W/C 28th September 2020

Monday 28th September

It is the first day of Jays holiday, well it should be. Due to the road traffic accident in August he had to take two days off work, as a favour to his employer he is working overnight tonight. So it is going to be a bit confusing for Dembe when his dad leaves the house at 10pm and isn’t back until the morning. He has done it before but it has been a while.

Dembe is not a morning dog and will happily go back to sleep after his early morning walk. Every morning as I get dressed / sort myself out for the day he sleeps on the bed behind me. Tells you something about how long it takes me to get ready if he goes to sleep.

Dembe spent as much time as possible draped over his dad today. He is always the same when his dad is home. Although he does split his time equally between us, he does enjoy the time he gets to spend with his dad.

On his walk with Jay on Monday afternoon

Dembe came up to bed at around 9.30pm, I had been upstairs since just after 7pm. He came up on my bed. We were both asleep when Jay left at 10pm, although Dembe got up then and went into his dads room and slept on his dads bed. He came back into me at 3am and stayed there until his dad got in just after 8am. He was very well behaved.

Tuesday 29th September

Dembe got picked up by the dog walker at 9am, as he was being taken out by Martin today as Jay will be sleeping for a few hours and at least this way Dembe will be tired out and will let his dad sleep.

Unfortunately Dembe was a sex pest on his trip with the dog walker. For whatever reason he decided Shadow the Collie was up for it. At 13 years old and spayed Shadow was most definitely not up for it. She snapped at Dembe in the back of the van so Martin had to pull over and check what was going on. He said Dembe’s mouth was pouring with drool and he was panting heavily. Obviously Shadow had put him in his place. It didn’t last long though as he annoyed Shadow on the walk and she had to put him in his place again. I was mortified when Dembe was brought back a little earlier than normal as he wouldn’t stop bothering poor Shadow.

Dembe had obviously tried to wake Jay up in the morning when he had got back from his walk as Jay woke up with three of Dembe’s toys by the bed. He brings in toys when he goes in to wake Jay up. Obviously they were abandoned when Jay didn’t stir. He finally got up at 1.30pm. I was going to wake him at 2.30pm if he hadn’t woken up.

I was working on the computer today trying to write a blog post for my sister site The Myasthenia Kid and Dembe was having none of it. He kept jumping up trying to get me to hold his cows ear so he could chew it. A huge new box of cows ears arrived today and he had to have one as soon as they got here.

It was quite hilarious as I was writing a post about him at the time.

This evening we had dog training, it was a good session.

Dembe was absolutely shattered, after training, he slept all the way home in the car and went straight to sleep when we got home.

Wednesday 30th September

Dembe was wiped out after last nights training session, which was just as well as Jay and I were working on putting in the flooring in his room. Jay did all the heavy lifting and I did all the measuring and showing him how the laminate boards went together. We didn’t get as much as we wanted done but we made a start. Dembe was such a good boy either sleeping in my room on my bed or lying out in the hall watching us. We used the commands sit and stay a lot to keep him out of danger. So chuffed with what a star he is.

The only photo of him awake on Wednesday bless him

Thursday 1st October

October how the fudge did that happen? It was March just a few weeks ago.

Dembe decided this morning when he had his breakfast that he doesn’t like peas! It takes a certain amount of skill to be able to avoid eating peas mixed up with your kibble and cooked meals. He has never left his peas before so we aren’t quite sure what is going on. He is eating a lot better than he was which is good as he did become a bit of a nightmare a week or so ago and we ended up having to starve him to get him to eat.

We had another day of DIY, doing Jays floor. Dembe was a good boy again and only a couple of times had to be removed from the room we were working in. He was funny as every time I was leaning forward measuring stuff he kept coming in and giving me a kiss with his whole body wagging as his tail went.

Dembe was a bit put out as he didn’t have Jays bed to lie on and watch us as it had been tipped up and put at the end of the room. When we finished for the day and the bed went back down he went crazy, grabbing a toy – his hedgehog and diving on top of the bed. His tail is a blur.

He has slept a bit on his wicker bed that normally stays upstairs in Jays room. He keeps going in it and turfing all the cushions out then sleeping on the base …weirdo!

Friday 2nd October

We are taking a day off from doing the DIY, I am on my knees with fatigue and pain.

I had a lady over today to pierce my earlobes ( a third hole so 3 in each lobe). Dembe was a little crazy when she arrived and then settled quite quickly. Jay kept him out of the kitchen whilst she did them. She was used to dogs as she has a black Labrador herself.

