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.