Tag: dogs rule

Adult

Cooper will officially be 3 years old in June. And he is definitely moving into adult-hood. One of his recent changes is a lack of urgency. He has always been a bit eager. Sometimes he’s even a bit too eager. I’m sure being left alone a lot by his previous owner didn’t help that. Up until recently, he’s always been very anxious when I’m leaving or just moving around the apt. He’ll immediately jump up and walk around with me to see what I’m up to. In public, he’s always pulling to be with me or bouncing around sniffing, peeing, or being nosey. As he gets older he is certainly moving away from that.

These days he tends to take his sweet time unless I push him along. lol He doesn’t mope but he just isn’t rushed. I think it is a sign of his continual adjustment to his life with me. He realizes I’m not going to leave him and if I do leave him at some point, he knows I’m coming back. He doesn’t fear being left so no need to stay under my feet. I’m happy about that of course. Many of our regular haunts, he walks in and just plops down in his usual spot until I’m ready to leave. At Starbucks, it is right in front of the pick up spot. It has a slight in cut and he fits there perfectly without being in the way. At the bagel shop, there is this weird little cubby spot in the front counter as well. Once again he plops down until I’m finished eating and/or called to get up. Same with the post office. lol He is very used to the route we take to places in the hood. He still gets a bit rambunctious at the dog park at times. He always seems to want to try and dominate the big dogs. [1]I have NO idea where he gets that from! lol  Otherwise, he pretty much ignores the dogs and runs around marking everything.

He can still get pretty worked up but for the most part he is mellowing out pretty well. I bet as he ages he turns into a big snoring cushion. lolol Mark my words, he is realizing very quickly how good his life is and he is taking full advantage of it. Regardless, I love my companion and he loves me. It brings me untold joy to know he loves and enjoys his life.

References

References
↑1 I have NO idea where he gets that from! lol

Mind

CoopaI think Cooper secretly trains as Jedi night when I’m at work. I say this because there are days when I’m leaving for work where I feel a magnetic pull to stay home. It is as if there is a voice in my head saying, “this is not the job you want…stay home with me.”  heehee

In other Coopa news, he has decided he is part mountain goat. As you can see from the pic he has developed a habit of crawling up on the back of the couch. He’ll even lay down and go to sleep up there. He usually does it most when I’ve been gone for awhile. He likes to lay his head right next to mine. The other day he scared himself silly. He misstepped and rolled off the top down the couch and right onto the floor. The look on his face was priceless. I wish I could have caught it on film. He clearly knew what had happened but it scared him silly. It was a good two weeks before he tried it again.

He is also becoming less and less concerned with other dogs as he gets older. Used to, he’d try to play or dominate other dogs. Now he’ll sniff and play a little but he gets bored and walks away most days. I guess if they don’t have a treat or pet him he isn’t interested. There is a lady with a young poodle that often runs into us during the day. Her poodle plays the same way Cooper does so they get along beautifully. They’ll jump and paw and circle each other like crazy.

Other than that, it is a healthy loving well-adjusted doggie.

Jingle

Cooper loves wearing anything that jingles, the more jingle the better. lol

I bought him a stretchy red/white fur collar with bells on it and he goes absolutely apeshit. He LOVES it! He will try to push his head thru it while I’m putting it on him.

Here is a quick pic of him wearing his little jingle collar. Naturally, he gets even more attention while we are out and about. The cuteness factor is almost off the charts. hehehe  He jingles while he walks and I think he knows he’ll get more attention.

He’s definitely got holiday spirit!

One

Cooper
Cooper on the bus

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of little Cooper coming to live with me. Apple guy and I drove up to Folsom, CA to pick him up and bring him home. I still remember sitting in the visiting room at the animal hospital and him bounding into the room. He was (and still is) a little dynamo of energy bouncing and jumping. He was so excited and cheery, it was love at first sight. It was obvious from that first moment he was just in need of a good home with lots of love.

He didn’t have much training back then and was recovering from being malnourished. We originally thought his growth might be stunted but he is doing quite well in size now. He has reached a healthy weight of 63lbs and holding. His only real problems so far revolve around skin irritations. His little bob tail has to be cleaned with a wet nap every couple days to prevent irritation and booboo’s. He is also prone to skin infections. I’ve taken to dosing him with a little bit of Benadryl every night before bed and he gets sprayed down with an anti-fungal about once a week. Together, these keep his skin looking clean and ‘purdy.