We are having a very lazy day

Dembe was more than happy to curl up on the sofa and have cuddles all day. He is so good at adapting to the pace of the household.

Saturday 3rd October

Jay is off down the road to see his family today, his niece and nephew begged him to bring Dembe down but he can’t as he would have nowhere for Dembe to go whilst he saw his parents ( who aren’t into dogs ). As a consequence of his dad going out and not in work uniform Dembe has been quite unsettled this morning and a bit barky.

At around 11am I saw Dembe’s ear was very red – right hand side, so I gave it a clean with the stuff the vets gave us. Unfortunately that made things worse, Dembe was constantly shaking his head and then he had a huge drink. Which promptly got spewed all over the lounge floor. I rang the vets and got an appointment for the afternoon and then had to ring Jay to get him to drive back home.

Dembe was a very good boy at the vets, let John weigh him, he came in at 35.1kg . John the vet then had a good look in Dembe’s ear and he has got a fungal infection deep inside his ear. So he has been treated today with some drops and we have to go back in ten days and have more drops put in. When we go back they will do another check of his ear and see how he is getting on.

I had to stay in the car due to the Covid-19 rules, Jay was allowed in as long as he was wearing a face mask. I’m glad that he was able to go in with him. It has been pretty awful throughout the UK with owners not being allowed to go in with their dogs / pets on their final journeys and having to say their last goodbye in the car park. I don’t think I would have coped with that at all.

So we are having a quiet day now whilst Dembe chills out after his fun at the vets.

He is starting to feel better as he has just tried to snarf mine and Jays dinner!

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.

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”

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 6th July 2020

Monday 6th July

I spent much of yesterday in bed and Dembe was by my side for the majority of it. Whilst I was watching a show on Netflix Heartlands , Dembe was fascinated by the horses

Ignore the state of my room I had been too unwell to tidy it up

He goes crazy every time there are horses on the television. Which as Heatland is all about a horse ranch in Canada – is quite a bit.

We had a very lazy day on Monday , I lay on the sofa a lot and Dembe shared it with me

Dembe also likes lying my chest, he weighs about the same as our Weimaraner Willow who passed away in December 2017. But I would never have managed her lying on my chest. His weight is distributed differently and he seems longer in the body than she was. He is ok until he moves and digs me with his bony elbows.

I’ve taken this photo from later in the week.

As I spent a lot of Monday lying down Dembe kept bringing me toys to see if they would make me feel better. He even brought me his favourite ball.

Tuesday 7th July

Dembe was the life and soul of the party all day

We were a bit concerned that due to the fact he had slept most of the day he was going to be a live wire at dog training this evening. Jay and I were really looking forward to getting back to training and some kind of normality.

I had to spend most of the day flat due to my CSF leak cropping up again, which meant a lot of the time sharing a sofa with Dembe.

Tonight’s dog training session would be the first time since before the lock-down we had been to class. Our last class had been 17th March. I was wondering how much of his training Dembe would remember. I needn’t have worried as Dembe and Jay had a cracking session.

Jay was singled out towards the end of the session to say how well he and Dembe were doing and that now they both needed to be working to a much more advanced level.

Due to Covid-19 each person and dog had a set area in the barn to work in, marked out with tape on the floor. On attending we had to wait outside – socially distanced and then wait to be called in. We then had to sanitise our hands and confirm that we were not suffering any covid-19 symptoms. We also had to confirm all our details were correct and up to date.

Dembe’s mate Rufus was there so they spent ages looking at each other. At one point Dembe was losing focus so Jay brought out his training toy the purple Rhino that Kate from the vets had bought him when we first got him. I will never forget that day. We were both really stressed as it had just been over a week since Mollie had passed away there and two weeks since Frankie. So the place was filled with very unhappy memories for us both. Plus we were worried people were judging us for getting another dog so soon. Kate came out from behind the desk and gave us a hug ( back in the days when you could do that) she had a card welcoming Dembe to his new home and had bought him a toy his purple rhino. We use it as his training toy so it only comes out at the barn. All the other dogs were so jealous of Dembe’s toy that they started barking at him so everyone else had to get a toy out for their dogs.

Dembe did so well at training, he was shattered when he got home and went straight out into the garden and lay down

Wednesday 8th July

Dembe didn’t wake up until gone 5.30am . We were both expecting it to be earlier as he drank so much during dog training last night. He spent the night snuggled up to me as I came down with a migraine at 11pm last night.

