# My sweet boy, Cooper!



## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I'm having issues uploading pictures. D: It says it isn't a valid image file but it's a jpeg... Can anyone help? D:


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## Little Missy (May 7, 2016)

Krissi2197 said:


> Gosh I don't even have enough time to type what I wanted to because he's such a handful, but I got my boy Cooper today!
> 
> He's so sweet and he's so so curious about everything around him.
> 
> ...



Hi Krissi, 
Remember me....we had stated that you were getting Cooper on the same day that I was getting Little Missy. 
In my opinion, a puppy doesn't eat well until the third day but tomorrow you may want to spend more time hand feeding him just to ensure that he eats. I had to add hot water to the dog food and Little Missy liked it much better that way....it made a gravy.

Do you have the formula for changing dog food from the breeder's brand to your own? I saw a formula and will give it to you, if need be. 

Like you, I haven't had a chance to spend a lot of time on this forum.

However, I do want to look at it to get basic information on feeding.
Good Luck....Maybe Cooper and Little Missy can meet one day.
Lydia


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I guess the website is having issues posting pictures right now, but that won't stop me from showing off my boy! Click the link below for an album of some pictures I took of him today!

Cooper - Album on Imgur

He's a super sweet boy. He pooped about 5 times since he came home yesterday, and all of them were outside! I am so proud of him. His stools are still more on the soft side, but I assume that's normal since he may be stressed due to the new environment. It's not liquid so I don't think I have any reason to panic just yet. He's only had one accident so far in the middle of the night.

Speaking of, the first night wasn't that bad! He crashed at about 8:30 pm, and didn't wake up crying until about 12:30-1:00 am! I brought him outside, let him do his business, and then put him right back into the crate and he fell right back asleep and wouldn't wake up for another 3-4 hours. He started crying at around 6:30 AM, which is fine cause I was ready to wake up to take him potty and feed him anyway.

He's still not eating out of the bowl, though... He keeps barking at it and tipping it over. I'm not really sure how to make him eat from the bowl? I let him eat from my hand this morning because he hasn't eaten in over 24 hours and I wanted him to get some food, but I don't want to make that a recurring theme. I don't want to condition him to be hand-fed his entire life.

He's been such a sweetheart lately, but boy, am I exhausted! He's taking a nap right now and once he wakes up I'll feed him lunch. I think I should take a nap too while I have the chance, LOL


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## Gleepers (Apr 20, 2016)

Penny didn't eat very well for several days after we brought her home either. We are at 11.5 weeks now and she is still a total grazer only eating a few bites here and there, but she seems to mostly finish a cup and a half or two a day. She also discovered the joy of people food about a week in and we are now teaching her proper lady like begging. 
I was a bit worried about the whole food thing too, but it's worked it's way into a good routine now.
Perhaps he doesn't like the bowl? Try putting it in different containers or on a plate and see what happens?


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I assume it was the sound the food was making in the bowl, because I put his food in a cereal bowl and he ate it right up! 

He's doing so well. He's only had two accidents so far (one each night. He comes out of the crate and instantly pees) but other than that I haven't had many issues! He's really great with the crate already, and I'm already starting to condition him to the clicker so I can clicker train him!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

It looks like we can upload photos again!! Yay!!

Here are a couple of pictures of Cooper from this morning. This seems to be one of his favorite spots to rest... Too bad he'll be too big for them within the next few weeks!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper has his first vet visit today in about an hour or so! I wanted to get him to the vets earlier, but due to it being a holiday weekend, it was difficult to schedule an appointment (I even did it a month in advance and they were STILL booked!). Hopefully it goes well!

He's been so good. He actually went through the entire night and let me sleep in until 7:15 this morning! He woke me up twice in the middle of the night, but that's only because he had to go potty, and he's starting to understand that after the potty breaks in the middle of the night, it's back to the crate! 

He's catching on super quickly. I'll post some more photos soon. <3


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper went to the vet today. I'll be getting his stool sample results back sometime tomorrow, but he's very healthy!! He got his first vaccines at 7 weeks, so I'll be going back to the vet when he's about 10-11 weeks old to get some other shots.

I have a quick question; the vet said that nutering him at the age of 6 months is the "best choice" (she also said that they can put the microchip in him when they nuter him, so he won't be afraid of the needle). I've read that nutering before 18 months isn't good, but in my head I'm like "well she's a vet obviously she knows what she's talking about".

Can anyone help me out with that decision? Six months seems too early... I'd feel more comfortable nutering him when he's at LEAST a year and a half old but I'm not sure how to bring that up to my vet (I'm really socially awkward).

Here are some photos of the car ride back. He was out cold in the car!

EDIT: The pictures weren't right side up for some reason. They should be fixed now!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

The vet called back today and told me that his stool sample came back positive... Apparently he ate rabbit/bird poop??? Who would've guessed. I heavily monitor him whenever he's outside so it's surprising that this got past me; but maybe it was from the breeder's place? They do live on a big farm, so rabbits probably live around there.

Rabbits are all over my yard and neighborhood though, so he could've eaten it at my house since he got here. Either way, the vet said it was nothing to worry about, and that it'll pass in his system, and that there is no need for antibiotics or medicine or anything like that, which is relieving. I just need to watch him a bit better outside and work on the "leave it" command.

Here are some photos from today. He sat outside on the porch with me for about an hour, just admiring the sights and watching people walk up and down the block. I swear he got bigger than when we first got him.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

He's really really cute! 

His stool was positive for what? Worms?


Regarding the neutering- I've never owned a male dog- but from reading her it's best to wait until they're a lot older than 6-months. Someone else can chime in why! 

Congrats on a great appointment!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Kalhayd said:


> He's really really cute!
> 
> His stool was positive for what? Worms?
> 
> ...


I forgot what it was called but it def wasn't worms. The vet left me a voicemail (I was working when she called) and she said a term for what they found and it wasn't worms. By the time I got back from work the clinic was closed so I couldn't call back and ask questions, but she assured me in the email that it wasn't serious and as long as he doesn't continue eating rabbit/bird stools he should be a-okay. He isn't experiencing any symptoms of an illness so I'm not too worried. They just eat stuff so quickly it's hard to catch them in the act sometimes!

Yeah I've been searching through this forum about the nutering thing. I may ask my breeder as well and ask her what her recommendation is. I think I won't nuter him at 6 months... That seems way to early for me and I'd feel uncomfortable if they did it that early. I just need to find a way to bring it up to my vet without having an anxiety attack LOL


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Krissi2197 said:


> Kalhayd said:
> 
> 
> > He's really really cute!
> ...



Wasn't implying you should worry! Sorry!

Yes, they do eat everything! We don't have a rabbit issue as we're in a subdivision and our house is fenced.. But we do have a ton of birds that hang out so I was mainly curious!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

He's adorable.

There are recent studies that say waiting until your dog is at least 18 months to neuter is more beneficial for them. If you do a search on here, there are threads where it's been discussed you can read through. 

My current boy is 7, he was neutered after he was 2. My bridge boy that lived to be 15.5 was neutered at 6 months per my Vet's recommendation, that was over 20 years ago and the current research saying it's better to wait had not been done. 

