Cooper & Spicy's Kingdom : A Year in the Life of Cooper, the Havanese

November 9, 2011. I remember Russell and I waking up very early that day. We felt like kids on Christmas morning. We were excited yet anxious in a good way. It was the day that we picked up Cooper at Nathan and Darlah's house. We had arranged to pick him up at 10 am. I remember getting there early so we drove around a bit. We didn't want to seem too anxious....That day was the beginning of a new journey for Russell and I.

This past year with Cooper has taught us a lot about ourselves and about having a dog - kudos to Cooper for those lessons. I want to start by saying that it is a serious long term commitment and it should not be underestimated. We knew from the start that it would require a lot of work and patience to raise Cooper, otherwise we would not have made the decision to get a dog. So we prepared ourselves as much as we could but the learning curve was a little steeper than we anticipated. We relied on Nathan and Darlah's expertise on more than one occasion, and for that we were grateful. We read books, took all of his training and obedience classes very seriously and did all the things we were supposed to do. I can honestly say that, in the end, all of this hard work has paid off and we find ourselves today feeling very comfortable in our role as dog owners. But it was an adjustment, in more ways than one, and our patience and endurance were tested more than once in the past year. I could tell every new dog owner that it is not always a walk in the park (pun intended) at the beginning, but the end result is worth the time and effort in getting there.

So, what did we do with Cooper this past year? When we got him, he was 6 months old so we missed the early stages of the puppy phase and he was house trained. We did have to retrain him once he got to our house until he got used to his new home. It took Russell and I a little while to anticipate his needs as Cooper was not very vocal when it came to wanting to go outside to do his business. He would just stand by the door and if we didn't see him, oops...only a couple of 'oops'!

Over the course of 7 months, Cooper completed four levels of Obedience and graduated with Honours. We started his schooling at Who's Walking Who in Ajax and carried on at Scholars in Collars in Burlington. During that time, in between classes, we invested a lot of time at home practicing his commands (sit, stay, down, come, drop, heel, etc). We also spent a lot of time playing retrieve and all sorts of games which involved the use of commands also. Russell and I have both become quite good at training and playing with the Coop. I have learned a lot from Russell on that front. I remember writing, in my November 20, 2011 blog, how important it is to sound enthusiastic and animated when calling commands and that I had to work on it. It is something that I didn't have in me, unlike Russell. But I am happy to report that this is not the case today. I am actually quite crazy when it comes to playing with Cooper and I use a strong and commanding voice when calling commands.

This past year also brought Cooper's neutering. That in itself was an experience which we would rather not go through again. It was far worse for Russell and I than for Coop. Again, this was a first for us and we were quite the doting parents.

In the spring, we started taking Cooper to doggie day care and took him to a grooming salon. We felt it was time to give him some space and allow him to be separated from us. He enjoyed his time away from us and was always a happy dog when we picked him up.

Then, came the preparation for the big move to Huntsville. The weeks leading to the move were busy and somewhat stressful for Russell and I. They say that dogs can sense how we feel, and this was no different for Cooper. He could sense that we were up to something, his house was beginning to look different, boxes were in his way and we didn't have as much time to play with him. When we physically moved, Cooper stayed at Nathan and Darlah's for four nights. And it was a good thing. First, it kept him safe and away from the chaos of moving in, and it gave us a chance to get his new house in order. Remember, this blog is called Huntsville Log Home, Cooper's Kingdom.

So, what has changed for Cooper since we moved to Huntsville? Well, first, he had to get used to a new house, find his way around. Unlike our previous home, Cooper now has the full run of the house. It has been designed, not only with us in mind, but with Cooper in mind also. It is dog friendly with lots of open space and a few dutch doors to keep him from escaping to the outside when the front doors are open. The move to Huntsville has also meant that Cooper had to get used to different sounds. Huntsville lacks typical city noises such as airplanes, sirens and ordinary traffic. It has different noises, and because there are few of those, they seem louder. For instance, since we are on a private road, and since we are the only ones living here for now, there is no traffic to speak of. So, the sound of a car coming up our gravel road becomes more noticeable to Cooper and he will alert us to it. He is "the Muskoka doorbell'. The sounds of wolves or coyotes are also something to get used to, even the sounds of chipmunks, which drive Cooper crazy because he wants to chase them. The sound of the rain or the wind at night is something to get used to, especially for a dog. Somehow, those sounds, when all is quiet around us, seem louder.

Cooper also had to get used to the wildlife. We have deer living on our property all year long. There are at least seven of them. At first, Cooper would bark at them and they would go away. We have taught him not to bark and he now simply watches them as if they were his new found friends. For us, the wildlife also means that we have to keep Cooper away from the bad critters such as porcupines and fishers. We have not seen fishers yet but Russell saw two porcupines while taking Cooper out at night a few weeks ago. Thankfully, they were on the other side of the fence but we have to be extremely vigilant when taking him out at night. Sure we have lights on but we know that those critters can be fast and they will not hesitate one second to attack a small dog like Cooper. Having said this, we are not overly paranoid and we have to give Cooper the space he needs. But we are careful. He is never outside on his own without one of us being there to keep an eye on him. That is life in the country for a small dog. It is also about getting mucky sometimes and god knows what the winter will bring!

Having said this, I think that Cooper has adapted well to Huntsville and to the country life. He loves the outdoors, we have discovered many nice trails with him, he loves his groomer Teresa and his daycare buddy Brennan. He is welcome to all the stores in Huntsville. This gives us the opportunity to practice various commands and work on his manners when greeting people. While on walks, he gets to meet other dogs and he no longer barks when meeting a new dog.

Our first year with Cooper has been an absolute joy. I mentioned above that Russell and I are now comfortable in our roles as dog owners. This does not mean that our job is done. On the contrary. We believe that Cooper is a well balanced dog and we want to keep him that way. We continue to train him, day in and day out. Sometimes, we have to "reload" and work on a specific command. We have added agility exercises to his repertoire and this keeps his body and mind in good shape. A typical day in Cooper's life means playing, training, napping, eating, and most importantly being loved.

I have enjoyed writing this blog and going back in time (fitting for a Remembrance Day). We look forward to many more years of happiness with the Coop. I will end by sharing with you what we enjoy doing the most with Cooper: it is called "The Three Way". Russell gives me a hug, Cooper's tail starts wagging, Russell asks Cooper if he wants a "Three Way". His tails wags even more. Russell picks him up and the three of us hug and kiss.