He has been very barky today so I have implemented a new noise to put him off. So far so good.

Jay came home for lunch so I managed to get some fab photos

He is being a real fussy bugger with his food. It is looking like we won’t bother with raw food again, most of the time I have to sit there with him whilst he is eating it. The only flavour he really liked was duck and it looks like he is allergic to duck as his ears all became inflamed. Even if he is looking really interested as you prepare the raw food the minute it is put in his bowl he doesn’t want it.

Thursday 9th July

Jay has been doing a lot of 9-6 shifts lately and both Dembe and I hate them. The morning goes quickly and then he is home for lunch and then the afternoon really drags.

Dembe waits for Jay from 4pm some days, either standing at the window barking at everyone who dares pass by or by lying on the sofa by the front door looking thoroughly pissed off.

Friday 10th July

Dembe has a walk with Martin from Happy Dogs later on today as Jay is on a late night today.

Jay has him out nice and early this morning for a long walk. They say Pluto the Great Dane in The distance but didnt manage to catch up with him. Dembe was on the go all morning.

As Jay was on a late night he took Dembe for a spin around the block before going to work. Dembe likes his lead walks at midday / lunch time. He has them when Jay comes home at lunch time and looks forward to them. The walk now will tide him over until he goes out with Martin later on this afternoon.

Dembe is being a right barky little sod at the moment. I have no idea why he has suddenly decided this week that every noise needs a response. He is also barking at me when I refuse to play a game with him because I am busy doing other things. It is ridiculous.

He worked out that it was a Martin / Happy dogs walk today so was waiting by the window for him to arrive.

He had a wonderful time on his walk. If you are on Facebook you can use this link to see him out on his walk and lots of other videos from Happy dogs https://www.facebook.com/happydogs.uk/.

It has made such a difference Dembe having a long walk on the days when Jay is working a late night. He settles so much quicker and is happier for having been out properly rather than a quick walk around the block when Jay gets in late.

Saturday 11th July

I managed to have a nasty fall in the garden today. I have hurt all my left side. As soon as I fell Dembe came rushing out to check how I am and kissed me. He wouldn’t let me get up until he felt it was safe for me to do so. This isn’t something we have trained him to do but something he just does.

As I had fallen and was sore I spent a lot of the day on the sofa

He decided the best place to keep an eye on me was under my elevated leg!

His new toy arrived this afternoon – Grumpy Cat

He seems very taken with it as he took it outside and tore the labels off!

Sunday 12th July

He seems to be loving his new toy Grumpy cat.

Today is going to be a lazy Sunday as I am aching head to toe after my fall yesterday.

Another battle getting him to eat his breakfast today. However as soon as I changed it over to one of our pasta bowls he ate no problem. So now I am left wondering is it the bowl and not the food that is the issue. I will now feed from the pasta bowl to see if that helps at meal times.

W/C 22nd June 2020

Monday 22nd June

Jay got Dembe out early at around 5.30am and they had a really good walk on the common. They have been seeing lots of deer and rabbits. Dembe doesn’t know what to make of either. Mollie our Weimaraner would have immediately gone into stalking pose but he just seems to want to play with them rather than hunt and is so slow off the mark they are long gone by the time he takes an interest.

I did a bit of machine embroidery in the morning for the first time in ages and it made a nice change. Dembe spent the morning relaxing on the sofa

He was out for the count and didn’t even notice me coming into the room and taking his photo.

In the afternoon we played on the bed for an hour or so. It was then I noticed that his left ear was inflamed – outside of the ear rather than the canal. So I rang the vets to get him seen the next day. I was worried it maybe mites, the Weims used to get this when they were young but he hadn’t been shaking his head or scratching but it was clear he wasn’t happy with me touching it.

He lay on me for ages just having a cuddle. I swear he would lie on me all day if he could.

Tuesday 23rd June

Dembe had the vets at 9.15am this morning. As Jay is working overnight the plan is he will take him to the vets and then go back to bed and see if he can sleep. Dembe had us up stupidly early this morning, so Jay hasn’t had enough sleep to get through a night shift.