If you have a contract with your breeder stating when to neuter Cooper, you should follow it. Discuss it with your breeder and Vet to decide what is best for Cooper and you.


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

Cooper is beautiful. I can't believe it's taken me this long to catch up to this thread. OMG they grow so fast. I have had Dakota for eight weeks now and he is already 31 pounds. One of my dog friends suggested to me that whenever I saw Dakota peeing or pooping to say "Hurry Up". What this does is it gets the dog to associate the behavior with the phrase so when you take him out and say, "Hurry Up" he will learn to know to try to go. I'm going to enjoy watching him grow. Thanks for sharing.


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

Cooper is absolutely adoreable and he sounds like such a good little boy. As for your question about neutering Cooper at 18 months vs 6 months. If you feel that 18 months is better for him you should wait until then. I am not a vet so my advice is to talk to your vet about it. Explain why you feel that it is better to wait and ask the vet why he/she feels that it is best to do it earlier. I personally waited until 9 months to neuter Bailey but it was the result of a contract with the breeder. If I had the option I would have waited longer. So far I have not seen any ill effects from an early neuter but, because he is a golden, I really would have preferred to wait until he was older and his growth more established.


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

He is soo cute!!! 

Regarding neutering.. it's always best to wait as long as possible.. the later the "better" this all depends on your agreement with your breeder as well. They should be kept in the loop of any and all decisions. Joey was neutered at 18months... Jaxson will be staying intact.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper*

Your Cooper is absolutely adorable.
Glad you took a stool sample to the vet.
You said it came back positive, positive for what?


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Karen519 said:


> You said it came back positive, positive for what?


I listened to the voicemail again and she said he had Eimeria. I looked up more details on it, and it only has effects on rabbits or birds. He got this "parasite' by eating either rabbit or bird feces... And that it'll pass through his system as long as he doesn't eat anymore.

So I guess he ate some rabbit poop in my yard (we have lots of rabbits this time of year) when I looked away and it had Eimeria Cysts in it. But it only effects deer, rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc. Not dogs or cats.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Panama Rob said:


> Cooper is beautiful. I can't believe it's taken me this long to catch up to this thread. OMG they grow so fast. I have had Dakota for eight weeks now and he is already 31 pounds. One of my dog friends suggested to me that whenever I saw Dakota peeing or pooping to say "Hurry Up". What this does is it gets the dog to associate the behavior with the phrase so when you take him out and say, "Hurry Up" he will learn to know to try to go. I'm going to enjoy watching him grow. Thanks for sharing.


I've actually been doing the "Hurry Up!" command and it seems to be working well! I remember seeing that suggestion on a thread somewhere; it could have very well been yours, but I don't remember.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper let me sleep through the night tonight! I was super impressed! I got up at the usual times to take him out, but he was sound asleep, so I figured I wouldn't wake him and just wait for him to wake me up. He didn't wake me a single time (minus the fact that he kept shifting his positions for 10 minutes at 3 AM and kept making noise, but he wasn't barking) until 7 AM when it's his time to wake up and go outside!

He immediately went to the bathroom as soon as we went out. I think I'm gonna try to wake him up once a night now rather than two. Going from 8:30 PM to 7:00 AM without peeing is impressive for a little puppy, but I'm a bit worried he may get a UTI or something from holding it in too long.

Do you guys think I should wake him to go out, or should I leave it alone since he's "capable" of doing it? I'd feel more comfortable taking him out at least at 2-3 AM so he doesn't have to hold it all night, but if it isn't hurting him I don't see a reason to wake him up.


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

If he's not waking up on his own to go, don't force it. It's great that he's sleeping throughout the night. If I remember correctly, he's almost 10 weeks old, right? That's just around the time they start sleeping throughout the night


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

aesthetic said:


> If he's not waking up on his own to go, don't force it. It's great that he's sleeping throughout the night. If I remember correctly, he's almost 10 weeks old, right? That's just around the time they start sleeping throughout the night


He's actually 9 weeks tomorrow! That's why I'm pretty surprised.


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

I would probably take him out at 3 am for another week or so. Dakota had a pee pee accident on my bed at about that age as I was getting dressed to take him out.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper had an accident today. -.- But it wasn't even on my watch. I was at work when it happened. My dad admitted he forgot to take Cooper out after his nap and he had an accident on the carpet about 5 minutes later. Yesterday he pooped on the rug (and it left a nasty stain but thankfully we have this really huge stain cleaner) so it's about one accident a day in the house unless I'm there the entire time. Oh well! It isn't the first or last time that'll happen.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

A cute photo my dad captured today when I was at work.

We usually don't let him near her food bowl because we're worried she'd get aggressive or refuse to eat, but she didn't even budge while he drank from her water bowl and she ate.

I'm so happy they're finally getting along. Princess has been kind of avoid-y these past few days, and she hasn't been able to be near Cooper without running away from him, but this picture shows that they are finally warming up to (or at least tolerating) each other.

I'm so relieved. <3


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*



Krissi2197 said:


> I listened to the voicemail again and she said he had Eimeria. I looked up more details on it, and it only has effects on rabbits or birds. He got this "parasite' by eating either rabbit or bird feces... And that it'll pass through his system as long as he doesn't eat anymore.
> 
> So I guess he ate some rabbit poop in my yard (we have lots of rabbits this time of year) when I looked away and it had Eimeria Cysts in it. But it only effects deer, rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc. Not dogs or cats.


Krissi: Thanks for the explanation and I hope that Cooper gets better fast. I know I have to pick up all of my dogs poop right after they go every time, or they will eat it. So disgusting!! I'm constantly watching them everytime they go in our yard, to make sure they're not eating something! We have lots of rabbits come in our yard, too.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper is 9 weeks old today! 

He seems to be a lot more comfortable in my home now. His first few days, he didn't leave my side, and loved to cuddle me and would cry if we were separated (if I went to the bathroom, for example) but now he's turning into such a little landshark! He's biting EVERYTHING. The curtains. The chair legs. The table legs. My other dog's bed. Me. Did I mention me? He's been nibbling me a lot.

Any tips on how to help with the landsharkness? I replace my skin/other unwanted object with his toys and bones and such, but he's usually occupied for about 10-20 seconds before going back to chew on what he was before I tried to distract him. Obviously he's teething and is curious about EVERYTHING, but is there a way to make it more tolerable? 

My arms and hands are covered in scratches and little lovebites. Everyone at work was asking me if I got a new cat.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Awe! Happy 9 weeks, Cooper! 


Our sweet girl is quite the land shark herself. We've been doing the same as you- but once she loses interest in the toy(gnats have bigger attention spans, lol) she is right back to chomp on something more fun! 


I'd just keep doing what you're doing.. He sounds like he is doing fantastic!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

I went through the landshark phase, too. Try to redirect his attention to a toy, or walk away from him if he does that. I hope others will comment, too. Happy 9 wks. To Cooper.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I am sooo exhausted, guys. x.x I don't even have the energy to type an update. He's doing well, though. We're expecting thunderstorms tomorrow, so that should be fun. I hope he does well and I hope he goes potty quickly and promptly so we don't both get soaked!

Here is a comparison image... The first one is from last week, and the second one is from earlier today! It's AMAZING how quickly they grow!


