Holiday

Week Commencing 26th July 2021

A round up of our photos of Dembe over the last 2 weeks!

Monday 26th July

Not an ideal start to the holiday having to get up at the crack of dawn as we are having our boiler replaced and two radiators. Dembe is very keen to let the engineer know that he rules the roost and barks every time he catches sight of him. Thankfully Dembe is very good and we don’t need to put him on a lead he is more than happy to just chill out on the sofa.

Tuesday 27th July

More of the same, today should be the last day of the boiler installation and the replacement of the radiators. Dembe is still barking at the engineer but is happy to be petted by him. Dembe had us in stitches when the radiator in the lounge was being replaced and he had to jump up and look over the back of the sofa to see what the guy was doing!

Wednesday 28th July

Well yesterday should have been the last day for the boiler but there was a mishap, so we will now have a further 3 early morning wake ups whilst the damaged wall is put right. Can’t fault the company but the early mornings are killing me. Dembe is also struggling as he isn’t a morning dog although he is enjoying his countless walk around the block.

Today is the first day he hasn’t barked at the engineer however he more than made up for it with the Decorator.

The engineer is here for a few hours whilst he commissions the boiler, by the time he leaves he and Dembe have had several play sessions on the floor. Dembe has been intrigued with his Henry Hoover.

Thursday 29th July

Dembe is missing his dad today as he has gone down to see his mum and help her with a few jobs around the house. The first morning we haven’t had to get up at the crack of dawn! What a luxury.

Friday 30th July

Another early morning….deep joy. Dembe is loving having his dad home though. Lot of walks and play time with his dad.

Saturday 31st July

Tonight all three of us are off to a wedding reception, Dembe was specifically invited, which was really nice a he has only ever been left once with a friend of ours for 20 minutes when he was a puppy. We have got him a Tuxedo to wear.

Dembe after basically ignoring me from Sunday to Friday due to his dad being home has suddenly realised that I am here and now is making up for the fact I have been playing second fiddle all week. So today I have been brought a lot of toys to show me how much I mean to him.

Dembe stole the show this evening, arriving at the wedding with his Tuxedo on. Everyone wanted to come up and stroke him and find out about him. The staff at the venue treated him like a prince getting him countless bowls of water. The official photographer came and got a load of Photos of Dembe as well for the Happy Couple. He was so well behaved we were really proud of him as it has been age since we have done any work with him in that kind of environment. We stuck to our obedience training and as soon as we got to the venue practised calm giving to drop his energy levels down. He spent a lot of the evening either playing with people we knew from Jays work or lying down at the top of the stairs waiting for someone to drop their food a they made their way back to their seats from the food van!

Sunday 1st August

How is it August already?

Dembe is absolutely shattered after his late night last ( we were home by 8.30pm and in bed by 9pm).

We were all pretty knackered if I am honest!

Week Commencing 2nd August 2021

Monday 2nd August

We are having a few lazy days after our week of early starts. Dembe doesn’t mind as long a he gets lots of walks around the block and a good walk on the common twice a day.

Daddy took some photos of Dembe out on his walk on the common this afternoon.

Dembe was very keen to have some of his dads cheese this evening and sat like a very good boy in the kitchen.

Tuesday 3rd August

Jay is at his mums again today, he is taking her to a hospital appointment. To ensure that Dembe doesn’t have to wait too long for the toilet , Jay has taken him out multiple times before leaving. He even had a second long walk on the common just before Jay left. He was quite happy to sleep all afternoon, whilst his daddy was gone.

Despite our best laid plans the hospital was running hours behind. We had anticipated that Jay would be back by 5pm ready to take Dembe out for another walk. However at 5pm Jay messaged me again to say he was at the pharmacy picking up his mums meds and his mum was having an x-ray. He had no idea when he would be leaving or getting home. I had to send an SOS message to Leanne and ask her if she would be able to take Dembe out around the block as we really had no clue when Jay would get home. Thank goodness she could as Jay didn’t get home until 7pm. Dembe was such a good boy throughout.

Wednesday 4th August

Our last early morning wake up call today as the decorator is coming to finish the wall, it needs another sand and then a coat of paint. Dembe is on good barking form again luckily the decorator has his own dog and is used to it. He is only here for a few hours, as soon as he goes Jay took Dembe out for a long walk on the Common.

Thursday 5th August

The weather has been crap the last few days, showers and much colder than it should be for this time of year. Dembe doesn’t mind come rain or shine he is always up for a walk on the common. Both he and his dad got soaked today on his walk, daddy stupidly didn’t wear a coat and was soaked through by the time he got back to the car. We popped Dembe’s drying coat on him when we got home.

Friday 6th August

Dembe is full of beans this morning! He decided for the first time ever to pick Cleo the caterpillar up and take her into the kitchen. Then he dragged her outside. He was very proud of himself.

We asked Dembe to bring Cleo back in and he did, his whole body was wagging as he did it making us really laugh. He has over the last two weeks played with Cleo loads.

Today the Digital Print Carolyn a friend of ours got us a present arrived, it is amazing!

We are absolutely thrilled with it!

As we are now on the last two days of our holiday together, I am finishing here. I hope you enjoy our holiday catch up.

W/C 19th July 2021. HOT, HOT, HOT!

Monday 19th July

The UK is currently experiencing a bit of a heat wave at the moment so it is important that all dogs walks are done in the coolest part of the day. Jay took Dembe out for an early lead walk before he went to work. Martin from Happy dogs picked Dembe up at around 9.30am. It was already quite warm so Martin walked the group in shaded areas, unfortunately that area didn’t have a good enough signal to do a Facebook live. When Dembe got home I hosed him down in the back garden. Martin told me what a very good boy he had been.