Due to Covid-19 and safety precautions owners are not allowed into the veterinary surgery. When you arrive at the vets you have to park up and then call them from your car to let them know you have arrived. When it is time for your appointment a vet nurse comes out and takes your animal into the surgery. Dembe was having none of it so Jay had to follow at a 2m distance behind Dembe to make him think that his daddy was coming with him. I am glad I wasn’t there as I think I would have probably cried with the stress of it all. Unfortunately I still have flash backs of the day that Frankie and then a week later Mollie died at the surgery. Although it was for the best they were both suffering, I don’t think I will ever get over the trauma. The vets is a hard place for both of us to go.

When Dembe was returned to the car Jay asked the vet nurse if Dembe had been a pain in the ass. Apparently he had loved every minute in there. He had one feeding him treats whilst the other cleaned his ears. His ears were very waxy I had noticed that on the Sunday and had given them a clean. They said there was no infection they wondered if it was a reaction to the wax on his skin or perhaps an allergy. I am wondering if it is his body detoxing from kibble as we have changed his food. It doesn’t contain anything he hasn’t eaten before. The only thing that has stopped is the kibble. I know myself with my allergies things can flare before they get better. He has come home with some ear wash which we have to do every 2 weeks.

He has had three walks today his early morning walk, his afternoon walk and then Jay took him out at around 9pm as he is working overnight and Dembe will have to wait until Jay gets home before going out.

Dembe was really unsettled when his dad left the house just before 10pm . It is the first time in Dembe’s life that his dad has worked overnight. So he can’t understand what is going on. Dembe kept going downstairs and barking out of the window so I had to get him upstairs with me and shut my bedroom door so he didn’t annoy the neighbours. I am worried it will be a very long night.

Wednesday 24th June

Thankfully Dembe did settle down after about an hour last night and we slept well. Jay got in at around 8am and took him for a walk around the block.

We have booked Dembe in for a day time walk with Happy dogs, this will be the first time Dembe has been out with other dogs. I am sure he will have a wonderful time as he loves all other dogs and loves to have a good game of chase.

Dembe got picked up just before 10.30am and he is with 2 other Labradors so it is the Lab squad today on the walk. Happy dogs posted some lovely photos of them out on the walk. Dembe was so good today there was no running away or having to be dragged over the threshold. I got the lead clipped onto his collar and off he trotted to the van. That made me a lot happier as you always worry when a dog is reticent that there is something he is unhappy with but this isn’t the case. He couldn’t get in the van fast enough.

Due to Jays change in shift Dembe is really unsettled. After his walk he went upstairs and slept on the bed with Jay. He spent 5 hours upstairs with his dad.

On Wednesday evening I was getting something out of the cupboard when I came across a collar I bought Dembe last year but it was too big for him. It now fits and must be slightly cooler for him than the leather collar he usually wears.

Thursday 25th June

Jay took Dembe out early, it was already 16 degrees just before 6am. He bumped into Dembe’s mate the Great Dane and the chocolate Labrador. Jay found out that the Great Danes name isn’t Rufus but Pluto! He is crap with names. They ran around like crazy and had a good play. Apparently Pluto looks for Dembe every day on his walk.

It was unbearably hot all day

Dembe and I spent the majority of the day hiding indoors as it was just too much being outside.

Jay came home at lunch time and checked the temperature of the pavement and it was too hot to walk Dembe on without the risk of burning his paws. I don’t think Dembe was that interested anyway.

We had a bit of a play Thursday evening, nothing too energetic as the heat was still way too much.

Dembe’s new bed arrived yesterday, he refused to go anywhere near it last night but has been sleeping in it today.

Friday 26th June

The little bugger had us up at 4.30am. Jay took him out just after 5am, they didn’t see Pluto even though they went to their usual spot. It was still really warm out at 13 degrees. It was so hot last night Dembe was sleeping out on the landing to find somewhere cool.

He has now suddenly decided that the raw food is ok after messing us about at the start of the week. He went a day without eating properly and us having to remove his bowl after 20 minutes because he wasn’t eating. When he realised their would be no sardines or cheer-leading to get him to eat he suddenly scoffed the lot and wanted seconds. We had cut back on the amount of raw he was having with the food I had prepared, so he was now having 1/4 of a pack ( warmed up) and mixed with his usual food. Then he was eating the rest of pack I had prepared for his dinner later without mixing it with anything! What a bloody nightmare he is.

It was a slightly cooler today but Dembe still wanted to stay indoors and just have lots of cuddles.