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Awe! He is getting big!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper*

Wow! Cooper is getting to be a big boy!00


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Cooper is adorable. When they are this little it is always the Human's fault with accidents. And us humans aren't always going to be on our game so just clean it up, shrug it off and move on to the next moment.  On the subject of Landsharks, just keep doing your normal daily training so that any commands you want become solid and eventually you can ask for them if Cooper gets happy teeth and in the mean time redirect by always having an appropriate item he can bite or put space in between you and him so he cannot continue to bite.  

My thoughts on neutering..... As long as your breeder is on board with your decision on when or if to even do it do what is best for your family.

Vets suggest neutering at 6 months as it was the traditional age for dogs in the last 30 or so years to get it done. You are still very connected to the vet in the puppy stages and they can get more people to be compliant while the dog is still young. Neutering at 6 months seems the optimum age for dogs to bounce back fast and vet schools have taught their vets that they need to think of dog overpopulation and get everyone to neuter/spay as we aren't responsible enough to have an intact dog.

Many of the new studies are showing especially for male goldens that it is more important to wait until the growth plates are closed somewhere near the 18 month and those hormones help keep the body healthy and are really needed at least up to maturity if not for the entire life. Some of the studies show that hip dysplasia and ACL/CDL tears happen more with dogs that are neutered early. Many owners today that may consider dog sports or feel they are going to be very active with their dogs are considering waiting. The cancers that are killing our goldens seem to show up more in the goldens that have been neutered and the same for the thyroid problem which again seems to happen to more early neutered goldens.

Depending on your life style some people choose the 6 - 8 months range especially if their dogs are in daycare as many daycares will not accept unneutered dogs after the age of 6 months or so.

Again Cooper is adorable. Enjoy the journey.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Today was pretty stressful. I'm not sure why. It was the same as any other day. I guess all of the lack of sleep is catching up to me. x.x

He slept through the night again! He's got a steel bladder. He goes potty almost as soon as he comes out of his crate though, so I have to carry him outside quickly praying he doesn't pee on me so I can get him to his spot in time. I think I'm going to wake up maybe 10-20 minutes before so he isn't on the verge of exploding before I wake up.

He's super hyper in the mornings, which is an issue because nobody is awake. I try to keep him occupied for about an hour. We wake up at 7:00, I feed him at 7:30, and he's in his crate again by 8:00 and he stays in there till 9:30-10:00 depending on how tired he is. That gives me time to shower, eat breakfast, and shake off all of the grogginess from waking up so early.

He's been biting me a lot more. Replacing my hand or leg with a toy seems to work 80% of the time, but in the 2-3 seconds it takes for him to change his attention to the toy, it HURTS a lot. Especially on my legs. I was on the verge of tears today and I actually had my first real regretful thought; "Why did I get this puppy?"

It quickly passed, though. I think I'm just stressed. It's only been a little over a week so there's still the adjustment period for the both of us. Please reassure me and tell me it gets better. v.v 

Here's just a couple of photos I took today. He moves around so quickly it's difficult to get them!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

solinvictus said:


> Cooper is adorable. When they are this little it is always the Human's fault with accidents. And us humans aren't always going to be on our game so just clean it up, shrug it off and move on to the next moment.  On the subject of Landsharks, just keep doing your normal daily training so that any commands you want become solid and eventually you can ask for them if Cooper gets happy teeth and in the mean time redirect by always having an appropriate item he can bite or put space in between you and him so he cannot continue to bite.
> 
> My thoughts on neutering..... As long as your breeder is on board with your decision on when or if to even do it do what is best for your family.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your input! I will take into consideration what you said. I'm not the laziest person ever, but I have to admit I'm not out and about as much as I should be. I don't plan on taking him on any hikes, making him do competitions, etc etc. He's just a family companion. I know Goldens need a lot of exercise, and I will provide that to him with long walks and 1-2 hour playsessions in the yard when it's nice out, but other than that I can't really think of many things to do in my area with him.


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

It was about that age that Dakota was the worst with his biting. The more I handled him and let him know "Ooowwwwe!!! That hurts!!!" The better he got. He still loves to mouth my hands but his bite inhibition....he never hurts me unless he pulls or rolls while holding my hand. It seems like the worst time to handle them but it is actually necessary because the more feedback they get and communication the more they learn. That was my experience with Dakota anyway.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Panama Rob said:


> It was about that age that Dakota was the worst with his biting. The more I handled him and let him know "Ooowwwwe!!! That hurts!!!" The better he got. He still loves to mouth my hands but his bite inhibition....he never hurts me unless he pulls or rolls while holding my hand. It seems like the worst time to handle them but it is actually necessary because the more feedback they get and communication the more they learn. That was my experience with Dakota anyway.


It seems that just telling him "no" and giving him a replacement toy does the trick, but he still initially nips at me and it hurts a lot. He doesn't grab me for long though and he usually never pulls unless I pull first (he thinks it's a game). I've tried yelping and expressing my pain through vocal cues, but it seems to rile him up more. -.-


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

It thunderstormed a lot today. Cooper was very very good!! He just hung out in his crate and slept through the majority of the storm (it was about an hour). Luckily it worked out cause I didn't have to go outside in the pouring rain; by the time he woke up the worst was over LOL

It was a very nice evening, though. I kept him awake from about 6:45 to 8:30 (his bedtime) and we played a lot and ran around in the yard for a good half hour and sat outside on the porch.

The neighbors across the street were sitting on their porch too and their oldest daughter (she's around my age. I think she's 18) was like OMG A PUPPY CAN I COME PET HIM and I was like !! Sure!! So her and her mom came by and talked to me for a bit while petting him. He hasn't been outside on the porch that often cause I usually take him in the yard, but I figured having him chill in the front lawn with me wouldn't hurt.

He was very good with them. He didn't jump on them or anything, and he didn't nip or bite at them when they pet him either. He was a little hesitant on approaching them at first, but quickly warmed up to them which is nice.

Overall it was a nice day. He was kind of hyper all day though, and being naughty (pulling on the leash while trying to go in the yard. Bad Coop!), but I think it was just due to being overtired, since as soon as I put him in his crate he'd lay down and pass out. 

Hopefully he sleeps through the night again without having to go potty. He's been doing very good so far, so hopefully the streak continues! I'm so lucky to have a boy with a steel bladder at such a young age.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I took this photo shortly after it stopped raining. He was sitting so nicely and I did my best to get a nice photo; I think this is my favorite photo of him up to date. It's my phone's lock screen now. 

Two seconds after the photo was taken, he lunged at my phone.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

He's so adorable! 

We have a little biter, too. We've also been saying "no" and replacing with a toy. She seems to be catching on slowly. 

I can tell you- our oldest golden did this, too. They're just super mouthy puppies! They do outgrow it- just in time for them to hit their teenage phase! But- they are by far the best dogs, ever! 

Hang in there- stay consistent- and he'll thrive off it!!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Kalhayd said:


> He's so adorable!
> 
> We have a little biter, too. We've also been saying "no" and replacing with a toy. She seems to be catching on slowly.
> 
> ...


I swear I had a nightmare last night about Cooper's teenage phase. I am NOT looking forward to that x.x.