We had got up incredibly early ( for me and Dembe as we like a lie on, after Dembe has had his first walk of the day), we were up at 6.30am. Dembe was starving hungry straight off the bat which is unusual for him. He really isn’t the typical greedy Labrador and is an extremely fussy eater. It was so unusual I took a photo and sent it to Jay to prove to him Dembe was having an early breakfast.

I managed to get some sewing done today, whilst Dembe slept after his happy dogs walk. When I went to take some photos of my finished pieces Dembe couldn’t help but get involved in the process.

During this intense hot spell we are having at the moment Dembe has taken to lying on the patio flag stones in the shaded part of the back garden.

To help cool him off in the afternoon I filled up his paddling pool.

He enjoyed this immensely, he loves water and goes crazy when the hosepipe is out. As a result of his love of water and the heat at the moment we have bought Dembe a spinkle mat which is coming tomorrow.

Tuesday 20th July

It is as hot as Hades! When Jay walked Dembe on the common at 4am it was already 17 degrees centigrade.

I found two ticks on Dembe, one on the front of his chest and one in his armpit. He was a very good boy and let me remove both of them using the tick removing tool I bought from Amazon. He did however run up the stairs with his carrot after they were removed. It seems that he thinks we can’t get him when he runs up the stairs. Martin our dog trainer has said that is more a Golden retriever type of behaviour as they are sensitive souls.

My phone just refused to focus properly on the tick so this is the best I could do. Both ticks were of similar size. Both sites where the ticks were removed are lightly swollen so I shall keep an eye on them. Mollie our eldest Weimaraner was the same when she had ticks remove the skin would swell slightly where the tick had embedded itself.

Thankfully he did forgive us for removing the tick!

Dembe’s sprinkle mat arrived at around lunch time. We got it assembled quickly and put it outside for him to have a play with.

When the jets were on he refused to go anywhere near it. So I turned the jets off and he was more than happy to play in the water that had collected in the bottom. I turned the water back on to put the jets on whilst he was on the mat he was fine with that, thank goodness.

Dembe had lots of little walks to the shaded lane that is very close to our home. He took full of advantage of Jay being home and must’ve had about 6 walks today.

Here he is looking as gorgeous as ever!

Wednesday 21st July

Dembe woke up just before 6am, on waking I gave him a cuddle and discovered another tick on his chest near his front leg. He was very good boy and allowed me to remove it from him cleanly using the tool. We think he is picking up the ticks from the lane as it is used by Foxes and Hedgehogs. I have checked him all over several times today to ensure I haven’t missed any. I have gone online and ordered some rose geranium oil to apply to him before he goes for walks as this is supposed to be as effective as Deet at keeping the little critters away. For the minute I have used some peppermint oil on him to put them off as this is effective too.

His paddling pool needed cleaned and filled so we had a laugh with the hosepipe and the crazy dog again! He does love the water.

Due to the heat I cancelled Dembe’s walk with Sophie from Creature Kind, she had just emailed me to discuss the situation, she offered to take him out earlier but as Jay was on a late shift it wasn’t worth it. He was actually ok about not going out. The heat was so oppressive that he was quite happy to just have cuddles on the sofa with me.

Jay popped home at 5pm and gave Dembe a walk around the block, it was soooo hot. We hosed him off before the walk and then again when he came back. Dembe was more than happy for an early night and we were up in bed by 7pm.

Thursday 22nd July

It is still crazy hot! Dembe is having a very early walk on the common and then Jay will walk him in the shaded lane at Lunch time and then again when he gets home from work. It is too hot to have Dembe running around being a nutter, although to be honest he has slept most of this last week due to the heat and I don’t blame him.

This afternoon I took Dembe on to the shaded part of the patio and practised getting him to sit nicely with a huge bag of treats beside me. I also used the opportunity to give him a quick groom as the hair in the house at the moment is just bonkers. It has never been this bad ever! There are huge great rolls of hair appearing out from under furniture even though the house is vacuumed twice a day at the moment due to all the bloody hair! Honestly how he isn’t naked is beyond me.

I know I am biased but I really do think that he is such a handsome boy. I know every dog owner says that about their dogs but he is just gorgeous. I am utterly besotted with him as is his daddy.

Dembe is going absolutely crazy for Cottage cheese and petit filous deserts – both human foods, which he can have a little of sometimes. He loves the cottage cheese so much that I have been letting him have the last dregs in the tub. Until now he has never stuck his nose fully into a food container or carried it around. We laugh because Frankie our Weimaraner, who sadly passed away two weeks before Dembe came home with us used to do exactly the same. It is so sweet to see him doing stuff that the other dogs did. He makes us laugh when he races into the kitchen when he hears the Fridge open just like Willow used to. Willow was so bad if she heard a kitchen timer go off she would race you to the kitchen LOL!

Friday 23rd July

My goodness what a cuddly boy Dembe is being today, I cant bend down without being kissed and I can’t sit or lie down without being cuddled, brought a toy or kissed to death. He has managed to lick my eyeball 3 times today!

I had a lie down on the bed and he couldn’t get close enough to me for a cuddle.

It was slightly cooler this evening than it has been all week so Dembe was much more active. He wanted to get me lots of toys out and have me play with him for ages. I don’t mind as it was lovely to see him more comfortable rather than struggling with the heat.

After having a massive play session he then crashed on the lounge floor and went to sleep!

Sorry this week has been a bit shorter than normal. We are having a new boiler fitted on Monday so we have been getting the house ready. We will be doing the final prep on Sunday which would be my normal day for writing up his diary, hence why it has been done earlier. Hopefully it will go smoothly.

