Cooper - Bonnie Sue/Jack 2016

I am working on some good current photos of Cooper. Problem is, he moves so fast I can never get more than a blur.

Cooper is also smart as a whip. He enjoys -- loves!! -- daycare, and already has several besties there, lol. The handlers love him as well and also comment how sweet and how smart he is. I planted some pansies and snapdragons yesterday and, well, you know how dogs love to help their owners in the garden. It only required one "uh-uh" and he never tried to dig up the flowers again. Unfortunately, it poured for approximately 3 minutes later in the afternoon and he found his own mud puddle to play in while I was putting away groceries. He was a filthy dog.

I wanted to let you know how he is working out with Kaya and Duke, as you took that into strong consideration when choosing him for us. From almost day one, Cooper has managed Kaya quite well. By managed, I mean managed. He's a little general and she's his soldier. Mostly, I think she just doesn't want to deal with this interloper--she is truly a gentle soul with somewhat sloth like movements, so she mostly stays out of his path. We have heaped attention on Kaya and she is so appreciative, so we have tried to be aware of her hurt feelings. Over the weeks, her dismay is turning over to acceptance, and now at daycare (since he has graduated to the big dog room) they say Kaya goes and checks on him every so often just to make sure he's ok. They play more often now, but Kaya has clearly assumed her rightful guardian duties and Cooper acknowledges that. Every now and then he alerts her to something with a bark, but overall he leaves that to her.

Duke, our son's lab mix, is Cooper's fave dog pal. They are now nearly the same height and play like crazy. Inevitably, they do play tug with each other. Usually, it is that Duke just lays there and holds the thing, and Cooper tries to get some purchase on him. The other night, though, despite Duke's best efforts, Cooper pulled him a couple of inches. They get along famously, and Cooper is the boss of Duke, too.

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As for having a writing companion, I couldn't be more pleased. I was a bit worried that with his energy level, this would be an issue. Not so. He settles down quite nicely--at my feet, too, which is precious. I really didn't expect such calm behavior until at least a year, so I love that he is such a good boy and I can get some work done. The other night I went to work in my office and he came in to sleep by me. After about five minutes, though, he left. A few minutes later he returned, with a horn to chew on, and laid down beside me again. He'd given it some thought and come up with a plan. It was so sweet.

My parents are in town, so I have delayed classes with him just a bit. He starts obedience in a couple of weeks, though we have learned quite a few basics at home. He learns very quickly. Scott and I also walk the dogs about a mile each night, so he is learning good leash manners. I look forward to involvement in a local therapy group called Divine Canines. We love the earnest, attentive look on his face when he is waiting for release on a "stay". It is priceless.

All in all (and I am sure you hear this all the time but maybe it never gets old) we are so thrilled with every aspect of him. He has really been such an easy pup and I know this is down to good breeding and the work you do with them at the very earliest stages. BTW, when I need to find him and get him to me fast, or he is having a bad dream, I call him the way I've heard Rhonda call him on the videos. It is amazing how immediate and impactful that recall is to him.

Thank you for everything!

Best,

Deb

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