My other dog, Princess, is about 11 years old (Well, turning 11 in August) and we got her when I was 9. It's been so long, I rarely remember how she was as a puppy. I do remember she hated her crate, though. Cooper is def better than her when it comes to being confined in there during the night.

She also isn't a Golden. Cooper is my first Golden ever. I know they were mouthy, but I didn't think they were THAT mouthy lol! I have scratches and teeth and bite marks all over my hands, arms, and ankles. x.x I swear I get 4-5 new ones per day.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Oh, I forgot to mention!

He's got sit pretty much in the bag. He doesn't sit for too long, but we'll work on that. I think tomorrow I'm gonna finally start teaching him "stay". So far he's good with recalls (though not as good as I want him to be right now. He usually doesn't come UNLESS we're in "training mode" or make a huge fuss and wave our arms and hands like we're crazy) and over the past couple of days I've taught him "leave it", but we still have a LOT to work on with that command.

I'll try to get a video of it, but he does the silliest thing when I tell him to "leave it"!

Basically how I taught him was that every time he diverted his attention from the food, I'd click and give him the treat. Well, now whenever I say "leave it" with a treat in my hand, he shakes his head back and fourth rapidly, doing his best to look at anything BUT the treat. Sometimes he looks back at the treat, but then quickly turns his head away, pretending it doesn't exist. It's the cutest thing ever, but I hope he outgrows that because I'm sure it'd be weird seeing a Golden spazzing out whenever he is told to leave something alone.

He's also able to leave it/not look at the treat for about 3-4 seconds when it's on the ground. I gotta tell you, it's really amazing seeing the progress they make in such short training sessions!


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

Krissi2197 said:


> It seems that just telling him "no" and giving him a replacement toy does the trick, but he still initially nips at me and it hurts a lot. He doesn't grab me for long though and he usually never pulls unless I pull first (he thinks it's a game). I've tried yelping and expressing my pain through vocal cues, but it seems to rile him up more. -.-


Dakota did that too but I still suspect he was learning. He has been a handful today. I have not been able to work with him. I have been tied up doing computer and paperwork all day and he has been barking at me and nipping and whiney. I had to put him outside in the yard. Some days he is good on slow days and other times not. I notice as he grows his personality starts to change to match his age. He has been very teenish today. He even got out of the yard. Somehow a gate got opened. I watched him slip out. I stepped out and called him and he came flying back to me with a solid recall. I was proud of him. Recall training is paying off.


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

9 weeks....he is 7 weeks behind Dakota. You can look at Dakota's pictures and see what 16 weeks will look like and excess of 30lbs.


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

This is what you can expect at 15.5 weeks. Long and lanky pup.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Panama Rob said:


> Dakota did that too but I still suspect he was learning. He has been a handful today. I have not been able to work with him. I have been tied up doing computer and paperwork all day and he has been barking at me and nipping and whiney. I had to put him outside in the yard. Some days he is good on slow days and other times not. I notice as he grows his personality starts to change to match his age. He has been very teenish today. He even got out of the yard. Somehow a gate got opened. I watched him slip out. I stepped out and called him and he came flying back to me with a solid recall. I was proud of him. Recall training is paying off.


Hopefully Cooper's recalls will be good by the time he's Dakota's age. He's good with recalls in the house when we're on opposite sides of the room, but he doesn't seem to want to come unless he knows we have food. I plan on practicing with him again later on today in the yard with my dad.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I'm just assuming Cooper gets super cranky when he's tired. I was trying to keep him awake from 11:30 to 1:00, but he wasn't having it. I fed him lunch at 12:30, and he just wanted to go in his crate. I took him out to pee before putting him back in, but all he did was bite the leash and nip at my legs, growling and barking. That went on for five minutes, and he didn't go, so I took him inside and put him in his crate and now he's just passed out snoozing away. 

At least he lets me know when he's tired and wants to rest. He grabbed my hand and began shaking his head back and fourth and it hurt so much. -.- But that's my fault for trying to keep him awake for a long amount of time, especially in this weather today (82 degrees!). He just wants to rest on the cool floor of his crate. I don't blame him.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper is 10 weeks old today, and I've had him for 2 weeks. c: I also enrolled him in puppy classes! He is going mid-July. It's a bit late, but the June classes were full by the time I found the facility. Better late than never, though, and he'll be about 13 weeks when his first class comes around!

He has such a nice smile, I gotta admit.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

He is so cute. Look at that face and smile. You will have a blast in puppy classes.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

He is super adorable! And I agree- an awesome smile!  


He will rock the puppy classes! Yay!


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

You must have one happy pup with that smile. Our girl never smiles. Mom always says is she happy lol.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cpc1972 said:


> You must have one happy pup with that smile. Our girl never smiles. Mom always says is she happy lol.


He's smiling in that photo because he spent 5 minutes prior eating grass and leaves all over the yard. -.- Don't let that sweet face fool you. Out of all the places I've touched him in these two weeks, I think my hand being in his mouth is the highest percentage.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Krissi2197 said:


> He's smiling in that photo because he spent 5 minutes prior eating grass and leaves all over the yard. -.- Don't let that sweet face fool you. Out of all the places I've touched him in these two weeks, I think my hand being in his mouth is the highest percentage.



Lol. Chloe still grabs stuff at 1.5. She steals socks and goes running out the back door into the yard. It's like a flyby. But now if you ignore her she just leaves it and doesn't do anything. Or it's granola bar wrappers or something else. Sometimes we look outside and there is a shoe, sock, and many things in the backyard.


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## Parker16 (May 30, 2016)

Cooper is super adorable! He really looks like he's grinning hahaha. Kisses and belly rubs from me!


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Krissi2197 said:


> Cpc1972 said:
> 
> 
> > You must have one happy pup with that smile. Our girl never smiles. Mom always says is she happy lol.
> ...



Ha! We call it the puppy sweep!  This morning Dory was chewing the basket her toys go in.. With the toys around here.. Like, hello?!? LOL


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## Parker16 (May 30, 2016)

Kalhayd, Parker does that too! He'd always chew the sides of his toy basket or he'd stick his head all the way in and chew the cloth inside. So comical when he does that one!


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

How cute is he!!!! <3


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper*

Your Cooper is so adorable and I love the smile!
That is wonderful he was good during the thunderstorm, we've had lots of dogs with thunderstorm phobia, and it is sad to watch. That is great that he stops biting when you redirect with a toy.
Have you tried walking away from him, when he won't stop?
You are DOING GREAT, MOM! Remember to take time for yourself!!


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

What a cute boy!! I think 13 weeks is the perfect time to start puppy classes - by then they already have a training foundation.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Whoops, he's actually going to be closer to 14-15 weeks. I didn't realize the first actual class wasn't a class, but an introduction seminar for the handlers.

In other news, him and my other dog, Princess, were having a blast together today. They were running around the house chasing a ball and playing together. I'm so happy they're finally getting along.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

They are so cute.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper and Princess*

That sounds like a wonderful update. So glad they had fun and they are just precious! What beautiful dogs!
Love your rug, too!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Karen519 said:


> Love your rug, too!