The next two weeks Jay is on holiday so I shall be taking a two week break from Dembe’s Diary and will catch you up August 9th 2021.

W/C 5th July 2021

Monday 5th July

Dembe had been doing really well over the weekend and he had stopped limping, so on Sunday I contacted Happy Dogs to let them know he would be ok to be walked. Sadly though when Martin brought him back he was limping again. Martin said he was limping from the minute he jumped out of the van. It isn’t as pronounced as it was but still not good. I decided to cancel his walk on Wednesday with Sophie at Creature Kind and give him a week of proper rest. He only had those two walks booked this week anyway so he isn’t missing much.

We have been continuing with his supplements and he likes them, so that’s good. We crush them up in a pestle and mortar and then sprinkle the powder over his meals. They seem to be doing the trick and he is definitely not limping around the house. The issue is more noticeable when he gets up after being asleep as he is stiff. So we shall keep an eye on him this week. If he isn’t right by next Monday we shall take him to the vet. He has only been limping since last Thursday so it is 4 days that is not enough for a sprain or strain to heal.

I am a bit worried with how he will cope with not going out with a dog walker this week as some weeks he is out 4 times. I had reduced it back this month as a bit of an experiment to see if he needed it. He will be 3 years old in November and although he still has his mental activity periods he is more than happy to lie around and sleep. This is the week I shall find out if I can keep him calm and less mobile. Wish me luck.

Thankfully his extra treats arrived this week, as long as he has something to chew on he is a happy boy.

Tuesday 6th July

Dembe didn’t start fussing for his breakfast until 8.30am but first we piled into daddy’s room. It is our morning routine when Jay is on a late or day off that Dembe and I go in and wake him him. We all lie on the bed and chat, Dembe always brings us his blue dinosaur. He has this weird thing where he will have a cuddle with us for ages and then all of a sudden he will jump up and run down to the end of the bed. Jay then has to take the duvet of his feet, Dembe then gives Jays foot a sniff and sometimes a lick. Then he comes back up to the top of the bed again. It makes us laugh every time he does it. We have no clue why he has to check Jays feet!

I was busy chatting away to them both when I suddenly heard them both snoring!

Dembe has had his usual lead walks during the day, Jay has just made them shorter rather than doing a walk around the block to ensure he keeps his leg rested as much as possible.

Again he has spent a lot of the day sleeping and hasn’t seemed that fussed about not having long walks. If we could have got away with it we wouldn’t have taken him out at all but he point blank refuses to use the garden to go to the toilet.

Wednesday 7th July

Jay is on a 10.30-7.30 shift due to the football, normally he would have been late night. Dembe is certainly spending a lot of the afternoon looking for Sophie. I feel sorry for him but he really must rest, there will be other walks.

He got a bit barky around 6pm but it was ok he still settled down.

He is not showing any signs of a limp now and is just a bit tentative when getting up. I had a look at my phone to discover when he last had a limp. It was back at the end of April. I am wondering if we didn’t let him rest it enough and that is why it has flared up again. Having checked his legs numerous times there is no swelling, no heat and he isn’t taking his leg away from you when you examine it. It is his left leg.

Thursday 8th July

We came downstairs to this today

Dembe didn’t notice Cleo on the sofa until we came back in with his breakfast. He went mental it was the first time I have ever heard him growl. He was barking and growling and all his hair was standing on end.

To ensure Dembe hasn’t been a pain the bum for our neighbours I have spent as much time as I can in the lounge with him so he doesn’t stand at the front window barking at every noise from outside. He has spent a lot of the week curled up on my lap ( as much as a full grown Labrador can be on its owners lap ). By staying with him he has been much more settled .

Dembe now lets us know when he wants to go out for a walk, he stands by the front door. If his blue lead is hanging up he will nudge that with his nose. He doesn’t bark or whine he will just stand facing the door. He usually starts to do this just before Jay is coming home.

Friday 9th July

Oh my goodness Dembe didn’t wake up until 6am for his morning walk and then didn’t wake up until 10am for breakfast. He only woke up because I was stirring otherwise he would have continued to sleep. It was really nice to have a proper lie on.

Despite sleeping on until 10am Dembe was still more than happy to spend the majority of the day dosing. Jay was on a late night so that suited me fine, he popped back at 5pm to give Dembe a walk around the block.

Due to having his breakfast really late Demeb wasn’t hungry for his dinner until gone 6pm. Normally he starts begging by sitting in front of the fridge any time from 3.15pm onwards.

He likes eating his dinner in the lounge! Spoilt pup. He polished off the lot.

I managed to capture him licking his lips after he had finished his dinner. Every day we are seeing an improvement in Dembe. He has started running again on walks now.

Saturday 10th July

Today I saw Dembe running and he has no signs of a limp at all. I also saw him walking up hill on the lead after his walk again no limp. This is fantastic news. So hopefully he will be able to resume walks with his dog walkers this week.

Sunday 11th July

We are having a lazy Sunday before the England match this evening.

Have a good week.

W/C 28th June 2021

At some point very soon I will be forced into switching the blog over to blogger as WordPress have a limit on how many photographs and videos you can have on a personal blog before they want you to pay £80 a year for the next amount of storage. I don’t have the money and I already pay £36 a year for this site. I am hoping to slowly migrate each post and it’s photos over to blogger and will eventually be able to shut this one down. There will be plenty of notice and when it happens I will provide a link each week so you can read and see the updates about Dembe.