On his walk this evening Dembe was playing with an 18 week old puppy. Jay didn’t recognise the breed so he asked the owner what it was…..it was a double doodle. WTAF? apparently a double doodle is a Labradoodle crossed with a Golden Doodle, no doubt they have paid through the nose for nothing more than something that is a cross breed. It is crazy. Mind you dog prices have gone crazy since lock down. Labrador puppies are going for well over £1500 – not KC registered and over £2,000 for KC registered. I feel very sad for all these dogs that are suddenly going to be hit with separation anxiety once people start returning to work.

Saturday 27th June

What is up with Dembe he keeps waking up at 4.30am. I had to keep him entertained until after 5am so that Jay could get some sleep. Jay is on a late night so after walking Dembe they went back to bed. Dembe is really good at going back to bed now and will settle immediatley.

I didn’t wake up until 8.20am and Dembe was ready for his breakfast. He polished off half a pack of raw food and a tiny amount of his old food ( the stuff I was cooking) mixed in. He isn’t messing about any more and eats what he is given which is good. His favourite variety seems to be anything chicken or beef based.

Dembe had a quick walk around the blog before Jay went to work at midday, he then played with our neighbours dog Skye a small Jack Russell terrier. They love having a game of chase. Dembe was a bit unsettled after his dad went to work. He decided to have a bit of a bark out of the window and then bark at me silly sausage

In the afternoon Dembe and I played his favourite game Nudge

As Jay was on a late night he popped home at around 5pm and took Dembe up the common for a walk so that he got out before Jay got home after 10pm. Dembe was a really good boy and ate his dinner with no issues at all. We went to bed at around 7pm.

I was just settling down in bed when I felt something jabbing me in the leg. I felt under the duvet and discovered this

Dembe had stolen a wooden peg from the garden, chewed it up and then buried it in my bed for me!

Sunday 28th June

Lazy day today as we are all shattered!

W/C 15th June 2020

Monday 15th June

Jay was on an early today for the first time in what seems like forever. When I woke up at 08.20am I found Dembe asleep in his dads bed lying on top of his dressing gown. He loves sleeping on his daddy’s dressing gown. As I wasn’t feeling great we had a lazy day.

Dembe took himself outside for a bit and had a sunbathe. He loves lying in the sun, he reminds us of Molly and our first dog Travis who were both sun worshippers.

Dembe really made me laugh today, I was sat on the toilet when he barged in and brought me his football. He tried to pop it onto my lap but I told him “out” and he was most surprised that I didn’t want to play with it. He stropped off into the bedroom.

He is just so ridiculously photogenic.

Tuesday 16th June

Dembe is once again turning his nose up at his food. The temporary fix of mashing sardines into his meals is working but it really can’t go on forever because at some point he will turn his nose up at these as well. I wish I knew why he is such a fussy eater. It has been building for weeks and it is so distressing for me. I think because we lost Travis at such a young age ( 10 days short of his 3rd birthday due to kidney failure) I do stress out about these things much more than most people.

We have taken the plunge and ordered 15kg of raw food. I got a bundle so a mixture of the meals they do and as a new customer got 20% off as well https://www.prodograw.com/raw-dog-food/ . I don’t receive anything for this I’m just making other people aware of this brand and it seems reasonably priced compared to some others I have looked at especially the delivery charge and the prices of the food. Lets hope he doesn’t turn his nose up at this either!

We plan to gradually move him from his old food onto this food but we shall see! I was hoping we could keep him on a mixture of raw and his home cooked meals but the way he is turning his nose up at everything is making doubt we will get away with that.

The local fire service have rung me up and provided me with a smoke alarm ( additional) and a carbon monoxide alarm. For those of you who are unaware I am disabled and I use oxygen on occasion which means I have a concentrator – a machine that pulls oxygen from the air and concentrates it and a huge cylinder in case of power cuts. My home has to be registered with the emergency services as there is a risk of explosion due to the Oxygen cylinder. As part of the kit I was issued today we got a plastic hand on a stick to test the fire alarms with so we don’t have to climb on a chair to reach them. Dembe decided immediately he didn’t like it!

We had to do some training with him to get him to accept that the stick wasn’t there to hurt him or cause issues for him. He is a strange bugger who will react to all sorts of things. By the end of the day we had him eating treats off the hand

Jay managed to get this photo of Dembe when out on their walk this morning

Wednesday 17th June

Dembe woke up at 5am, he had a big walk with his dad and then they both went back to bed.

Today Dembe has a walk with Martin from Happy Dogs as Jay is on a late night. Dembe has worked out that something is going on today as he is in a barky mood and keeps looking out of the window to see who is coming!

