W/C 8th June 2020

 Monday 8th June

Dembe is sulking as Jay is back to work today after his holiday and the minute Jay went to work Dembe took himself upstairs to bed. It reminded me so much of Mollie who was Jays dog and would sulk something terrible every time her dad left the house without her. I basically wouldn’t see her all day as she would hide upstairs in his bedroom.

Jay is late night tonight and today is Dembe’s first walk with Martin from Happy Dogs. Both Jay and I have been really anxious about it as Dembe has never been away from us previously, he has never been walked by someone else or been in someone else’s care for more than 30 minutes ( and that was just once).

When Dembe left the house with Martin he really wasn’t sure, his body language was showing he was not feeling good, body low to the floor head down, ears down etc. I felt like a terrible mother. Thankfully when he got in the van there was no howling which was what I was expecting. About 30 minutes later Martin did a Facebook live so I could see Dembe being walked and that he was ok. This helped ease my anxiety greatly.

I had thrown myself into a project on the sewing machine and normally I never hear a car pull up outside but today I heard when Martin pulled up. Dembe couldn’t wait to get back to me it was obvious he was shattered.

As it was the first walk it was early and Jay and I had prepared for that. I should have been clearer on Jays working hours so his next walks will be done later in the afternoon . Jay popped home at 5pm to take Dembe out for a quick walk around the block and then headed back to work.

waiting by the window for his dad

I had a very quiet afternoon as Dembe was shattered and in the evening he settled very quickly for me.

Tuesday 9th June

Dembe decided that 4.39am was the perfect time to go out for a walk this morning, so I range Jays phone to wake him up and let him know his baby wanted out. I must have gone straight back to sleep as I didn’t hear them go or come back. The next thing I knew it was 8am and Dembe was fast asleep beside me on the bed.

At 9am I went in to wake up Jay and we ended up all having a cuddle on his bed

As usual Dembe was all over his daddy today because he was at home. He is always glued to Jays side when he is on a day off. However if I am sick ( sicker than normal) or when Jay isn’t here he is all over me.

Dembe still seems pretty shattered after his walk with Martin yesterday.

June 10th June

Jay is on another late shift today so Dembe is booked in with Happy Dogs again for a walk this afternoon. Both of us are feeling much happier about it,

Dembe woke up at 4.30am this morning, I rolled over and ignored him as it is taking the piss, give it a few weeks and he will be wanting out at 2am! Jay woke up just before 5am and got him out. Thankfully Dembe is very good and will go back to bed and settle for a few hours once he has been out for a walk. I woke up at 8.30am and Dembe was on the bed with me.

Over the last few weeks Dembe has started stealing my slippers whenever I am on the sewing machine. I have to sew in my stocking feet so I take my slippers off and keep them beside me. The other day I found one slipper in the garden and another in the bathroom. I have ordered myself some new slippers as Dembe has torn the inside of them trying to remove the labels from inside them. He is label obsessed and we have to take them off his toys or he will destroy the toy chewing the label.

Dembe was picked up for his walk around 4pm which was the perfect time as he was just starting to become restless and wanting out. He recognised Martin but put the breaks on, I had to put the lead onto his collar and Martin had to pull him out of the house. Once over the threshold he would walk but again looked very submissive. He was the same as a tiny pup when he was first starting to go for a walk, Jay always had to lift him over the threshold. Once outside he would be fine but he always had an issue with leaving the house. I think he may have been worse today as I had been feeling rotten all day and he was perhaps concerned about leaving me… or maybe it is just going to take him a bit of time to get used to leaving the house without us. In a way I’m happy that he won’t just leave with someone as my biggest fear has always been that he would get stolen as he is such a good looking chap.

Dembe was exhausted after his walk. Martin did another video for us to see him walking and Dembe looked very happy pootling along in front of Martin on the Flexi Max lead ( we have the same lead ).

I had a very quiet evening with Dembe out for the count from 6pm, he was snoring his head off. I was happy as I knew that he had been properly exercised and wasn’t like a coiled spring because Jay was on a late night.

Thursday 11th June

I had a very tired little boy on Thursday which suited me fine as I haven’t been feeling right all week. We spent most of the day cuddled up together on the sofa watching films. Normally I am trying to do stuff around the house as I have never really come to terms with my disability. I push myself very hard because I don’t want to be accused of being lazy. This week I have had to dial everything back as I am just so shattered.

This afternoon we had a thunder storm, I am so proud of Dembe he didn’t bat an eyelid. He wanted to go outside and play in the rain

I kept having to call him inside as he kept going out and doing zoomies in the garden, nutcase!

My new slippers have arrived so now when I sew I leave the old ones beside me for him to steal and put the new ones on the work surface so that he can’t get them! I did exactly the same when he was a puppy!