Monday 28th June

Dembe had a walk booked with Martin from Happy Dogs this morning as Jay was on his usual early shift. The weather was so grotty there was no video or photos. He was on and off the lead today, he decided today that instead of running in the opposite direction when Martin called him back he would sit and refuse to move. Well at least he likes to keep us on our toes.

This photo of Dembe taken a while back was used on Happy Dogs Facebook page on Monday. We were chuffed to bits that Dembe and Blue’s photo had been chosen for this.

We were watching Tv whilst we had our Dinner and Dembe was utterly fascinated by the Labradors on the TV.

We have all been invited to a wedding at the end of July, Dembe received his very own invite. So I decided to get him something dapper to wear for the occasion, his very own Tux

Tuesday 29th June

As usual Tuesday is the Daddy and Dembe love in day! With the heat at the moment he is spending a lot of time lying on the floor either on the cool stones of the patio or on the laminate flooring.

This evening our friend Bungle ( aka Adam aka Mr Start, Sophie’s husband) came over to watch the Football as England were playing in the Euros. Initially Dembe was really barking so I initiated some calm giving to get his energy levels to drop. I was just doing exactly what we had been taught at obedience training. This worked brilliantly and he calmed right down.

He was utterly fascinated with Bungles beard and kept licking it and trying to bite it. Bungle has a very bushy long beard so it was something Dembe hasn’t encountered in a while! He kept lying across Bungles lap and trying to get hold of his beard. When he wasn’t doing that he was getting as close to him as possible on the sofa or lying on the floor with his head resting on his feet. It was very sweet to see.

Wednesday 30th June

Jay is on a late night so Dembe has had several walks before he has gone into work. It is very hot and humid again today so Dembe is sleeping a lot and not as active as usual. He comes to life in the evening when the temperature is cooler.

Sophie picked Dembe up just before 2pm, he was so excited to see Sophie from Creature Kind that he ran straight out and hopped into her van greeting Polo his best chum with lots of tail wagging. It is really lovely to see these two greeting each other.

As you can see from the photo’s Dembe had a wonderfully muddy time! Thankfully when he came home he was clean as a whistle thanks to some strategic swimming implemented by Sophie. He was absolutely shattered when he came in and went to sleep for 30 minutes before eating his dinner and then dropping back off to sleep/

Thursday 1st July

Dembe had a walk with Martin from Happy Dogs this morning. Unfortunately Dembe had developed a limp so his walk had to be cut short and was mainly on the lead. Martin gave him a full check over and could find no obvious problem as to why he was limping. He checked all his pads, his wrists and his elbows. There was no heat coming from any of the joints and no swelling.

I checked again when he came home but could find no issues. It is an intermittent limp and very subtle so I am keeping an eye on him and trying to limit jumping, running around like an idiot etc.

Martin took this lovely photo of Dembe and Chester together today. He said Dembe was very good boy on his walk.

With the heat it has been relatively easy to keep him off his feet, we have had a very cuddly rest of the day. I have ordered some Maxxi Flex+ from amazon for him. This stuff is incredible for healing and natural pain relief. It is £30 for a bottle of tablets ( luckily they had a £2.00) off voucher. I used to give these to Frankie all the time to treat his Arthritis as he got older and I would give them to all the dogs whenever they picked up an injury and it would help them enormously. They are coming tomorrow so I am hoping they come early enough for me to get two doses in to get him on the mend.

Friday 2nd July

Dembe is walking a bit better today but he is still quite stiff when getting up from lying on the floor. Still it is an improvement from Thursday afternoon. As he is such a clumsy bugger I am pretty sure he has just sprained something. I don’t run to the vets with stuff like this as long as he isn’t showing any signs of pain. I don’t like the vets using metacam on my dog(s) as we have had issues in the past with Frankie ( rest in peace) who would pee blood after a metacam injection. So I always tend to treat naturally wherever I can as you dont know with metacam if there is a problem until they have been dosed with it.

Today we have two plumbers coming over to give us quotes for the new boiler, we have got some jumbbones for Dembe to distract him and stop him barking. Thankfully both plumbers are ok with dogs and one of them has met Dembe before when he serviced our boiler last year.

Jay is on a late night so Dembe had an early morning walk and then a bigger walk at 9am followed by two smaller walks so he went to the toilet before Jay left for work. He still refuses to use our garden. His limp is still intermittent but better than before. I have a lazy afternoon on the sofa to keep him resting as much as possible.

Dembe’s supplements arrive around 18.00 hours so I try him with a tablet straight out of the bottle to see if he will eat them. They are supposed to be chewable but the Weimaraners were suspicious of everything and would never eat stuff like that straight out of a bottle. It would have to be hidden in pate and the like. Dembe surprises me by eating the first and second ones straight out of the bottle. The third gets hidden in a dairylea triangle and eaten no issue.

He is asleep early this evening and stays up on the bed with me tucked up tight against my left leg just like Frankie used to do.

Saturday 3rd July

Well what a difference with taking that new supplement, it was always the same when I used it on the Weimaraners you could see a difference within a few hours. Dembe is walking much easier and is no longer stiff when getting up from lying down. He only had one dose last night. This morning I crushed up the tablets in my pestle and mortar and add them to his breakfast. He eats the lot and is looking for more.

I was fixing a friends very cherished cuddly toy this morning whose back had come apart along the seam. A very quick fix. Sadly Dembe thought that the toy was for him so I am having to hide it all the time so he can’t get to it and get it covered in Dembe slobber! As you can see he was keeping a watchful eye on me as I made the repairs.

