Woof

In case you’ve been living under a rock, encased in a food coma from Thanksgiving, or just happened to miss it, I got a new doggie last week!

Meet little Cooper (aka Roman). I ask you, how could you not love that face? He is 16 months old and a rescue. His name was originally Norman but that was so boring (for a dog). We decided to try a few names out and find one that fit. Roman was my first choice and Apple guy came up with Rio or Cooper. Well, the doggie seems to be responding to Cooper so looks like we’ll be going with that. I’m not sure if it’s the phonetics or strong consonant sounds but he does seem to like it.

I was vocally apprehensive about getting another dog. Apple guy had expressed an interest in getting another one a few times. I was slowly coming around. Frankly, I think he also got tired of me bursting into tears every time I saw a bulldog on the street. He put in the application to rescue Cooper and as luck would have it, we got him. At the time he did it, I was still a bit undecided over the idea. That being said, it got stuck in my craw like a piece of gravel. As they days went by it became all I could think of. I kept asking every other day if he’d heard anything. Finally, impatience got the best of me and I emailed the rescue site. To my delight, they replied back the same evening with the news he was still available and we just needed to pick a time to come see him.

We drove up to Folsom, CA to meet him and it was truly love at first sight. He came bouncing into the room so full of energy and excitement my heart just melted. Up until that moment, I was still apprehensive about getting a new dog. Even months later, I still can’t talk about Spike for more than few minutes without tearing up and getting profoundly sad. I still miss him very much and not a day goes by that I don’t think of him in some fashion. He was only in my life for a short time but had such a profound effect on me. Surprisingly, I don’t feel guilty like I thought I would. Even with the new pup, I still remember and miss Spike. He is not forgotten nor replaced in my heart. I’m happy to know I can love a new doggie w/o forgetting him.

So little Cooper was an owner-surrender. We didn’t get a whole lot of details on why the previous owner gave him up. They did mention he came to them a little malnourished. He was also shedding a tad more hair than he should be. Otherwise, he was in good condition. He is adapting quickly to his new home and already seems happy. He is a little ball of energy to say the least! I mean it, he bounces around like a ping-pong ball. lol I think he has some separation-anxiety from being left alone a lot. He constantly follows us around. It could just be that he hasn’t any stability in his life or a little of both. Either way, we’ve been giving him lots of lovin’ and attention.

Apple guy jokes that he is the bad parent because he is often more strict with him than I am. I’ll admit I don’t like being harsh with him but I do put my foot down when the need warrants it. He might learn slower my way but I still think he’ll learn. Both of us have been making sure to reward good behavior and admonish bad behavior. He’s only had 1 potty accident so far. This weekend I’m going out bedding shopping, one for the living room and one for the bedroom. That way he can choose where he likes to sleep. While we have been letting him lay on the couch, I won’t let him in the bed. He still sheds quite a bit. I’ll deal with doggie hair anywhere except the bed. Plus, he needs his own little spot to call his own.

So there you have it. For all my rants, I’m happy to have him. He will have a happy life and most definitely be loved.