TREATS!!!!

It is certainly safe to say that Cooper lives for treats.  Any time he hears us rustling around in the treat box he comes running.  Cooper knows that in order to get the treat he has to be sitting inside his crate, so as soon as the treats are in my hand he makes a bee line for the office.  For whatever reason he doesn’t take the “easy way” around the table… Cooper has to ram his self under or behind the table taking out anything that might be in his way (chairs, plug-ins, Christmas trees, etc.).    If the office door is closed he runs around nervously whining until I arrive to let him in.  One time, his crate was closed when he got in the office so he tried to squeeze himself into Riley’s tiny crate.  This was hilarious for 2 reasons: 
 1) Cooper is about twice the size of the actual crate.
 2) Riley’s crate sits on top of Cooper’s so he was dangling in the air with his head and front paws in the door of hers. 

Riley is a little pickier than Cooper and will only eat her treat if it is something that she really likes or is hungry.  Cooper has made a routine out of going potty when we get home and then running straight in to check Riley’s crate for leftover treats and crumbs.  We have learned to steer clear of cheapo treats the hard way after days of constant Cooper-bombings!

There's no doubt that the way into Cooper's heart is with a tasty treat!

Cooper: Expert Dog Walker and Ice Crusher

I have never met a dog who loved ice as much as Cooper.  No matter where he is, he will be at your side in .05 seconds if he hears the ice dispenser.  He sits next to the refrigerator staring at you- then the ice - then back at you until you hand over the frozen watery treat.   Should you not hand it over before you walk away from the ice maker he will sit with a confused look on his face as if to say “What?  No ice?  But I was sitting here like such a good boy!”  Once he does score his icy prize he walks around crunching it, drooling all over the kitchen floor.  He will also try to fit as many pieces in his mouth as he can hold.  Should he succeed in eating all of them at the same time, the drool puddles turn into drool lakes.  Although ice directly from the source is his favorite, Cooper will also fish it out of his bowl, the dirt, grass and your glass if it is within reach.

I think Cooper’s 2^nd love is going on walks.  It has become a chore to get the harness around him while he is spinning wildly with excitement like a rodeo bull.  After the harness is successfully fastened he then jumps up and down at the door until you open it.  Chase and I recently discovered that Cooper not only likes to be walked, but he also likes to be the one doing the walking.  He grabs the handle of Riley’s leash if he can get his mouth on it, and tries to walk her as we walk him.  It is pretty funny to see our chain of human walking dog and dog walking dog.  We have to take control of Riley from Cooper when he gets excited and starts dragging her around.  I think that he likes pulling her so much because it is the only way that he can get her to chase himJ.

More Cooper-isms:

Cooper bite- n. The biting of Chase’s bare nipple when he isn’t looking.  I would presume that he would react the same way to any bare nipple, but luckily he has only been exposed to Chase's.  It is now a house hold game to pinch Chase’s nipple and yell “Cooper Bite!” when he least expects it. 

Coop-attack- v. Being pounced on by Cooper when you least expect it.  This usually occurs while you are sleeping or watching TV.  Coop-attacks involve a lot of clawing, licking andhair. He will occasionally release a coop-bomb while he is retreating.  These attacks are typically combated with a lot of yelling.

Introduction to Cooper

Chase and I have a 7 month old retriever named Cooper.  He is the funniest, sweetest, stinkiest dog ever. There hasn't been a dull moment since last September when I brought him home.    I thought I could use this first blog to introduce him and provide a basic dictonary of "Cooper- isms".

About our little family:

We live in a small neighborhood in North Oklahoma City.  The family is composed of me, Chase (fiance), Riley Berlin (mini daschund age 4) and Cooper (Golden Retriever age 7 months).  We consider the pups our furry children and they pretty much rule the roost as long as they aren't tearing anything up or littering the house with bodily fluids (drool excluded).  Cooper and Riley  have a love-hate relationship, she would love to love him, but he is big and clumsy, so it is hard for her sometimes.  He, on the other hand, loves her unconditionally.  Riley is about 9 pounds, cuddly, protective and cute as a bug.  Cooper is 60 pounds of hair, drool, paws and pure energy.  Cooper is under the impression that he is also a 9 pound lap dog and is genuinely offended when you try to treat him otherwise. 

Here are a few terms that may help  with future posts:

"Cooping around" v. - Any kind of activity that may be rambunctious, mindless, smell bad, involve something squeeky, or involve excessive amounts of energy. 
Example:  Chase and I were trying to sleep in this weekend, but it was hard to do with all of the Cooping around that was going on.

Cooper n. - Something that is loud, clumsy, over excited, hairy, blissfully ignorant(Usually found in sentences like "Why are you such a Cooper?"). 
Example: When he came crashing through the door, wet and muddy, Chase and I were wondering why the hairy beast had to be such a Cooper.

Coop-bomb n. - Similar to any normal doggy fart, but much, much stinkier than anyone could imagine and lingers much longer.   Also frequently accompanied by noise. 
Example- Chase and I were laying in bed when we were smacked in the nostrils by a Coop-bomb.