When I woke up this morning Dembe was on the bed tucked up against my left leg, which now seems to be his preferred way of sleeping. If I hadn’t woken up at 8am he would have still been snoring his head off at 9am. He really doesn’t do well with Jay’s early starts. Jay let me know that he was definitely walking better today.

I am still keeping him quiet and not having him running around like a loon. I don’t want the supplements masking any pain and then him causing further damage.

You can tell he is feeling so much more himself today as when his dad pops home for lunch Dembe launches off the sofa and grabs his carrot from the toy box to present to his daddy. He is walking around parading it with no sign of a limp which is fab news.

We will keep an eye on him for the rest of today and tomorrow. We will decide tomorrow evening whether or not to go ahead with his booked walk on Monday morning as I don’t want to cause a flare up and more damage. If he is still limping on Monday we will get him checked out at the vets.

W/C 21st June 2021

Monday 21st June

Dembe had a walk with Martin this morning, the weather was pretty grotty so there is no video to share with you but there are some great photos .Dembe had a fab time and there were plenty of zoomies with his mate Shadow who is 13 but acts like a puppy.

Dembe was on and off the lead today, he was a bit naughty starting a new thing of when being called back sitting down and refusing to move. A strange one as he doesn’t do that with us or any of his other walkers.

We had a cuddly afternoon, he spent much of it on my lap and then on the floor lying at my feet.

Tuesday 22nd June

It was a daddy and Dembe love in today as it always is when Jay is home. Dembe was most put out when his dad had to go out and get a new tyre put on the car without him. Jay was playing with the dog that was at the garage and Dembe went crazy sniffing Jay when he got home.

Wednesday 23rd June

We are wondering if there is a female dog in season near us as Dembe has been giving his bed a hammering the last few days. Normally his humping takes place in the evening just before bed time, the last couple of days it has been happening throughout the day!

Dembe has several walks before his dad left for work today. Dembe and I are both confused today as Jay is doing a 12-9 instead of a 1-10 shift so we keep thinking it is an hour later than it is.

Sophie from Creature Kind collected Dembe around 2pm for his walk and he was very excited to see her.

That last photo is a particular favourite of mine as I can imagine Jasper and Polo looking back and saying “what is that idiot doing now?”

He had a fab time on his walk and was starving when he got home, polishing off a huge dinner.

Thursday 24th June

Dembe was pretty knackered this morning after his fun time with Sophie yesterday.

He had a walk booked with Martin from Happy Dogs this morning.

If you have Facebook you can see the video here – https://www.facebook.com/415343231815686/videos/392157245549889 He had a lovely walk with his mates.

We had a quiet afternoon with lots of cuddles. I haven’t been very well this week and Dembe has altered his energy levels accordingly.

Friday 25th June

Dembe had a walk with Martin from Happy Dogs this morning, it was just him and Lily out on the walk this morning as they were the second group.

Dembe loves all the dogs he walks with but he has a huge affinity for other Labradors.

Whilst Dembe was out I cleaned out his paddling pool as it had gone a bit green and I always make sure it is kept scrupulously clean due to Dembe’s habit of ignoring his water bowl and drinking out of that during the summer months.

He was a very tired pup today and he spent much of the day sleeping on the sofa or having cuddles with me. He was very excited when I put his car harness on ready for when his dad got home and took him for a walk up the common.

We bumped into some friends we hadn’t seen for a long time Hilary and Wayne. Dembe was very pleased to see them and there was no barking as he remembered them from when he was a puppy. They adore him and always made a fuss of him when they saw him. They actually recognised Dembe and then us!

We use the Slow Ton harness as that is one of the few on sale in the UK that has been crash tested.

Saturday 26th June

I didn’t wake up until 9am this morning, Dembe slept nest to me all night which is quite unusual for several reasons. With the heat of the summer Dembe has been sleeping downstairs for the first part of the night only coming up at around midnight / 1am. When he has come up he has slept out in the hall rather than on my bed. Last night he slept on my bed resting up against my left leg. Normally he would have woken me up anywhere between 7.15-8am to demand his breakfast but when I woke up he was still fast asleep beside me.

I gave him his breakfast as soon as I got up, he polished it off

This afternoon he is out with Maxine at It’s a Dogs Life, for a walk, Jay was supposed to be at a family wedding today accompanying his mum but she decided she wasn’t well enough to attend. As we had Maxine booked we decided to go ahead with the walk anyway. Dembe was pleased to see her and couldn’t wait to get into the van!

He had a lovely time with Maxine on his walk and she said he was a good boy. He has obviously had a fantastic time as he has come in and plonked himself on the floor to cool down after having a huge drink!

W/C 14th June 2021

Monday 14th June

Today was Jay’s first day back at work after a week’s holiday. Dembe was a really good boy and slipped back into our usual routine. He was waiting by the window for Martin to arrive.

Dembe was a good boy on his walk today. If you have Facebook you can see the video that was taken using the link – https://www.facebook.com/415343231815686/videos/501349931204932 Martin said he was a bit sulky to begin with being on the long lead. But that soon wore off and he had a good time and settled down quickly.

When he came through the door I could see a very small tick on his eyebrow trying to bury its head in. I managed to find the tick remover and get it off before it attached itself. Martin said he had picked 3 off Dembe’s head before he got into the back of the van. He said it is Dembe’s habit of shoving his head into the bushes when he has a poo means he is getting more ticks. I also think it is because they are so bloody rampant this year. Having had dogs since 2003, 2009 was the last year ticks were this bad and poor old Frankie kept getting them all over his face. He was another one for shoving his head in bushes!

When Jay came home at lunch time we were having a catch up and when we looked up Dembe was on the small sofa by the front door.

