is supposed to be increasing over the next few days.

Dembe was already finding it hot today

Thankfully today when he started looking out of the window for his dad I knew his dad would be home within the hour.

Saturday 8th August

OMG it is hot. At 4pm we saw the temperature was 32 degree’s. Dembe and I spent the majority of the day hidden in the house.

At around 12.30pm I gave his paddling pool a quick clean and refilled it. Dembe loves his paddling pool. Unfortunately his solar fountain broke – the pump got jammed. I have ordered him another one as he does enjoy playing in the spray.

Dembe gets over excited easily with the paddling pool. When his dad got in at around 1pm he was bouncing off the walls. Jay decided to check the tarmac temperature and then take him out for a walk around the block as he had wound himself up to a frenzy. Thank goodness he did as Jay said he did an elephant sized poo!

Dembe spent the afternoon lying on the floor between the sofa and the coffee table. I showered him off ever couple of hours during the day to keep him cool.

This evening whilst we were watching the TV Dembe walked up to the washing ( clean) that was waiting to be taken upstairs rifled through it and then helped himself to a pair of his dads socks. We were in hysterics as he has never done that before. Unfortunately the image isn’t that great

Sunday 9th August

It is still very hot here today. Unfortunately I have come down with a migraine again – this time I woke up with it. We are having a lazy day.

W/C 20th July 2020

Monday 20th July

A busy day today for us. Jay was on an early so Dembe had an early trip up the common before he left for work at 6am. Today we had a steady stream of visitors to the house – the first since lock down started in March. The first visitor was my hairdresser, who Dembe was glued to the hwol time sniffing her as now she has her own Labrador called Loki. Due to lock down they haven’t met so he was very curious what this new smell was.

He was incredibly well behaved throughout my hair cut and didn’t try to eat the hair as he has done previously!

Then uncle Paul popped over for a coffee as he was dropping over the Gazebo for us to have. Dembe got a little excited to see him. He seems to go from 0-60 on the excitement scale quicker than you can flip a switch.

Paul had only been gone 10 minutes when his dad came back for lunch and then 15 minutes after the the plumber came to fix our sink which was leaking ( only discovered Sunday evening). The plumber was terrified of Dembe – which sadly I did find hilarious as a softer, dafter dog you couldn’t find and he isnt that big. He would have shit himself meeting Frankie. The silly bloke kept whipping his arms away from Dembe which then just signals a game. So I ended up having to hold Dembe’s collar to keep him away from the plumber.

After the plumber went I started having a migraine so Dembe and I went to bed and we were both asleep when daddy came home.

Resting after seeing Paul!

Tuesday 21st July

Jay is working today , another early so that will throw both me and Dembe out all day! He had another early walk up the common this morning before daddy left for work at 6am.

I noticed that Dembe has snapped the nail on his dew claw quite close to the nail bed. None of us know when he did it. He never cried or yelped on a walk or at home. When Jay came home at lunchtime we trimmed off the ragged part of the nail that he had snapped and also trimmed his other nail on his dew claw.

Before we trimmed it

We had a good session at Obedience training although Dembe was a bit barky. We were expecting it as normally Dembe would have had two longs walks during the day before training and of course he had only had one walk. So was full of energy! Considering that though he did do very well.

Wednesday 22nd July

Jay was on a late night today so Dembe laid across his dad most of the morning. It really makes my heart swell with love when I see my boys together. Dembe is utterly devoted to his dad and whenever he is home you can find Dembe with him.

Dembe with two dinosaurs in his mouth!

having a cuddle on my lap on Wednesday morning

So today was a dog walk with Martin from Happy Dogs. Dembe now knows that if Dad is on a late night he will get a walk with Martin. He waits at the window for him and his tail goes nuts when Martins van pulls up outside. Martin did a video from the common to show us how Dembe was getting on. I have now worries now about Dembe being out without is as he leaves the house without a backwards glance. When he gets home he races down the drive to get back home with me.

Whilst Dembe was out on his walk I gave his paddling pool a quick clean and then refilled it. Doing it with Dembe around can be a nightmare.

Knackered after his walk on the common

Thursday 23rd July

Would you believe it I had another migraine which means it has been 2 this week.

Dembe hates it when his dad is on a 9-6. From 16.30 on-wards he stands at the window barking at everything that passes by. He then lies on the sofa by the front door making huge sighing sounds so I know that he is fed up with waiting.

He was a good boy all day and the migraine didn’t strike until 5pm great timing the hours before Jay got home.

Friday 24th July

Jay was on another late shift today so he took Dembe out first thing and then went back to bed for a few hours. Dembe is very good at going back to bed in the mornings now. When Jay got up Dembe was refusing to leave the bed. He sent me these photos

Dembe went out late with Martin today as he couldn’t fit him in until 5pm which was fine with us as that is the normal time for Dembe’s walk most of the time. Unfortunately yet again I came down with a migraine at around 3pm. I was very grateful for a quiet hour to lie on the sofa as Dembe had been very keen to have his walk and his barks were going straight through me.

I had a chat with Martin when he came back, he said Dembe had done an enormous poo. It must have been big for him to remark about it. He had been a bit soft on Wednesday and I am guessing that was down to the changing over of his food to Wolfworthy which he is really enjoying now. Jay said himself that his poos are elephant like now in their size! ha ha ha the things us dog owners discuss with abandon.

We had an early night and Dembe settled down really well for me.

Saturday 25th July

Dembe is a happy boy as his dad is day off today. It also marks the first day of his holiday, Jay is off for the next 10 days together.

I was exhausted all day due to three migraines in a week and then waking up at 2.30am this morning and not being able to get back to sleep. We had a very quiet day.

Sunday 26th July

Dembe is eating so well now when he has his food. After all the stress of trying to get him to eat for the last few months it is good that he eats without issue.