Friday 12th June

Awful weather today so Dem’s spent the majority of the day asleep on the sofa beside me. I managed to capture one of the crazy heavy showers

Dembe saw his mate Rufus the Great Dane on his walk this morning. Rufus’s brother a chocolate Labrador also tried to play for a few minutes but he is a bit chunky and elderly so he struggles to keep up with the youngsters. Apparently every day when Rufus goes for his walk he waits in the area where he would bump into Dembe, he gets very disappointed when Dembe doesn’t join them on a walk. Jay likes to take Dembe to different places for his walks rather than just do the same walk every day. So they only see each other a couple of times a week.

waiting for his dad to get home

Saturday 13th June

Oh my goodness what a cuddly boy I have today! He is just so affectionate. I love the way he puts his paws on my shoulders and then licks my face, it is almost as if he is trying to give me a hug back. Such a soppy boy he really is the most loving dog ( and all our dogs have been affectionate in their way) we have owned.

Dembe watching his dad in the kitchen on Saturday evening

We spent another day on the sofa watching films and having cuddles. Dembe was my crochet inspector this evening.

Sunday 14th June

Dembe started squeaking at 4am wanting to go out. I told him to be quiet and went back to sleep for an hour. At 5am Jay got up and took Dembe out for a walk. I went back to sleep but woke up at 6.30am. Dembe came down with me and slept on the sofa.

There used to be a programme on one of the USA satellite channels called Cheaters, we sing the theme tune whenever one of us catches Dembe in bed with the other!

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.

W/C 25th May 2020

Monday 25th May

It is bank holiday Monday here in the UK, Jay is working as he is having the weekend off. He was supposed to be going to see Guns and Roses in Concert on Saturday but due to Covid-19 that has all been put on hold until next year. For some bizarre reason I have been awake since 4am so at least we have all had some time together before he goes to work. Dembe is fine he thinks it is an ordinary work day.

Dembe and I are both struggling with the heat, it seems to have got hot out of nowhere. As his old cool mat is ruined as I didnt store it properly I have ordered him a new one.

Jay manages to finish early so he cleans out Dembe’s paddling pool and refills it much to Dembe’s delight. He is splashing around and enjoying himself out in the garden for ages this afternoon whilst I crack on with some embroidery pieces I am working on.

After all the running around in the garden this afternoon he conks out just past 7pm! Jay can’t believe how loud he is snoring but I point out to him but it is still nowhere near as loud as Frankie Morris when he was alive!

Tuesday 26th March

Jay has two late nights this week and today is the first of them, he gets Dembe out around 5.30am and then they both head back to bed. Dembe has got really good at settling down and going back to sleep in the morning. When he was very young we didn’t have a hope in hell of getting him to settle. Now he is more than happy to go back to bed.

Whenever I try to take photos of my crochet Dembe always manages to photo bomb it so today I used him as a prop as I took a quick a shot to show my progress in the last 24 hours. He is so good he never makes a fuss.

In the afternoon Dembe and I played in the garden

He loves to take my slippers and try to chew the label off the inside. I am always finding my slipper out in the garden.

Wednesday 27th March

At long last Dembe’s Cool Mat arrived, it is huge it covers most of the 3 seater sofa which is ideal as it means that Dembe can stretch out on it. The heat today is stifling and we are both struggling with it.

My back is really bad today so I am not able to do much at all.

Thursday 28th May

Jay is late night again today, so once again he has taken Dembe out early and returned to bed. When I got up at 8.30am I wandered into his room and found them like this

Neither of them stirred as I took the photo and I didnt see them for another hour!

Again another bad back day that was lived through a haze of painkillers and pain.

Friday 29th May

He is loving the cool mat! His second one for upstairs is arriving today not that he is spoiled. It means I don’t have to carry anything upstairs as I can’t hold anything heavier than a mug at the moment as my back is just awful. Sorry Dembe this is your blog and I’m moaning all over it. He has been a good boy and knows that I am not right and is sticking to my side constantly.

Saturday 30th May

It is crazy hot again, Dembe is being a very good boy whilst his dad sorts out the garden shed and then paints some shelves.

We moved some bits around in the garden and Dembe seems to approve. Jay got the the rattan sunbed off the shed roof and Dembe has now claimed that as his.

Jay found 2 footballs down by our shed and gave them to Dembe who thought all his Christmases had come at once with having all these footballs to play with. The heat is ridiculous though and we have all had to come indoors to get out of it for a bit.

Sunday 31st May

Dembe is such a good boy, he is modelling my crocheted shawl I managed to complete last night

My little puddin’ looked after me during the night as I had another migraine…deep joy. He came in and cuddled up to me. When I told him to go and get his daddy for me off he went with his blue dinosaur in his mouth to wake up his dad.

Thankfully due to the new med’s the worst part of the attack was short lived and I have felt groggy all day but not horrendous.

He is loving the sun bed we got out for the garden yesterday however it appears that he now thinks this is his and not mine.

Sunday has been spent having lots of Dembe cuddles.