We couldn’t stop laughing. He loves his baby carrot as much as his full sized one. I washed his big carrot today as it was starting to look a bit grubby from where he drags it out into the garden. Thankfully he doesn’t seem as keen on dunking his toys in his paddling pool this year as he has in previous years.

Due to how hot it has been Dembe has been sleeping downstairs for the first part of the night and then coming up to bed with me around midnight.

Tuesday 15th June

Dembe was full of beans first thing this morning and was demanding that we have a game of nudge with his football. The patio is nice and cool first thing in the morning as it is in the shade.

He also wanted to do zoomies but alas there isn’t enough room in our garden to do that. I think that is why he likes Nannies house so much.

I changed the battery in my chromebook this morning, when I took the cover off I found bloody Dembe hair inside it.

When we went out out with Dembe this afternoon we bumped into Beth and Sophie from Creature Kind and Dembe didn’t know what to do with himself he was so excited. He was running around in circles like a crazed beast. He hadn’t seen them for 2 weeks and had clearly missed them! It wont be long and he will be out with them again…tomorrow.

This evening Dembe decided that he would turn the whole toy box out to find a toy he rarely plays with.

We call this Toymageddon!

Wednesday 16th June

Dembe was up early for his first walk 4.30am, which didn’t impress either of us! I am sure it is because the mornings are so light now that he is waking up earlier. Jay hasn’t had to use a torch in the morning for weeks. He started fussing for his breakfast at 06.45 but I just rolled over and he lasted another hour before starting again.

We have had a new runner arrive for the kitchen and it has the Dembe seal of approval as he keeps going out and lying on it regardless if we are out there with him or not. Which means he really likes it.

Sophie from Creature Kind came and got him just after 1pm. He was very pleased to see Sophie and ran down the drive and hopped straight into her van.

Dembe had also missed his mate Polo! So it was lovely to see the photo’s of the Wednesday gang back together.

A really lovely photo showing how much Dembe and Polo enjoy each others company. I don’t think they could get any closer to each other!

When Dembe got home I gave him a hose off in the garden as he was a little bit grubby and he was hot. As Dembe was out early today on his walk Jay popped back at 5pm to walk him around the block, I knew Dembe would want a wee as he had drunk loads after his walk. It would be unfair to expect him to go through from 3pm until 10pm with no toilet break.

Thursday 17th June

Dembe had a walk with Martin this morning, he was a very good boy on his walk today. So we are hopeful we can move him back to being off the lead. He was an angel today. If you have Facebook you can see the video here using this link – https://www.facebook.com/415343231815686/videos/187202806653837

He was knackered after his walk this morning and had a big nap for the rest of the morning.

He was quite content this afternoon to lie out on the rattan bed on the patio whilst I sewed in the kitchen.

He went in and out the paddling pool this afternoon as well. It is very humid today and Dembe is struggling with it.

Friday 18th June

Jay is on an early shift today so Jay took him around the block rather than up on the common. Unfortunately his latest trick is to refuse to go for a poo on a street walk so he was desperate to get out by the time Martin from Happy Dogs arrived. Bloody stupid dog.

He was 50/50 on the walk today. Martin allowed him off the lead for some of it as initially on the lead he was doing really well. Now instead of running off into the distance if he doesn’t like the direction change he is sitting down and refusing to move. Why is he such a twit at times? All I ever have is the adorable soppy boy. Martin said he will keep working with him.

If you have Facebook you can see the video using this link – https://www.facebook.com/415343231815686/videos/965916977497594

He was very tired after his morning walk and slept on the small sofa beside the front door for a couple of hours.

I wasn’t very well at all today so spent much of the day curled up on the sofa. Dembe was following me everywhere and was very clingy. I wasn’t even allowed to use the bathroom without him barging in.

Saturday 19th June

Jay is late night today, so Dembe’s first walk was around the block. yet again he refused to go for a poo. This dog is such a bloody diva. He got me up just before 8am and then Jay took him for an hours walk on the Common at around 8.30am.

They had a lovely walk on the common, as they were walking and chatting with a couple of women who were walking the biggest German Sheppard that Jay has ever seen. He said that Dembe was very wary at first but the dog was a gentle giant. He was really funny as he refused to fetch a ball if it was thrown in front of him. The ball always had to be thrown behind him if he was going to fetch it!

We received some sad news from our friends today that their 15 year old Cairn Terrier had passed away in her sleep overnight. She had been going blind and deaf for sometime but I imagine finding her in her bed this morning must have been a dreadful shock. At least it was peaceful and none of them had to go through the trauma of taking the last trip to the vets. I know they will be devastated and my heart goes out to them. I cried as I read the message.

Dembe has been pretty tired today but then he has had 4 walks this week with dog walkers, it isn’t just an hours walk there is also high energy play and brain training going on. So he has been very tired happily dosing away for a few hours at a time. I can’t believe he is going to be 3 in November where has the time gone?

I managed to catch him mid yawn this afternoon. He was a very good boy whilst I did some sewing.

His daddy popped home at 5pm, Jay said he was having a bad day today with tomorrow being fathers day. So I am finishing the blog up early so I can concentrate on him tomorrow.

Dembe’s fathers day card and present for Jay arrived this afternoon so we have wrapped them up and got Dembe to tell me what he wanted to put in the card for his dad.

I am so pleased that Jay has such a good bond with Dembe and that he is both of ours dog. He loves us both equally. He is the first boy dog we have had that has done that. Normally they favour me.

Until next week, stay safe xxx

W/C Monday 31st May 2021

I’m actually going to start on

Sunday 30th May

It was very warm today and we had all the windows of the car open for a few hours before we made our way down to Jays mum’s for the day. Dembe would be meeting up with his puppy pal Darcy and then having a long walk on Dartmoor.