Dembe is now back to sulking when his dad leaves the house without him. Jay had to go to the shop before Paul came over to help us put up a gazebo. Dembe immediately started sulking.

Dembe is being a good boy and keeping out of the way whilst Jay and Paul put the Gazebo together.

Can’t wait to spend the next week together as a family.

W/C 1st June 2020

 Monday 1st June

Dembe has been a really good boy today whilst Jay ( with a bit of help from me) did some DIY jobs around the house. He was so cute every time we bent down to pick something up he would come running and then kiss us. He is such an affectionate little lambchop.

The weather has been really hot, so when Jay took Dembe up the common he thought he would take him for a swim. Dembe raced ahead and it wasn’t until Jay caught up with him that he realised that all the water had evaporated and Dembe was having a terrific time rolling around n the mud. I had a phone call from Jay to let me know that towels and dog shampoo would be needed!

He was such a good boy as we shampooed him and then hosed him off in the garden. He loved laying outside in the sunshine whilst he dried off.

Jay is on holiday this week so Dembe is loving all the extra daddy & Dembe time.

Tuesday 2nd June

Dembe started crying at 4.39am and I was not impressed. 5am is bad enough every morning but just after 4.30am is taking the piss! I rolled over and ignored him, he slept for a bit and then went and got his daddy up at 5am.

Dembe is very unsettled this morning Jay has gone to visit his parents who he hasn’t seen since December. It took 90 minutes before he finally collapsed and went to sleep.

He was so excited when Jay got home, running around grabbing toys and dropping them at Jays feet. He always brings Jay a gift every time he returns home be it from work or just out of the house.

It was very close all day Tuesday, I was struggling with the heat as was Dembe. He flaked out in the evening and lay asleep on the rug.

Wednesday 3rd June

Dembe saw Martin the dog trainer today, as Martin was collecting a pallet that we were getting rid of. Dembe’s tail was going mad and he was barking to get Martins attention. They haven’t seen each other since March. We are all desperate to get back to our training sessions.

I tried to take a selfie with the boy but he was refusing to co-operate !

He was toy obsessed today constantly bringing us toys. His puppy that he chose at the indoor market last year has been a firm favourite this week.

Tonight Dembe settled in with me for the night after spending last night with his dad.

Thursday 4th June

Dembe has been in a funny mood all day, obsessed with finding all his toys that he has managed to push under the sofa. He cried for 30 minutes straight until Jay moved the small sofa and behind it we found his half chewed bulls tail. Then after he ate that he cried again at the small sofa and beside it we found his small pink teething ring that he hasn’t played with in ages and has had since he was 8 weeks old.

He then wanted to play with it all day long

Dembe has also started another little thing this week of stealing my slippers when I am on the sewing machine. Today he stole both my slippers, one was in the garden and one was in the bathroom when I went to put them on!

Dembe’s favourite game with Jay is what we call nudge. Dembe and Jay knock a ball backwards and forwards to each other. Dembe will play this for ages and will only play it with Jay. So we have had countless games of nudge this week whilst Jay has been off.

Friday 5th June

A year ago today we started our obedience training lessons.

I will be honest if we hadn’t paid for the course we would have never have gone back after that night. ( nothing to do with Happy Dogs)

Dembe was 7 months old and was the worst behaved pup there. Basically he looked like he had snorted a line of coke and then took some speed to liven things up a little. He continually barked at all the dogs wanting to play. Looked like a yo-yo as he bounced off the end of the lead. He was an absolute nightmare, Jamie and I were mortified as he wasnt the dog we knew and loved.

If I had been grading the lesson I would have given us a 0/10 . And not a hope in hell of ever improving.

We took on Martin’s advice , we practised what we had learned every day. I practised multiple times a day getting the figure of 8 lead on and off him so he would be used to it by the following week and we ditched the harness.

I was dreading week 2 just in case he was even worse but he surprised us all and paid us back in spades by being an absolute angel and I don't think anyone could believe the difference in him.

Dog training isn't a once a week thing, it’s every day multiple times a day. It is a commitment, you get out of your dog what you put in. You wouldn't expect to learn French doing one hour a week, so it annoys me when people think you only need to do the training exercises for the duration of the class.

I wouldn’t be without Dembe and I cant thank Happy Dogs enough for all their help and support

If you want to read about our first night at dog training you can find it here http://thedembediaries.com/2019/06/10/w-c-3rd-june-2019/

As my back was really bad I went up to bed early. Jay sent me some photo’s via messenger to make me laugh as Dembe was making a silly face and sleeping in a strange position!

Saturday 6th June

As my back is bad I am having a quite day. Dembe seems to be enjoying that.

He was less impressed though as I started to write this week’s blog entry copying it over from the hard copy I keep

After Sprout had been lobbed at me for possibly the 4th or 5th time I asked Jay to play with Dembe whilst I carried on with the blog post. They played on the floor together for around an hour and then played nudge for 30 minutes. Dembe is sound asleep now after that manic 90 minutes.

Tomorrow his uncle Paul will see him for the first time since March. We are socially distancing having a coffee in the back garden. Dembe has always adored Paul so I think he is going to go cray cray!

Jay got sent to pets at home with a list today. Im pretty sure the list didn’t contain the words new toy or elephant!

Sunday 6th June

Dembe got up early with me which is a rarity as normally he likes staying upstairs with his dad. He settled down beside me and went straight to sleep.

As predicted Dembe went crazy when Paul arrived and was basically throwing himself at Paul. He has missed him as much as we have. He has known Paul since he was tiny and out of all our friends he is probably the one person that he see’s on the most regular basis so not to have seen him since March is the longest time ever. I’m always amazed how dogs remember people.