Cooper loves it, too. :doh: He likes to chew on it so I've had to spray it with bitter apple to deter him from chewing on it.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper was a really good boy today! He didn't seem to be nipping me as much, and when he did, he was easily distracted by a toy.

He wasn't as "hyper" as he usually is. If he was, I didn't notice it. Maybe I'm finally getting used to the schedule and I'm tolerating it a lot better? Or his behavior is slowly changing. Either or, it was a nice, relaxed day.

Now he's in his crate for the night with his Kong. I filled it with a little bit of peanut butter this time. I hope it doesn't make him thirsty. I put a small amount so it shouldn't be that bad. 

I'm really tired today though. Thankfully now I have time to rest until I go to bed in a couple of hours.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*

Cooper is SO PHOTOGENIC!!! Love the color of his leash!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Karen519 said:


> Cooper is SO PHOTOGENIC!!! Love the color of his leash!


The breeder said the same thing about him being photogenic when I sent her a couple of the photos I posted here! I'm glad he likes the camera more than Princess does; she goes out of her way to make sure she's facing anywhere BUT the camera when we try to get a photo.

And a funny story about the leash.

When I was outside with Cooper a few days ago, the neighbor's children came out to play and were petting him. The middle child, I think she was about 5 or 6, looked up to me and said, "Miss, how do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

I said, "Well, Cooper has a blue collar, see? That means he's a boy. If a dog has a pink collar, that means it's a girl."

Obviously color doesn't equal gender, but that was the first thing that came to my head when she asked me that question. I obviously wasn't going to tell her the truth; that's a conversation she needs to have with her parents!

Anyway, she said, "Oh, okay. What about purple? He has a purple leash. What does that mean?"

After scrambling to find an answer I just said "The color of the leash doesn't matter, it's just the collar color." And then she let it go and started playing with Cooper again.

A few minutes later she came back and said, "Miss, what happens when they're born? They aren't born with collars... So how do they know if it's a boy or a girl?" In which I replied, "Well, people go to school to learn how to tell the difference." And that was that, lol.

Just thought I'd share that little story. I thought it was super cute. Cooper is great with those children. He usually is nippy and hyper whenever me or my family go to pet him, but with the children he's very gentle and didn't even attempt to bite them, he just gave them kisses!


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## Amystelter (Jul 31, 2013)

Krissi2197 said:


> The breeder said the same thing about him being photogenic when I sent her a couple of the photos I posted here! I'm glad he likes the camera more than Princess does; she goes out of her way to make sure she's facing anywhere BUT the camera when we try to get a photo.
> 
> And a funny story about the leash.
> 
> ...



You were very witty with your answer, lol. Children are so cute, thanks for sharing!




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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cute*



Krissi2197 said:


> The breeder said the same thing about him being photogenic when I sent her a couple of the photos I posted here! I'm glad he likes the camera more than Princess does; she goes out of her way to make sure she's facing anywhere BUT the camera when we try to get a photo.
> 
> And a funny story about the leash.
> 
> ...


Cute way you tried to explain how you tell if it's a boy or a girl!!


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

What a cutie he is!! Love his sweet eyes.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper has been waking up at 6 these past couple of days... it's weird cause he used to be fine sleeping until 7. 

I've been giving him peanut butter in his Kong instead of the Kong filling and both nights he's woken up earlier. I take him out, he does his business, and I put him back in so I can sleep until 7, but he cries and cries and barks and I'm not sure what's up.

Could it be the peanut butter? I know it has sugar in it so maybe it's just waking him up earlier. I guess I'll stick with the Kong filling for now. See if that works.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper*

Have you changed the time you feed him at night, maybe he's hungry in the morning?
Do you give him the Peanut butter in the A.M.?


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Karen519 said:


> Have you changed the time you feed him at night, maybe he's hungry in the morning?
> Do you give him the Peanut butter in the A.M.?


Nope. He's been eating the same time for the past two weeks I've had him. Do you think I should change his eating schedule to have him eat a half an hour later for dinner or keep the schedule going?

I give him the Kong with the peanut butter when he goes to bed at night at around 9:00. It's his "bedtime kong" so whenever I give it to him he knows it's time to settle down for the night.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper*

I was just guessing. Maybe try feeding him a half hour later, not sure if that could be it or not. Maybe the sugar in peanut butter could be waking him. I know that others on the forum use it and I'm hoping they answer.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Karen519 said:


> I was just guessing. Maybe try feeding him a half hour later, not sure if that could be it or not. Maybe the sugar in peanut butter could be waking him. I know that others on the forum use it and I'm hoping they answer.


I'll feed him normally tonight and instead of peanut butter just put the kong filling in there and see if it helps him sleep till 7 again. If so, we know the issue is peanut butter. If not, I'll feed him a half an hour later tomorrow and see what that does.

Thank you for the suggestion though! I appreciate it.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

Krissi2197 said:


> I give him the Kong with the peanut butter when he goes to bed at night at around 9:00. It's his "bedtime kong" so whenever I give it to him he knows it's time to settle down for the night.


My guess: If he's put in his crate to settle for the night around 9 p.m., he's going to be ready for out by 6 a.m.: that makes nine hours in his crate, which is plenty long enough. Although he's still a pup, he's getting older, meaning that he needs less sleep and more activity.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

ceegee said:


> My guess: If he's put in his crate to settle for the night around 9 p.m., he's going to be ready for out by 6 a.m.: that makes nine hours in his crate, which is plenty long enough. Although he's still a pup, he's getting older, meaning that he needs less sleep and more activity.


That's what I was thinking, too. It's just weird cause he willingly went into his crate even earlier than that (8:30) and wouldn't make a peep until 7:00 the next morning. The fact that it's suddenly changed threw me off a little bit.


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## mb0697 (Jan 10, 2016)

Sometimes my dogs wake up at 6am and sometimes 8am - and they are 10 months and 16 months. I don't change their routine at all in the evening, but they go to bed at the same time I do at 10:30p. Hopefully, it's just the peanut butter. Mine don't tolerate it well at all.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

He woke up around 4:30 today... but then after a minute or so of barking he went back to sleep till 6:30. I guess 6:30 is the new time to wake up. I'm okay with it. I still get 7ish hours of sleep which is really all I need at my age anyway.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper goes to his second vet visit tomorrow! He'll be receiving his second round of vaccinations, and a couple weeks from today I'll be able to take him for short walks up and down the block! Can't go to dog parks or petco yet until he's older and completely vaccinated, but I'm glad we'll be able to take 5-10 minute walks up and down the block and won't be confined to the backyard/front lawn!

Is there anything I should expect with his vaccines? I know he'll probably be tired/irritated, but I'm not sure. I guess it's a question to ask the vet as well, but I was wondering how common those side effects were.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Sorry for the lack of photos; I haven't been able to get any good ones since I've been having so much fun with the little guy!!

Today was Coop's second vet visit. He got his second round of distemper shots, and his next appointment is on July 7th! He's about 17 and a half pounds now... He was about 12 and a half two weeks ago when we brought him! It's amazing how quickly they grow. He was a very good boy; he didn't even flinch when the vet gave him his shots, but I think it's because he was licking some cheese whiz off the examination table. 