It still angers me to this day that someone could abuse such a wonderful loving animal. Even the staff were quite taken with him. They were very happy to see him go to a good home. I’d like to think I’m giving him a good life. He has all but completely stopped trying to test me for dominance. He responds to commands very easily and for the most part is very well-behaved. He still has his hyper rambunctious moments but that just adds to his charm. hehehe He certainly seems happy. And like a good daddy, I am very protective of him. [1]Lord, if I had children I’d probably already be in jail! lol

The pic is from a few months ago. He was actually under the MUNI bus seat. It is one of my favorite pics of him. He is my little munchkin and I love him very much. Here’s to another healthy loving year ahead!

References

References
↑1 Lord, if I had children I’d probably already be in jail! lol

Suffer

I’m not sure who suffered more today, me or Cooper. Between is non-stop panting and my throbbing migraine, today was an all around waste. Actually, I think he suffered a tad more than I did. I felt a migraine coming on bright and early. That horrible feeling behind your nose/eyes that leads to a full on splitting headache. For some odd reason it sort of died off after only a few hours. Usually when they hit me, they last a couple days. [1]it usually hits and then slowly goes away

Cooper on the other hand really struggled. It got up to 90° today and the heat got to him. Having no central air, I’m sure it was slightly hotter in the apt. Even with all the windows open and the fans going full blast, it was hot. I’ve mentioned before Cooper doesn’t tolerate hot weather well. Well today was probably the hottest yet since we rescued him and he was not amused. After his mid-day walk he couldn’t cool down and was starting to show signs of distress. Usually, I just give him an ice cube to chew on here and there and he is fine. Today, it didn’t really help. I finally had to take him out back and hose him off. This cooled him down enough he could cope w/being in the apt.

Tomorrow is already forecasted to be back down in the high 70’s so I expect he’ll be fine. I had figured we’d have to get a air cooler or portable ac unit for the few hot days here in SF. Needless to say, before winter is over I’m gonna have to break down and get one for him. I guess it is thankful I got the migraine today. Had I not, I might have gone to work and left him at home alone. I don’t even wanna think about it to be honest. Being that he is young, I don’t think it would  have killed him but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have suffered, unnecessarily at that. He was clearly anxious today and kept trying to find cool spots to cool down. [2]He has learned that if he lays in front of the fan, it’s cooler. lol  I won’t put him thru that again. Had the weather not shown to be cooler tomorrow, I would have already zipped down to Target and gotten one today. I’ll be watching the weather for the next couple weeks regardless. 

As he ages I doubt his sensitivity will get any better. But considering how healthy he has been and is so far, I am not complaining. If this is the worst I have to put up with then so be it. My little Pooper Cooper is worth it.

As for me, well I have a busy week ahead so I am hoping today is the last of my migraines for awhile. *crossed fingers*

References

References
↑1 it usually hits and then slowly goes away
↑2 He has learned that if he lays in front of the fan, it’s cooler. lol

Missing

I think Cooper misses Apple guy a bit. He’s been a little extra needy over the last week or so. While he gets along perfectly fine with the new roomie, it is obvious he realizes Apple guy isn’t there anymore. After he moved out of my place, he would still come by at times so Cooper knew he was around. Now that he is back in Texas and hasn’t come by in awhile, I think Cooper has realized he isn’t coming back. He seems to be a little more demanding of attention at times right now. Naturally, he gets it! lol He also tends to be home a little more by himself now. When Apple guy was here, he was often home while I was at work so Cooper was rarely alone. I usually come home on my lunch break to eat and spend a little time with him. He’s adjusting but I’m pretty sure he has figured it out.

On the flip side, he pretty much knows his/my schedule now. I can’t remember if I mentioned it but anytime he sees me put on my motorcycle jacket or grab my gym bag, he promptly goes and gets in his bed. lolol This is a good thing because it shows he is well-adjusted and comfortable with his alone time. It was pretty obvious when we rescued him he had some abandonment issues. I’ve worked really hard to give him a very consistent schedule of food, potty breaks, etc. Stability is very good for bullies (and probably other dogs too). He always has this crooked look on his face like, “where are you going without me?”

The joys of children… lol

Vet

Cooper survived his first vet visit last week since coming to live with me. I’ve been putting it off as long as I could to avoidcoopervet the anxiety I thought it would cause him. He got left at a animal shelter/hospital and I was worried he would think the same thing was happening all over again. Dogs have long memories and bullies are especially known for theirs.

