Cooper Goes to the Vet

It is starting to feel like I am writing a blog for seven year old girls that love puppies...."The Adventures of Cooper". Well, except the part where I cuss like a sailor and that doesn't seem appropriate at all for seven year old girls.  I will just continue to assume that my four regular readers do want to hear about the latest on Cooper and/or are grown humans that can open and shut this window with the click of a button if they don't!   SIDE NOTE:  Bob and Lana, I do expect you to read about the antics of your grand dog and call me and tell me how precious he is...that is a given!

I took the little furball to his first official vet appointment yesterday morning.  He walked in there all proud in his little collar and leash.  I wish I would have taken his picture.  It was like the first day of school.  He doesn't know yet about the nail clipping, shots and temperature check in the butt when you visit this building.  He will learn.

He weighed in at 10 pounds, which means he put on about three pounds in the last six days.  The vet thinks he is a Catahoula mix and will be about 50+ pounds or so when full grown.  Still too early to tell for sure since we don't know what exactly he is mixed with.  She said by the time we go back in three weeks for his next round of shots, he will probably double in size.  So, he actually is growing in front of my eyes!

Not sure I would have picked a Catahoula breed as they are apparently hunting dogs that need a job.  I don't have a job for a dog, except lay at my feet and love me, so now we will have to come up with one.  I can tell you that he is smart as a whip.  Really.  He has mastered come and sit.  Yesterday he nailed shake every time I asked him to shake.  While I was cooking dinner, he actually sat right beside me and kept trying to shake to show me how smart he was.  He would raise one paw and then the other like, "Look mom, I can do both paws!"   It looked like he was waving to me.  We are going to try down next!  Keep exercising his mind and his body!  He can't go on walks, to parks or have any play dates for another six weeks or so until he gets through his next two rounds of booster shots.  Then we will start on leash training.  That should be fun.

The biting is getting better, thank goodness.  My poor hands can't take much more.   This morning, in fact, he cozied up in Chip's lap instead of trying to bite his feet, legs, arms, hands, face, ears, shirt, shorts.  It was picture worthy!  Good boy!

Unfortunately, he has a skin condition with a super long complicated name and starting this weekend I have to give him two baths a week with medicated shampoo.  The shampoo has to stay on him for at least 10 minutes.  The shampoo also discolors clothes and towels so it sounds like it will be a shit show.  How in the world am I going to keep a puppy calm, while wet and sudsy for ten minutes?  Pray for me.

Yesterday, while Cooper was outside raking leaves with me I was kind of overcome with memories of my boy Astro.  He was such a great dog.  I miss him.  I have high hopes that Cooper will be just as awesome and I hope Astro is happy we have another dog in the house to love.

I must sign off for now!  I am going to read with my little friends this morning! One of my favorite times of the week!

Hope your week is going great and their are no medicated baths in your near future!