I can take him up and down my street about a week from today, she said! So it'll be nice going outside of my yard/front lawn with him for a change. I can't wait to go on our first "walk", which will probably only consist going to the corner and then coming back to my house, but hey, it's a start! Don't wanna overwork the little guy.

He's doing well with his training, too. He knows sit, down, stay, leave it (kind of. We're working on that one), come when called (he comes about 75% of the time inside, 70% outside) and he can do a "bump it" which basically is like a fist bump except he uses his nose to bump my fist. That one was just a fun trick I wanted to teach him to challenge him a little bit. c:

He seems to listen to the commands better when I have some food, though. He really likes cheerios, so I've been using those as high value rewards. 

I'll try to put some photos up either today or tomorrow! I hope everyone is doing well. c:


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Sounds like he's doing amazing.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*



Krissi2197 said:


> Sorry for the lack of photos; I haven't been able to get any good ones since I've been having so much fun with the little guy!!
> 
> Today was Coop's second vet visit. He got his second round of distemper shots, and his next appointment is on July 7th! He's about 17 and a half pounds now... He was about 12 and a half two weeks ago when we brought him! It's amazing how quickly they grow. He was a very good boy; he didn't even flinch when the vet gave him his shots, but I think it's because he was licking some cheese whiz off the examination table.
> 
> ...


Looking forward to more pics of Cooper. Sounds like he is doing amazing! You're a good Mom! Did you ask the vet if Cheerios are o.k for Cooper to have?


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

Karen519 said:


> Did you ask the vet if Cheerios are o.k for Cooper to have?


I'm just curious, is there any reason dogs can't have Cheerios? We gave Kaizer Cheerios a couple of times when he was a puppy and he didn't have any reaction to them.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

aesthetic said:


> Karen519 said:
> 
> 
> > Did you ask the vet if Cheerios are o.k for Cooper to have?
> ...



My cousins vet actually suggested Cheerios for her puppy for training- they're cheap, and dogs love them.


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## Amystelter (Jul 31, 2013)

I guess some dogs have allergies but I'd give them to my dogs. Just not the honey nut ones because of the sugar.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

The vet said the regular cheerios are fine for him I just shouldn't give him too much! I don't give him that many when we train; I break them in half and give him maybe 10. So it's not a lot at all. She said stay away from the honey nut ones though cause they're not as healthy for him. 

We were up at 6 am this morning. -.- I caved and let him on my bed after the potty break and was able to get an extra half hour of sleep since he was quietly chewing on his toys while on my bed.

Tomorrow morning I'm probably going to ignore him if he wakes before 6:30 cause I don't need him controlling me and determining when I wake up. It should be the other way around.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*aesthetic*



aesthetic said:


> I'm just curious, is there any reason dogs can't have Cheerios? We gave Kaizer Cheerios a couple of times when he was a puppy and he didn't have any reaction to them.


I would always ask a vet first. I would guess the sugar may not be good for dogs.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*



Krissi2197 said:


> The vet said the regular cheerios are fine for him I just shouldn't give him too much! I don't give him that many when we train; I break them in half and give him maybe 10. So it's not a lot at all. She said stay away from the honey nut ones though cause they're not as healthy for him.
> 
> We were up at 6 am this morning. -.- I caved and let him on my bed after the potty break and was able to get an extra half hour of sleep since he was quietly chewing on his toys while on my bed.
> 
> Tomorrow morning I'm probably going to ignore him if he wakes before 6:30 cause I don't need him controlling me and determining when I wake up. It should be the other way around.


If the vet said giving him some is o.k., then that's o.k.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I still haven't been able to do much with him, and I end up having too much fun when we're out in the yard or doing fun things, so I don't have a lot of exciting action photos yet. :c

The good news is I can walk up and down my street sometime next week, my vet said!! Still can't go to parks or to petco or anything, but we're one step closer to being able to go explore the world together!

Here are a few photos of him I took today. I especially love the one where he's winking at the camera. It's my new lock screen photo. c:


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

He's so so cute!!


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

What a cutie pie!! Love the wink


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## Amystelter (Jul 31, 2013)

Sweet, sweet, and super sweet!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper has been less bitey and more cuddly these past few days. It's super adorable. I give him ice cubes to chew on and he refuses to even touch it unless I'm sitting on the floor. Then he curls up in my lap and sucks on the ice cube until it melts. He does that with his bones and chewtoys as well. It's really cute and I'm so happy to say that I can feel our bond growing. Even if he does refuse to come inside when I take him out to potty in the pouring rain. v.v


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

No big updates other than we're beginning to go on short 15-20 minute walks up and down the street! He loves to stop and sniff EVERYTHING and by the time he gets home he's a tired happy pup and goes straight to a nap.

Oh, and he turns 3 months old tomorrow! It's so amazing how four weeks have passed by so quickly in a flash. He's already gotten so big, and he continues to grow each day that goes by!


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

I can't get over how much bigger he looks than Dory! 

Dory is 12.5 weeks, I don't count 3 months until her monthly birthday! Mainly because she's getting big too fast!


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

He is getting big too. Krissi, have you ever checked out Hovans slow growth plan? Google it if you haven't. Lots of good info there on exercise as well as nutrition, target weights etc. I did not put Dakota on the plan because I followed what the breeder had been doing.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Panama Rob said:


> He is getting big too. Krissi, have you ever checked out Hovans slow growth plan? Google it if you haven't. Lots of good info there on exercise as well as nutrition, target weights etc. I did not put Dakota on the plan because I followed what the breeder had been doing.


I actually looked it up a couple weeks ago cause my vet told me about it. It's super helpful and it has a lot of useful information!! He's a bit over the "target" weight, weighing about 18 pounds at 12 weeks, but he was the biggest in the litter so I think that's fine and normal.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*

Krissi

I can't tell you how adorable I think Cooper is and your pictures are fantastic. You sure are a great Mom! Sounds like you and Cooper are starting to have some fun together!0


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

He looks so cute!!! He looks so much bigger from that last photo.. They grow so fast!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I wish I could get some "action shot" photos but the only camera I have is the one on my phone, sadly. They take pretty nice pictures in natural light though, it's just if it's moving even a little bit it comes out blurry. Maybe in the near future I'll invest in a cheapish camera that can take better photos. c:

Here's a cute little picture I got on snapchat. I didn't think the filter would recognize his face but it did!


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

I have pictures of Kaizer with snapchat filters, I think they're the funniest thing ever (mainly because he always looks at the camera from an angle, so all the filters show up really wonky). Cooper looks so cute with the puppy filter


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## dexter0509 (Jun 23, 2016)

Krissi2197 said:


> Gosh I don't even have enough time to type what I wanted to because he's such a handful, but I got my boy Cooper today!
> 
> He's so sweet and he's so so curious about everything around him.
> 
> ...


Handsome boy! 

Sent from my SM-T900 using Tapatalk


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Just a lazy Saturday! I took Cooper all the way around the block since he wanted to follow Princess on her walk. He was really tired by the time we got back. I think I'm just gonna stick going to the corner and back; this walk was a bit too much but he refused to come back with me and let Princess continue.