Cooper knew the moment I opened the door where we were. Be it the smell, the look, or a combo of both he immediately got anxious. He kept getting between my legs while I was walking and would occasionally whine. While we were sitting in the waiting area he refused to sit anywhere but partially laying on top of me. I soothed, petted, and reassured him with a loving tone in the hopes he would understand. I was almost in tears at the very idea that he thought I could leave him. To this day, it is beyond me how anyone could abandon an animal capable of so much unconditional love.

Anyway, to his credit he did better than I expected. While very much on his guard, he calmed down after we got in the vet’s office and he got treats and attention. Having done such a good job with Spike, I figured I could trust the SPCA clinic with Cooper’s care. He has had some reoccurring skin infections and I needed an expert opinion. I put it off as long as I could but it was time.

Anyway, I explained to the vet why he was anxious and she immediately begin to help sooth and calm him down. She rubbed him and got him to touch her with his paws, which is usually a dog’s way of showing trust. I’m continually impressed with the veterinary services offered by our local SPCA. They do such a wonderful job. The vet was very thorough with her questions for me and her examination of him.  She wasn’t rushed, answered my questions, and had obviously treated a bulldog before as she ruled out a couple different brands of meds right away.

In the end, she prescribed some antibiotics for his skin infection. We both thought his skin problems were related to his allergies. I’ve since put him back on Benadryl at a slighter higher dose, hence the picture of him almost zonked out. lol  I took him off of it originally as I didn’t know what effects, if any, it might have on him. The vet said he could tolerate it w/no problems and it would help keep him from getting reinfected. Bullies are often prone to skin problems so it wasn’t a surprise for either of us. I also got his heartworm meds refilled. While he doesn’t spend much time with other dogs, I still want to prevent him from ever getting heart worms. It is very hard to get rid of after the fact vs 1 pill a month prevention.

As for taking his meds, well that has presented a challenge. Normally, I just use the pill snacks, which is just a little treat hollowed out so you can insert a pill. The antibiotics must give off a smell because he absolutely will not eat them. Knowing how much he loves cheese, I wrapped his meds up in a small piece and he gobbled them down right away. Problem solved. hehehe

I took the day off from work and spent the rest of the day with him. I was kinda having a headache already so it worked out. He got to nap in the bed with him while I napped. We went to the park for a romp and I generally spent a lot of time showing him affection. By bedtime, he was perfectly settled down again.

I’m hoping next time we have to go to the vet he won’t associate it as a bad thing anymore.  

Home

I know I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. There is no greater feeling than coming home to a doggie that loves and misses you. No matter how awful my day has been, walking in the door and seeing him bound toward me as fast as he little legs will carry him washes away all my frustrations. He sees me and lights up like a little fire engine. hehehe.

He loves me unconditionally. He doesn’t care what I am to the rest of the world. All he knows is daddy’s home! If I am ever in doubt, I take one look at the face and I am home. At this point, I’m not sure who owns who. I do know my life is better because of him.

I picked him up a 2nd bed this past weekend. He has the one you see as well as an extra one in the bedroom. This way I don’t have to haul his bedding back and forth every day. Now that his potty training is under control, he sleeps on his bed in my room at night. He has gotten to where he almost doesn’t try to get in bed with me anymore. For awhile, he developed this habit of climbing into bed and crawling under the covers. He’d crawl all the way to the end and flop down and go to sleep. Usually, he’ll position himself so his body is against my legs. If he didn’t shed so much it would be ok. lol Anyway, I think he likes his little beds. Once he gets his way and knows he can get in bed with me, he gets bored and goes back to his own bed. Plus daddy’s tossing and turning tends to interrupt his sleep. hehehe

Everyone has commented how much he has changed since I got him. Besides his healthy weight and size, he is much more well-behaved now compared to before. Oh, he has his moments. If company comes over he still gets worked up for the first 10 minutes or so. He also tries his hand at being defiant at times. He definitely likes to push and see how far he can go.  At those moments, we have our little come to Jesus talk and he remembers who’s boss. They seem to be few and far between now.

Ok, I’ve blathered on enough about him. I’ll shut up now. Smile

Hewwo Wowld

My name is Cooper and I am 2 yeaws owd today. Daddy said I couwd log on to his bwog and tawk to you cause I am an aduwt now. [1]in dog years

My daddies wescued me back in Novembew of 2011 and bwought me home to wive with them. I have been so happy since then. I was mawnouwished from not being fed vewy weww by my pwevious ownew. Now I get pwenty of food evewy day and tweats when I am good. When I am bad, I get put in my cage to think about what I have done. That does not happen vewy often though.

