I'm surprised I haven't already dreamed up a blog specifically for Cooper, because he deserves all the attention he can get. I realized I haven't really given you all an update on how he's doing, now that he'll be turning four in July. I can't quite grasp how long it's been since we picked him up in Milwaukee which was the beginning of college for me.
Rest assured, Cooper has become my roommate, colleague, classmate, and truly a confidant for me during a time of isolation and distress. I mean, that's the whole point of having a pet, right? A cuddle buddy without judgement—even if he steals my socks every day, he's become my closest companion during a time when I would be out and about doing stuff for school and work in the city. And how has he been handling everything going on in the world? Well, let's just say he makes our neighborhood a better place.
Cooper's days consist of sleeping in until I can take him on a long walk midday, and during these times I feel like he is like a lazy teenager who could sleep for hours on end. But once he hears me putting on my shoes, he's already at the back door waiting for me to put his collar on. Even now that it's getting to be the weather we've all been waiting for, I let him bask in the sunshine during the afternoon while I do work or tutor. If he could stay outside all day long he would; sniffing the air and eating grass is all that's on his afternoon agenda.
His Allergies...
I've mentioned this before, but Cooper's allergies have been at an all time peak. Dogs have Allergies? Yes! Cooper has had seasonal allergies for quite some time and his skin gets really red and itchy from all of the pollen flying around. It usually subsides after awhile, so we just have to pay attention to how many times he rolls around in the grass—which is a lot.
His Diet...
He also is celiac and can't have gluten in his food, so we've been keeping him on a gluten free diet for the past three years. Talk about high maintenance! But we love him dearly and will give him the world :) With that, comes a lot of treats, so I think we need to limit the amount of dog bones we give him at times. Especially rewarding him when he's actually done something good, rather than just for being a spoiled pup (we try). Maintaining his healthy weight is definitely a priority, but it only helps that he's incredibly active and could retrieve balls for hours.
His School Days...
On days that aren't so sunny, we usually take Cooper to day care. Especially now when he still has a lot of his puppy energy. It has definitely given us a break when he is antsy in the evenings and we're all trying to relax. Cooper is definitely a social dog and likes to play with his friends, so making time for him to run around and burn off all of his energy has helped us out immensely. It keeps him active and in contact with other dogs his size, as well.
These have been some formative years for Cooper and I think he turned out just right :P So far, I've taught him how to spin and roll over, so we'll see how much progress I can make with "paw". Although he might have dropped out of puppy training school, he seems to only listen to me nowadays and I am perfectly fine with that.
More Cooper updates, please! :)
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