Settling In

We had a good weekend with Cooper. He enjoyed having the whole family around and we used the techniques that we learned in training on Friday and we can see a big difference. We are still keeping him contained, but I can take him around the house with me without him marking everything.

We got our backyard cleaned up and safe for the dog. Our neighbor put in a new fence last year so there was some gaps left where the old fence was. We filled in these gaps and the yard is now safe for Cooper to run around in. He wants us out there with him, in particular either Eric or I.

We have our first vet appointment today.

Cooper also has his own profile at YouPet. Click here to join and become friends with Cooper.

Here is a photo & video we took yesterday~

Overdue Update

I am worn out. Cooper is A LOT of work!! He likes to 'mark' everywhere, so we need to keep him by our side all the time. And that is mostly my side. He's good about being in his crate and doesn't use it as a potty at all and can stay in it all night without fussing. I am trying to limit his time in it during the day, just putting him in when we aren't home or I'm showering or maybe cooking. I did notice that he was a bit mellower today. I think he is used to the 2 rooms we've allowed him in and hasn't marked inside for a few days. He is very interested in any food and will jump up when we are eating.

We started Pet Training class at Petsmart tonight. I think it is going to be very helpful. My goals are that he will be able to be loose in the house with us without marking, jumping, or trying to eat everything, that he will stop marking all the time, and that he won't pull when we walk him. I'll have to look back at this in 8 weeks to see if we've accomplished the goals.

Update- Day 2

Cooper did great last night. We put him in his crate at 9pm~ish right next to Parker's mattress and we never heard a peep from him. I went in and woke him up around 6:30 this morning to take him out. He will grab just about anything in his mouth, so we have to keep him contained. For the past hour or so he's been loose in the kitchen with me. He's been playing with toys and getting petted. He just laid down and is taking a nap. He loves to see what is going on around him. He has no problem with our stairs at all. In fact, he climbed up on a chair and then our table this morning and jumped over my baricade a few minutes ago. We will gradually introduce him to different spaces in our house.

Still no barking or wimpering, but he has 'marked' inside a few times. I am glad I bought that enzyme cleaner stuff yesterday. It's been raining since we got him and he's been good about getting wiped off when we come inside. He is a very nice dog! He was a stray and it makes me sad to think that someone lost him or abandoned him. He's very happy, loving, and well behaved. I think he fits in with our family well!