It is safe to say Dembe loves his Nannies garden. Jay and I were inside talking to his mum whilst we could see Dembe so excited that he was doing Zoomies in the garden by himself as he sprinted around the garden! We were laughing at him as he was just so happy. He had a really lovely play with Darcy who has become less bitey as she has got older. After an hour in the garden, Jay put the hose on both the dogs as it was getting warm and then they set off for their walk to the Tor.

We were quite surprised when both dogs were still on the go when they got back from their 6 miles walk. Dembe was fixated on Darcy’s tennis ball and was following that around the garden. They were both really well behaved.

When we got home at around 5pm that evening Dembe came inside the house and jumped up on the sofa. He fell asleep immediately and didn’t move for the next hour he was so tired he didn’t even want his dinner.

Monday 31st May

Today is the Whitsun bankholiday and the last bank holiday before the last one of the year in August. We were having a lazy day after our trip out yesterday. I had quite a nasty migraine overnight, Jay and Dembe were knackered after their long walk.

We measured Dembe today for a new car harness as he has outgrown his old ones. It will be coming tomorrow, the size that is coming is the largest one they do and should be able to be made bigger than what he needs. I like this brand of harness as it is one of the few in the world that has actually been crash tested. It is called the SlowTon Harness and is available from Amazon ( I am not receiving anything for this recommendation it is just the one I found after researching harnesses)https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DQGFG2C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this link will take you to it on UK Amazon. We went for the green tartan version as Dembe has a nice Racing Green leather collar.

Tuesday 1st June

The hot weather is continuing and despite the forecast of rain tomorrow we have got Dembe’s pool out for him so he can have a play.

He was so excited all he wanted to do is eat the water from the hosepipe. We also got out his cool mat so he can chill out – literally.

Dembe’s car harness arrived at 11.30am so we were really pleased it had arrived before Dembe’s next car journey. It needed barely any adjustment and is very easy to get on and off.

Dembe was asleep very early tonight.

Wednesday 2nd June

Today is really weird as Jay is on an early shift and not a late due to the bank holiday, also Sophie from Creature Kind is on Holiday so Dembe has a walk booked this morning with Happy Dogs.

Sadly Dembe was very naughty on his walk today, he decided for the first time ever to run off and disappear. Martin had almost got to the point of having to ring me to tell me Dembe was missing when he emerged from the bushes mouth covered in frothy saliva. I was mortified that he could be so naughty, especially when the boy I know can be a bloody angel. I told Martin that for all future walks Dembe has to be on a long lead. I wouldn’t cope at all if we lost him or if he fell pray to a dognapper. Until he realises he is not in charge on walks he will have to be on the long lead.

For the rest of the day Dembe was rather meek and mild knowing that he had well and truly pushed his luck. Sadly due to the events of the last few months we haven’t been on his training consistently if at all and like a child when the rules aren’t enforced they take full advantage. Things are going to get quite tough for him over the next few days as we revert back to his training and doing it consistently.

I ordered Dembe’s food on Monday and that I arrived today, he is very happy with his Highland Essentials. As the food was being tipped into his food storage bin it dropped on the floor and it was like watching a game of Hungry Hippos! As he is such a fussy eater I was very surprised that he even looked at it.

His stomach has been making some awful noises this afternoon, god knows what he was eating in the bushes when he went on his adventure.

Thursday 3rd June

Well this is really going to throw us all out as Jay is late night, normally that is Wednesday. So on Dembe’s first walk he had a walk around the block and then for his second walk Daddy took him up the common for an hour. They had a fun time although by the time they got back the temperature was really beginning to rise.

I was pretty poorly today so did little more than lie around on the sofa.

Dembe was a good boy for me today and just enjoyed having cuddles on the sofa with me. He was ecstatic that his treat box arrived this week. I get a treat box delivered every month as it provides him with different treats. He has got more adventurous and thinks nothing now of chowing down on a hairy rabbits ear or puffed pigs snout!

Jay popped home at around 5pm and walked Dembe around the block for 30 minutes before returning to work. I managed to convince Dembe that it was time for bed at 18.30 so I could have a good rest upstairs. He is very good in that regard.

Friday 4th June

Dembe has a walk booked with Martin this morning, although he seems pretty chilled and not bursting with energy this morning. I think the heat is getting to him. As agreed Martin had him on a long lead. If you have Facebook you can see the Facebook Live Martin from Happy Dogs recorded

here https://www.facebook.com/415343231815686/videos/2919510708337627 . Martin told me that Dembe was not impressed to be on the lead and was quite sulky as he wasn’t happy that he wasn’t getting to do what he wanted. He carried on that sulk when he came home!

He soon forgave me and gave me a huge cuddle, crawling onto my lap and staying there for 30 minutes or so.

With the heat he was quite tired and spent a lot of the day sleeping. I had implemented the new training regime getting him to sit and stay, to wait before doing things. The duck treats I got as a free gift with his dog food have gone down really well. It seems he will do anything for those.

This evening he lay on the floor to cool down in the evening and used his Carrot as a cushion.

Saturday 5th June

Another warm day and the last day that daddy is working before his weeks holiday and the daddy and Dembe love in can begin.

W/C 8th February 2021

Monday 8th February

Jay went back to work today and poor Dembe really missed his daddy being at home. He was really out if sorts.

He was alternating between snuggling up with me and then going to the sofa by the front door.

It was just as well that we had a surprise toy turn up for Dembe today. He was very curious about the contents of the box.