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

Cooper is soo cute! I wish I could have a 'lazy day' with my Cedar, but I will have to accept (for now) that he just can't have lazies.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

He's so sweet! Glad you got a quiet day out of him!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I just wanted to share this because looking at the photos side by side just amaze me. 

Cooper is my first big dog, and I was ready for the growth to be rapid, but holy heck, I didn't expect him to grow this much in less than a month!

First photo is from May 28th, and the second photo is from June 19th. I bet he's even bigger now on the 25th!

EDIT: No idea why they're sideways... D'oh!


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

It's insane how fast they grow!


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Krissi2197 said:


> I wish I could get some "action shot" photos but the only camera I have is the one on my phone, sadly. They take pretty nice pictures in natural light though, it's just if it's moving even a little bit it comes out blurry. Maybe in the near future I'll invest in a cheapish camera that can take better photos. c:
> 
> Here's a cute little picture I got on snapchat. I didn't think the filter would recognize his face but it did!


That is adorable. I bought a camera under $200. It has a awesome zoom and takes great pictures. It's a Nikon. You can even upload pictures wirelessly to your phone to make it easy to post on social media. I have gotten some beautiful pictures of Chloe with it.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*



Cpc1972 said:


> That is adorable. I bought a camera under $200. It has a awesome zoom and takes great pictures. It's a Nikon. You can even upload pictures wirelessly to your phone to make it easy to post on social media. I have gotten some beautiful pictures of Chloe with it.


Your pictures of Cooper are just amazing! He could get a job in the movies!! What kind of cell phone do you have. It sure TAKES AMAZING PICTURES!!! I have a Samsung Galaxy 6. My hubby and I have all sorts of cameras, but truth be told, it seems we always use our cell phone cameras!!


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

They grow soo fast!! Cooper is so handsome


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Karen519 said:


> Your pictures of Cooper are just amazing! He could get a job in the movies!! What kind of cell phone do you have. It sure TAKES AMAZING PICTURES!!! I have a Samsung Galaxy 6. My hubby and I have all sorts of cameras, but truth be told, it seems we always use our cell phone cameras!!


I have a Galaxy 5! I plan on getting a 7 soon but I'm fine with the phone I have currently. It really does take good pictures; you just need to have good natural lighting and make sure whatever you're taking a photo of is standing pretty still, which is almost next to impossible for Cooper. 

Not many updates today! It's been exactly one month since I brought my sweet boy into my home, and he's changed a TON since then and we've bonded so much in this short month. We take a nice slow paced 30 minute walk every night around my block, and it's so fascinating to watch him experience new sights and smells and sounds. He's always so exhausted after the walk, which makes for a happy mommy. :3


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

I do professional photography on the side from my day job. Mostly families & newborn(humans!). I have a Canon Mark iii. It's super expensive- but for a novice, wanting good photos to learn to shoot manual- the canon rebels are awesome cameras in a more realistic budget.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*



Krissi2197 said:


> I have a Galaxy 5! I plan on getting a 7 soon but I'm fine with the phone I have currently. It really does take good pictures; you just need to have good natural lighting and make sure whatever you're taking a photo of is standing pretty still, which is almost next to impossible for Cooper.
> 
> Not many updates today! It's been exactly one month since I brought my sweet boy into my home, and he's changed a TON since then and we've bonded so much in this short month. We take a nice slow paced 30 minute walk every night around my block, and it's so fascinating to watch him experience new sights and smells and sounds. He's always so exhausted after the walk, which makes for a happy mommy. :3


Your Galaxy 5 takes BEAUTIFUL pictures-I'm always taking pics with my 6. My hubby has a Nikon D80, but it got broken once and it cost us $800 to repair! On top of that, it's VERY HEAVY and bulky. We really don't use it much.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Krissi*

Krissi: I'm fine with my phone, too. Yours takes GORGEOUS pictures. Hubby bought me a small Nikon Coolpix camera, takes nice pictures, but I use my Samsung Galaxy phone exclusively now for pics.

Kisses to Cooper!!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Just a small quick update. I'll add photos once I'm back on my computer; right now I'm on mobile.

Cooper is 14 weeks old today and he's finally finished with all of his vaccinations! The vet cleared us and we can go anywhere now! I'll be taking him to petco today cause I've been dying to for so long.

He's 30 pounds exactly! He's such a big boy. He's not overweight he's just big. He was the biggest in the litter so it doesn't surprise me one bit. :3 I wonder how big he'll get!

His stools have been soft recently and we brought a sample in to the vet and they called this morning and said everything was fine... They suggested that it may be the heat that's making his stools soft, and to bring him in if it continues after this heat wave is over. Other than that he's his usual happy self!

He'll be getting neutered when he's 6 months old... I thought long and hard about this decision and as much as I want to wait, it isn't possible for our situation. Most places here won't allow him to even enter if he's over 6 months and neutered, which will cause issues in the future. I hate it, but there's not much else I can do about it. 

First puppy class is in about a week! I have the introduction class this Saturday (tomorrow) without the dogs so that should be interesting. 

He already knows to sit, lie down, shake, speak, stay, and wait for his food before eating! We're trying to work on roll over now and he's slowly getting it. I cant wait to learn more with him at class!

He's growing so quickly and soon I'm gonna try to do some test trials at night and see if he is okay with me keeping the crate door open at night in my bedroom. He wakes up at 6 every morning and cries and when I let him out of his crate all he does is move to his doggy bed next to my bed and goes right back to sleep until 7, so maybe within the next few weeks I'll see if he can be a good boy through the night confined in my bedroom with me.

I'll upload photos sometime tonight!!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper*



Krissi2197 said:


> Just a small quick update. I'll add photos once I'm back on my computer; right now I'm on mobile.
> 
> Cooper is 14 weeks old today and he's finally finished with all of his vaccinations! The vet cleared us and we can go anywhere now! I'll be taking him to petco today cause I've been dying to for so long.
> 
> ...


I love the updates on Cooper! He's come a long way.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I got Cooper a cheap harness (not gonna go for the expensive stuff till he's fully grown) and I feel so much more comfortable taking him for walks now. I felt so bad because he'd always pull and choke himself but now he doesn't seem to be pulling much anymore, and he doesn't seem to be lunging for the leash as often either! We took a nice long 30 minute walk tonight because it was too hot (95 degrees!) to go for our afternoon walk. He was a champ! We cut through the park and he met and played with some kids and he was such a doll. Everyone is so surprised at how big he is at his age. 

As promised, here are a few photos.  I apologize if some of them are sideways. They show up fine on my computer but when I upload them here they are turned around and stuff.


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

He's soo cute!!!  Want to just kiss his sweet face.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

He is adorable! And BIG! Wasn't he like 17 pounds at 11 weeks?!? Growing so fast! It sounds like he is doing amazing! Dory goes for her final shots tomorrow. She will be a day shy of 15 weeks. Can't wait to see how much she weighs; I am guessing mid 20's as she is getting more and more difficult to carry! SO glad Cooper is doing so well. How are you doing?


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Kalhayd said:


> He is adorable! And BIG! Wasn't he like 17 pounds at 11 weeks?!? Growing so fast! It sounds like he is doing amazing! Dory goes for her final shots tomorrow. She will be a day shy of 15 weeks. Can't wait to see how much she weighs; I am guessing mid 20's as she is getting more and more difficult to carry! SO glad Cooper is doing so well. How are you doing?