When Martin arrived Dembe was barking and wagging his tail. However once I opened the door and Martin handed me the lead to attach to Dembe’s collar Dembe decided to run upstairs and peer at both of us through the banisters! I went and attached the lead. I thought I might have to drag him to the front door but he came down the stairs and walked beautifully to the door for me. He then jumped over the door step, dragged Martin to the back of the van and jumped in. Obviously he was playing hard to get!

He wasn’t as tired today as he was last week but he was much calmer than the Dembe I usually have to deal with on a evening when Jay is working!

We had a lovely quiet evening!

Thursday 18th June

Dembe has been ridiculously cuddly all day my permanent little shadow. Every time I bend forward I get smothered in kisses. I lent into my bottom drawer to get some fabric out and he jumped on my back ( I was sat on my bed )

I have been telling Jay for ages every time I get something out of the chest of drawers Dembe jumps up on me. Now I have photos he may believe me!

He took himself off to bed this morning whilst I did some sewing. Then just before 1pm he came down and stood at the window waiting for his dad to get home for lunch

Dembe’s raw food was delivered this morning and he was very interested in it. So I am hopeful, who knows. I could have just wasted £40!

The weather is foul today. Normally we would go outside for part of the day. Today we have played on my bed whilst I was having a rest

In the evening I put my crocheted blanket down on the floor to capture its progress, Dembe did his usual and lay on it.

Friday 19th June

Again Dembe is my shadow today. Jay is on a 12-9 so he has taken him out twice this morning to ensure he isn’t desperate to go before Martin arrives at around 4pm. Dembe is all over Jay this morning as he always is when Jay is home. I am wondering how he will cope next week when Jay does a night shift for the first time since Dembe has been with us at 8 weeks old and he is now 18 months old.

He was much better today with Martin, he was barking and wagging his tail when he saw Martin arrive. When I opened the front door he stayed on the sofa, I clipped on the lead and then had to nudge him off the sofa. He then happily trotted to the van and jumped in!

His first raw food meal is tonight. I decided on the rabbit – well he didn’t like it. I have since read some of the reviews and Dembe isn’t alone in his dislike of Rabbit. I also read some blogs this evening about transitioning from kibble / normal dog food to raw and some dogs like their food warmed / flash fried for seconds to release some of the aromas and make the meals more appealing. I have got a beef and chicken out for tomorrow so we shall see how that goes. I’m concerned in case I have just wasted a lot of money.

I ended up taking the rabbit away and giving him some sardines with his usual meat loaf. After he has been out for a massive walk plus two shorter walks I want him to eat a proper meal.

Oh and the raw food stinks – but I have a super sensitive sense of smell…..how will Mr Weak stomach cope?

Saturday 20th June.

Dembe spent the whole night squished right up against me which is really unusual. He may sleep on the bed but he never really wants to be lying right beside me, 9 times out of ten he will sleep on the floor. I should have realised something was up as at 2am I woke up with a migraine. That’s why he was my body guard!

Dembe’s second raw meal went a lot better, I flash fried it for about 30 seconds and he polished it off in record time. This one was the chicken and beef and he loved it. He was looking for more.

Thankfully the new med’s I have been put on worked brilliantly but I was left feeling pretty rotten and exhausted. Dembe decided that the thing to do would be to bring me his football to make me feel better

When that didn’t work he then decided the only thing for it was the chest plant

This is where he lies right on my chest and has a cuddle. He also lies like this when he is preventing me from getting up from a faint as he knows I’m not well enough to get up or he will stand over me.

We had a lie down in the afternoon for around an hour and had lots of cuddles.

Sunday 21st June

I think at this rate Dembe is going to be asking for either over time or danger money! I really wasn’t feeling great today but decided I would plough on regardless. I was doing ok and then all of a sudden just felt like I was going to pass out. I was just saying to Jay “god I feel really faint” and the urge to sit on the floor gripped me. As I managed to get down as far as the coffee table and it was lights out Vienna. I came around with Jay at my feet saying “OMG are you ok?” and Dembe stood over me refusing to move and every so often licking my face.

Whilst I recovered and basically until Dembe was happy for me to get up off the floor, I was stood over. This was a revelation to Jay as he hadn’t seen this actually happen before he has only had me telling him about it. Once Dembe is no longer concerned he went off and brought me back his tweed puppy toy all proud of himself for protecting mummy!

We have had a lazy rest of the day!

And he still hates the rabbit flavour.