He was such a cuddly pup today

He is really into lying on top of me at the moment.

He was on Dad watch from 15.30 and kept going to the window.

Jay had made me promise that I wouldn’t open the surprise for Dembe without him. So when we got back from Dembe’s walk Jay opened it up.

I don’t know who was more excited, Jay or Dembe. Cleo the Caterpillar was a hit.

Happy 48th Wedding anniversary to Dembe’s human Grandma and Grandad.

Tuesday 9th February

Dembe woke me up at 7.15am for his breakfast. The cheeky monkey this is the dog that regualrly turns his nose up at his food particularly breakfast. The weather is bitterly cold and we have had snow blowing through the wind on and off. Dembe is very cuddly today. He brought me Cleo first thing this morning.

He has been playing with Cleo the caterpillar, Hedgehog and his carrot toys today. He hasn’t played with his hedgehog for ages. He also was given a lambs tail today and he really enjoyed that.

His game today seemed to be to jump up at me( when I was sat down) and push me over. He then likes to smother me with kisses. Which is ok but when you are trying to do something can be a nightmare.

Jay has been suffering from a lot of nightmares so Dembe has switched to sleeping in with Jay at the moment to keep an eye on his dad. It feels very strange not to have him in my room but I know he is looking after his dad.

Dembe decided to photo-bomb as I tried to take a photo of a unit I had been decorating to show a friend!

Wednesday 10th February

Jay is on a late shift today. The temperature outside is Baltic, it is windy and that is making it feel even worse. It was minus 2 when Dembe went out for his first walk with Jay at around 5am. Dembe went out at 9am and then again at 11.30am. Bitterly cold on every occasion not that Dembe minded.

Dembe woke me up again at 7.15am for his breakfast! Obviously the cold weather is making him hungry.

Dembe was out with Sophie from Creature Kind today and her crew. Dembe adores his Wednesday afternoon walks with her. He runs towards her van and doesn’t give me a backwards glance!

Photo credit Sophie Start from Creature Kind

Dembe had a wonderful time on his walk, Sophie said he was a really good boy, coming back when called even when he was involved in a game of chase. This was great news that he was behaving himself. They bumped into a Lurcher cross on the walk who was only too happy to indulge Dembe’s love of chase. So much so that Sophie gave them an extra 30 minutes as they were all enjoying themselves so much.

He was knackered when he got in and starving hungry. After his dinner he went straight to sleep.

He went straight to sleep when we went up to bed and didnt even have nay sexy time with his bed or crocodile. When his dad got in just after 10pm he was too exhausted to even go downstairs. He got his blue dinosaur and stood on the bed wagging his tail waiting for Jay to come up. Normally he shoots downstairs like a rocket.

Thursday 11th February

This morning we woke up to a dusting of snow. It is the first time Dembe has seen it, he didn’t seem that bothered by it. I got up at 5.30am so was downstairs when Dembe got back from his walk. He was so excited to see me that he brought his carrot into the kitchen.

Today Dembe has a walk with Martin from Happy Dogs, again I am ( and so is Dembe) so lucky that he has a wonderful time whenever he goes out with his dog walker. He is always so good as he waits for Martin to clip him on the lead and then he makes his way ( straining at the leash) to the van and can’t wait to jump in. When I think back to last year when he had his first walk and when Martin turned up, he ran up the stairs and hid. I had to coax him down. Now he stands at the window waiting for Martin to arrive. You can see a video from Dembe’s walk on Happy Dogs Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/happydogs.uk/videos/?ref=page_internal

Today Dembe decided to be a naughty boy which is very unusual when he is with Martin . He decided to employ selective hearing so not coming back when called. He also tried to make the walk longer by running off. It is so embarrassing when he is a bugger. So we have started doing some back to basic training with him as we haven’t been doing it consistently recently.

I got some of his favourite venison sausage cut up and started to get him to do recall in the house. As lately he has been refusing to come to me in the house when I shout. So with high value rewards I hope to persuade him it is worthwhile!

He was a tired pud this afternoon.

Friday 12th February

Dembe really didn’t want to get up this morning. He really doesn’t like his dads early shifts as it means he has to go out to the common really early. He isn’t an early morning dog.

He seemed really pooped after his two big social walks this week. When I was doing some exercise he climbed up onto Jays bed and lay down. I could hear him snoring on and off.

We both had a bit of a surprise when Jay walked through the door just after 12pm. Jay was upset as his dad had a bad fall. His dad has motor neurone disease, he had taken a tumble on the stairs and broken multiple ribs. He was in hospital, due to the Covid lockdown Jay cant go and see him, with Jays job it is more than likely he could have been exposed to Covid and he doesn’t want to give it to his parents.

Dembe recognised Jays distress and flopped over his legs and lay there like a giant lap dog. He was all over his dad for the rest of the day.

We were exhausted from the stress of the day so we went to bed early. Dembe was up for that as well.

Saturday 13th February

Dembe woke us up very early, 4.30am, the earliest he has woken us up in a while. He wanted out so Jay took him for a walk up the common. Jay said as soon as he got home he ran upstairs and went back to sleep on my bed.

When I got up I threw the duvet off and it covered Dembe. He didn’t move so I grabbed my phone and snapped this one of him.

The post arrived early this morning and we had a lovely gift from Anne-Marie and Eddie.

A cushion cover with Dembe’s photo on it! We love it.

Dembe was a very cuddly boy today, constantly climbing up on me wanting to be a Labrador shaped hot water bottle.

Sunday 14th February

Today is mine and Jays anniversary of our first date back in 1997. I got Jay a valentines card from Dembe.

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!