March 15, 2014

Cooper

So if you follow me on Instagram, you saw that we recently adopted a puppy! Meet Cooper.


He is a shepherd chow mix (we think) but we also think there are some other breeds in there. I think we will find out more as he gets older and more features and behaviors become prevalent.




We rescued him from the Wake County Animal Center about two weeks ago, and I actually think it's a miracle that we found such a sweet and perfect puppy! In the pound, he was really shy. When we first saw him, he was hiding in the corner of his cage, and wouldn't move at all. He looked so sad! He was shaking when we tried to pick him up, but as soon as we held him, he calmed down and just cuddled. He was so sweet and timid, we just felt so bad for him! They found him as a stray at only about 2 months old, and I'm not sure how long he was a stray before that. So he was just really young to be in a pound with tons of dogs barking and howling and not have much social interaction, which puppies need a lot of.


But because he was so young, I knew that we would have a pretty fresh start to be able to train him and he wouldn't have too much baggage. We could tell he was a social dog and that he liked us, even though he wasn't that responsive. He didn't snap at us or seem aggressive in any way, and that made me feel comfortable that he had a good temperament. We had to wait a few days before they would let us take him home (to give the owners time to claim him if they were going to do so). It was so hard to have to leave him in the pound for 4 more nights before we could get him out of there!


We have always talked about getting a dog, but this sort of seemed like a split second decision because we talked about it on Friday, met Cooper on Saturday, and then decided to adopt him on Sunday. It was kind of a whirlwind, but one that we knew would probably happen at some point because we both have always wanted to have a dog be a part of our family.

The instant we brought him home, he started acting more like a normal puppy. After two weeks, now he is a full-fledged hyper puppy. It warms my heart to see him come out of his shell and get more and more comfortable in our home! (even if that means some chewing)


I'm not going to lie, the last couple weeks have been an adjustment. I knew puppies are a lot of work, but I don't think I realized how exhausting it would be and how much time we would have to dedicate to taking care of him. Michael has been out of town the past week, so it's been a little difficult to be the only one taking care of this little guy. I have had to run home from work every day and let him out during my lunch hour. When he's cooped up in his crate all day, I don't feel like I can put him back in there at night to be able to get something done or go run errands. I don't think I realized how little free time I would have initially. I know it will get easier as he gets older. But it has been so worth it because he is the sweetest dog and he already loves us so much.

And I'm definitely glad that Michael got home last night and is able to help out with puppy duty!


Overall we are so thankful for this little guy. Our little Cooper is everything I pictured in a dog. I love him so much!

9 comments:

  1. I knew this post was coming and I've been waiting for it! Cooper is THE CUUUUTEST! I actually ooooohed and aaaaaawed out loud when looking at these photos. I'm so happy you guys adopted from a shelter. So many of those pups need a home. If I ever get a dog, I already know it's going to be a rescue. Too bad we don't live near eachother because I would totally puppy-sit!

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  2. What a CUTIE! Good luck getting through the puppy years. Please post lots of updates!

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  3. Oh my goodness!! Cooper is absolutely adorable!!! There is nothing better than being a dog owner, the happiness and unconditional love they give you makes the work totally worth it! :)

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  4. i love the cooper grams! he is so sweet! i am melting into a puddle over here. is he still a snuggle bug? congrats on the newest addition! :-)

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  5. I love this. I adopted by dog June this past summer and it's been such a great experience. I look forward to hearing more about Copper on your blog. Seriously, such a cute puppy (and name!).

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  6. COOOOOOOOPER. oh my word he is so sweet. and i am SO SO SO SO happy you guys adopted - i volunteered at a shelter near me during college and the amount of wonderful and loving dogs available made me realize how important it is to adopt. so CONGRATS he looks like the best little dog (and is ridiculously cute).

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  7. Oh my goodness, he is SO cute! Sweet little Cooper!

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  8. p.s. nominated you/your blog for a little award on my blog today. check it out and have fun with it if you're into that sort of thing! (i am not offended if you're not.) :-)

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