My daddy Moby tewws me evewy day how much he wuvs me. He takes me fow wawks, wets me pway in da doggie pawks, and takes me evewywhewe in da neighbowhood. He scwatches my bewwy and gives me wubs when I am begging.

My daddy gets sad sometimes though. He tewws me he misses someone named Spike. Spike must have been a weawwy good doggie for my daddy to miss him so much. He died and went to doggie heaven. I wish I had got to meet him but daddy shows me his pictuwes all da time.

Anyway, daddy says I have a big weekend coming up. He says something about “two big homo’s coming to stay for awhile“. I don’t know what dat means but I hope I get wots of tweats!

Dogs rule!

References

References
↑1 in dog years

Hewwo

In case you haven’t noticed, Little Cooper has his own FB page now. hehehe

I talk about him so much I figured he deserved his own page of love. In the short 6+ months he’s been with me he has become a neighborhood staple. He has a contingent of fans that always stop to hug and pet him when he is out and about. Many of the locals know him by name and comment every time they see him. Not to mention, the crews at the local Starbucks & Walgreens always ask about him when he isn’t with me. lol With love like that he needs a place to be worshipped. lolol

Cooper has flourished under our love and attentions. His weight has reached healthy levels. His potty training is under control and his behavior has improved greatly. He get’s time off the leash now when we are out and about, when I feel it’s safe. He knows to stay with me. He knows to stop at curbs. [1]Except for birds. He has suddenly taken a liking to chasing birds. I have to keep an eye on him if they are around. I’m still working on his socializing skills. He isn’t mean but he always wants to establish dominance with other dogs by humping them. This leads to friction, so to speak. lol Now that I know, I watch him and intervene before he gets to that point. He gets trips to the local dog-park about once a week and he does well. He even recognizes a few dogs now that tend to be there around the same times. He seems mostly bored with other dogs now though. lol

At home, he loves to sleep in all kinds of strange positions. He’ll actually sleep on his back laying up against the sofa sometimes. It cracks me up every time too. When he attempts to scratch his face, he’ll do summersaults on the floor. He loves to run and roll-over every morning like clockwork after he’s been fed. Thankfully, his heavy chewing is relegated to toys. I’ve yet to have any problems with him chewing wires, shoes, etc. We used to let him sleep on the sofa at night but he started getting territorial of it so we’ve had to curb that privilege for awhile. He’ll eventually get special times on the couch but only when a certain blanket is laid out as a signal.

On the down side, he has a particular aversion to strange noises. Especially high-pitched beeps, loud trolly noises, and high-base rumbles. He gets very worked up and will go into a panic, even at home. In public I have to make sure to hold him around the trolly cars as he’ll bolt even if he’s on his leash. Ironic because he tolerates the underground LRV’s pretty well. We ride MUNI pretty often and he enjoys it. There must be a distinct pitch from the trolly cars that he doesn’t like. Don’t even get me started on skateboards, strollers, garbage cans, etc. His jumping on people from excitement is improving as well. He still has to be reminded at times but it seems to be less and less. I think in part because he gets so much attention he doesn’t feel neglected anymore.

While he has mostly solid white fur, his skin is covered in spots. Recently, we’ve noticed the faintest beginnings of brown spots on his fur. I have the feeling he won’t stay solid white too much longer. I won’t mind but I’ll miss it a little as it garners him a lot of extra attention, which he loves. lol

While we don’t know his official birthday, he was roughly 17 months when we picked him up so June 22 will be his official two year birthday for us. He’ll get his first trip back to the vet since coming to join us. I’m a little nervous about taking him back to the vet as I wonder if he associates that with his previous abandonment. I discovered the Petfood Express store we go to all the time has a veterinary service that comes every saturday to do shots. He likes going there and it isn’t overly expensive. I just don’t want him to suffer any undue anxiety by thinking he is being left again. [2]Apple guy says I’m turning into a “cat lady”, just with a dog. I don’t really care. He keeps me sane and I luvs him. He is growing into a very happy, well-adjusted doggie.

Anyway, the lord Cooper will occasionally pop in here to do guest posts like Spike did. He’ll probably have something funny or dastardly to say regarding his plan for world domination.

References

References
↑1 Except for birds. He has suddenly taken a liking to chasing birds. I have to keep an eye on him if they are around.
↑2 Apple guy says I’m turning into a “cat lady”, just with a dog. I don’t really care. He keeps me sane and I luvs him.