Yeah, he was around 17-18 pounds at 11 weeks! It's really amazing how big he's gotten. I still need to carry him sometimes (like his last potty break at night for example before I go to bed) and it's getting so difficult so I'm gonna try to start luring him with small treats instead. I don't think I'll be able to carry him comfortably for much longer!

He uses this to his advantage because now if he doesn't want to get up he just lays on the floor on his back because he knows it's difficult for me to carry him. 

As for me, I'm doing okay! My sleeping schedule has regulated, so I'm getting enough sleep again, and Cooper and I have gotten into the daily schedule pretty easily. Def doing a lot better than I was this time last month. It's great how quickly we bonded.


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

They grow so fast...it's simply amazing...and their personality grows in with them.


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

They really do grow heavy quickly too!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Just a small update! I may post photos later if I remember.

Cooper is 15 weeks today! It's amazing how fast time passes. At the beginning of the week he had random diarrhea but only at night. He'd wake me up 2-3 times a night crying and when I let him out he'd run straight to the door to go potty... Then he'd have a pudding-like stool. It was only at night, though. During the day his stools were normal so I'm not sure what the issue was; the routine didn't change in the evening and I am not feeding him more/feeding him new food.

However we're on day 2 without any liquid stools, so I think he may have just eaten something (he loves mulch) and it didn't set in his stomach that well. Other than that he's been his usual, happy, playful and stubborn self!

Yesterday was our first day of puppy obedience and he did great! The trainer wants every puppy to be able to sit 7-8 times in 30 seconds. Cooper is able to sit 4 times in 30 seconds, which is halfway there! He's a lot more distracted when we aren't training at home, so what I'm going to be doing over this past week is randomly telling him to sit during our walks, or practicing more in the yard so he gets the idea that if I want him to sit anywhere, he sits.

I'm already thinking of putting him in the advanced class after this one, and maybe I may do some agility classes with him? I won't be putting him in competitions, but I just want to give him something to do and make his mind and body work, and I've heard agility is a lot of fun! It'll be a learning experience for the both of us.

So far he knows sit, shake, speak, down, wait (for his meals), and stay (unless I go to another room)! I'm working on "leave it" but he can't seem to get that down as quickly as he's able to understand the other stuff I'm teaching him. Baby steps! He's so smart and he loves to work with me. <3


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

Glad you guys enjoyed your puppy class!! Agility would be great for you as well! Need more pics


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

I heard agility is only after they are a year old or something like that. But that sounds great! Cooper sounds so eager to learn and work.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Cooper*



Krissi2197 said:


> Just a small update! I may post photos later if I remember.
> 
> Cooper is 15 weeks today! It's amazing how fast time passes. At the beginning of the week he had random diarrhea but only at night. He'd wake me up 2-3 times a night crying and when I let him out he'd run straight to the door to go potty... Then he'd have a pudding-like stool. It was only at night, though. During the day his stools were normal so I'm not sure what the issue was; the routine didn't change in the evening and I am not feeding him more/feeding him new food.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the update on Cooper and Happy 15 weeks to him! I am so impressed hearing all he knows! You are such a good Mom!!

000


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Sounds like he's doing amazing!!


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## smp (Apr 27, 2016)

Krissi2197 said:


> Just a small update! I may post photos later if I remember.
> 
> Yesterday was our first day of puppy obedience and he did great! The trainer wants every puppy to be able to sit 7-8 times in 30 seconds. Cooper is able to sit 4 times in 30 seconds, which is halfway there! He's a lot more distracted when we aren't training at home, so what I'm going to be doing over this past week is randomly telling him to sit during our walks, or practicing more in the yard so he gets the idea that if I want him to sit anywhere, he sits.
> 
> ...


Krissi-whereabouts in PA are you? We're just a few days away from gotcha day and I want to find some good puppy/obedience/agility class options. Let me know if you can recommend any around the King of Prussia area. Thanks!!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

smp said:


> Krissi-whereabouts in PA are you? We're just a few days away from gotcha day and I want to find some good puppy/obedience/agility class options. Let me know if you can recommend any around the King of Prussia area. Thanks!!


I'm near Hershey, PA!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Super small update and a few photos; sorry if some of them are sideways! I still don't know why they show up fine in my photos folder but then turn upside down or sideways when I try to upload them here. 

Cooper has lost three teeth at the time I'm typing this! He's chewing on EVERYTHING a lot more often now and it's bringing me back to the first weeks we had him. Luckily he has a ton of toys he chews on, and only attempts to chew on the furniture for a few seconds at most before looking guilty at us and chewing on one of his bones or stuffed toys.

We also weighed him this morning and he's 41 pounds 16 and a half weeks! He'll be 4 months old on August 1st.


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## smp (Apr 27, 2016)

Ridiculously cute smile that boy has!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JillD (Apr 14, 2016)

Such a sweetie!!!


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

How cute is he?


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## rtandkt (May 23, 2016)

Ah, Cooper is long and gangly just like our Lucy. I suppose most of Aprils pups look this way now. Makes me laugh. He is a big boy at 30 pounds!!


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

I wish Cooper and Dakota could play together. It is amazing how fast they grow.


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## StephA (Jun 22, 2016)

Such a lovely boy - I keep saying to my husband that at this age, they seem to be all legs and ears!!


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

Re your pictures. Go to edit and rotate the photo once and save. Then rotate it correctly and save then upload. It is a pain but they should post correctly then.


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

Baby Cooper photos soo cute! He looks like my Cedar too.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Not much to say right now other than Cooper is 4 months old tomorrow, and he's lost a total of 5 teeth so far!! He's growing so quickly. I wanted to do a fun thing and just show you his growth over the past two months I've had him.

Bottom photo is from May 28th, top left photo is from June 11th (give or take) and the top right photo is from yesterday, July 30th! It's amazing how much he's grown over these short 8 weeks!

And he's only gonna get bigger.


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## JillD (Apr 14, 2016)

They are growing so fast. We had to board Gracie for four days and we came back and I swear she is bigger!!! She lost three teeth while we were playing tonight bringing the total loss to 9. Her canines are coming in behind her two bottom canines, so I am guessing those will be next. Her very back molars are almost all the way in, all the nasty points are through so that has helped the teething immensely!


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Would love an update on Cooper!


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

I've been thinking about you and Cooper recently. I would love an update too!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

It's been such a long time since I posted here, but I just wanted to show you guys how big Coop's gotten since the last time I posted!! 

He's a little over 7 months now, and he weighs about 70 pounds... I decided to get him neutered at the age of 6 months due to some complications (with daycare and such) and even though I really really wanted to wait until he was at least 18 months old, it just wasn't possible with my situation.

He's in his teenager stage... And he's really testing my patience. His used-to-be solid recall and 100% perfect loose leash walking is now a disaster... It's as if I didn't train him in the first place!! 

Here's a few photos of him!!


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## Sandy22 (Mar 12, 2016)

Great pictures. That second one where it looks like he is winking and sticking his tongue out at the same time is the best. Such a handsome boy!


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

What a perfectly gorgeous boy!


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