Happy Christmas

To all a Happy Christmas! I've been remiss in keeping this up to date- but it was insanely busy in those last few days leading up to Christmas.


Cooper has become a family favorite at home. Unfortunately for Cooper, home is a 5 hour drive away. It also means that Cooper must have a bath and a brushing before he we journey home. My stepdad is allergic to pet dander, so although Cooper is loveable, it's best if he has as much hair removed as humanly possible.


The 5 hour drive is boring and awful for me. Ohio does not offer much to look at, but it does supply you with ticket-hungry state officers. When I leave after work, the majority of the drive is done in the dark, which makes it even more terrible because I just feel like I should be sleeping, not driving. For Cooper though, these drives are much worse. He has not mastered the "bracing" skill. Anytime I touch my brakes, he flies forward into my center console. He drools on everything. He pants and breathes in my ear like a stalker on a phone call. His back legs shake unless he finally decides he must sit down. He also gets carsick. He has only thrown up once in the car, but he also refuses to eat after the ride. 5 hours of this is exhausting for both of us.


I have bathed Cooper before a few times since I've gotten him. He has never seemed to hate it, but he certainly doesn't love it. He just accepts it and looks at me with a somewhat sullen face as I pour warm bathwater over him. He even lets me blow-dry him a little after I towel-dry him. I think it is his sweet nature that allows me to do this without him flipping out, but he no longer will go into the bathroom to get his toy should it roll into that room. He wiggles anxiously at me until I go to fetch it (very much defeating the purpose of the game).

This time though, I didn't have to suffer through nearly as much of either.

Cooper went to Camp Bow Wow the morning before I left to get groomed and professionally tackle the hair problem. He sheds so much in the middle of the winter that no matter how often I brush or sweep, his hair is still everywhere! Camp Bow Wow is one of Cooper's all time favorite places to go. I feel like a Mom with a child in school for the first time. The child is independent and saying, "Ok, bye already!" without even looking back. I'm the one who suffers from separation anxiety when I leave him there.

If you've never taken your pet to Camp Bow Wow, and your dog is considered social and fun, you really need to. It's an all day play center for dogs. As a bonus, they offer kenneling and grooming services as well. So before our big drive home that night, Cooper got to play all day, and then he had to take a bath and get...furminated.

It worked- like a dream! Cooper was soft and clean and for the first time in months when I pet him, he didn't shed. Plus, he was all worn out from all day play. By the time we were an hour into the drive, Cooper was taking 20 minute naps in the car, which he never does, and sat a lot more than he ever has. It was a great blessing as the drive this year was full of freezing rain and icy roads. If Cooper is nervous to ride on a good day, how would he have been feeling at full energy on a bad day?

On Christmas, Cooper and his little sister Molly (my parents 8mo old Cockapoo) opened presents for the first time. Cooper got Molly puppy cookies for Christmas, and Molly got Cooper some new toys. Cooper also got a new toy and bone from "Santa". In the midst of opening, as all siblings do, Cooper was jealous of Molly's cookies and Molly was jealous of Cooper's new toy. They normally will do a little aggravated growl at each other when they are just tired of each other or don't want the other to touch what they have. For Cooper, this usually pertains only to bones or kong toys, but on this Christmas, he gave a big growl to Molly when she went after his Christmas toy. Molly usually backs off, but not this time. She grabbed his ear and growled right back. For being 1/3 of his size, this was a brave, but foolhardy move. I've never seen Cooper be truly aggressive with anyone, so this was an interesting situation. They both had to be corrected and unfortunately because of his size, he had to be corrected a little harder, but I was shocked to see the two of them really get so frustrated with each other.

The lucky puppy was also granted permission to sleep on my bed over Christmas. I never let him do this, but I thought, eh, it's Christmas, why not? When I got home on Sunday, I remembered exactly why not. Because then he wants to do it everytime. I've spent the majority of this week shooing him off my bed.

I've also had to spend the last two days coaxing him to eat. I think he is sad because he misses Molly and doesn't like being left alone all day. He wouldn't even eat out of my hand. Once he finally did, he perked back up a little. However, he's got me thinking about how lonely he must be all day. I can't get another dog now while I'm still figuring out the dog I have here, but I fear that one day I will have two little puppies to drive me crazy all day long.

Requirements for Pet Adoption and Cooper's Project Domestication

Cooper is honestly the most well-behaved, sweetest dog you'll ever meet. And I specifically mean that "you" will ever meet. He's definitely the sweetest dog I've ever met, but not always the most well-behaved. He listens and responds often, but when he sees other dogs or gets so worked up he's frantic, I can do almost nothing except dig my heels in and hold onto his leash for dear life. Other people don't see that part.

Because Cooper is such a wonderful puppy, my other friends who have always wanted a dog in their heart of hearts want to get a dog now-in this present moment. I look at them suspiciously with one eyebrow raised and ask them, "Are you sure?".

So here's the short list of things to think about when it comes to getting a pet. If you answer no to more than one of these questions, you are not ready to have a pet.

1. Are you willing to give up happy hours after work or stick to the 1-2 drink minimum and go home at a reasonably early hour?

2. Are you ready to make sure that every night you go out, you come home?

3. Are you willing to take your dog out for multiple walks each day, pick up poo, and spend your free time teaching them how to behave?

4. Are you financially able to provide for another being?

5. Do you have a decent work-life balance and work normal hours?

Because here's the deal, having a dog is like having a kid, but without the 18+ year commitment and the crazy clothing and diaper expenses. Instead, you face a 12-15 year commitment. You are responsible for making sure they get sufficient exercise and bathroom breaks. You are their behavioral role model. You have to buy dog food, crates, crate pads, leashes, collars, expensive toys and bones that will be shredded so quickly you'll wonder why you bought them, heartworm medication, treats, grooming materials, etc. And vet visits are quite pricey even with pet insurance.

I look at many of my friends who now say to me, "awwwwwwaawawwww. I want a dog too!", and I know they aren't ready for that type of commitment. I wasn't even ready for it and then suddenly there I was, at the shelter, signing the papers and swearing to be a good puppy parent. It was one of my best impulse decisions and even though I had thought about it for a long time, it's very clear now that I didn't realize what having a dog entailed.

My co-worker and friend recently said to me, "Sarah, it's like you moved to the suburbs and had a kid." Sadly, it's so true! But I don't have the advantage of a 2nd parent to help me out with random things. For instance, if a supplier wants to come in town and have dinner, I really can't. I have to be home by 6:30 so Coop can go to the bathroom. Invariably, he will always choose those nights where I can't get home until 6:30 to refuse to do his business in the morning so I feel especially guilty about it. I can't get drunk on Friday night now and crash a friend's place. I have to either arrange to cab it home or stay sober and drive home. And I'm suddenly obsessed with sweeping my floors so they aren't covered in Cooper's caramel coat. I'm budgeting and buying the Sunday paper to clip coupons. I'm rationing his food this winter since he's getting less exercise so he won't gain weight. These are all things that real adults do. I'm one husband and a house in the suburbs away from being pushed off a bridge by the girl I was three years ago.

Still, this newly domesticated life has it's advantages. I'm far healthier than I used to be. I take about two 15 minute walks with a 50 lb sled dog dragging me behind him in the awful and freezing Pittsburgh cold. I have an adorably sweet little creature to greet me each night when I come home. And no matter how bad of a night we had before, he is ALWAYS happy to see me. I clean my car a lot more. If I'm going to vaccuum out the back seat and wipe down the windows, no reason to hold off on washing it- I go for the whole kit and caboodle. I'm testing my patience levels everyday. I can actually teach another species things- like sit, stay, lay down, off, up, shake, beg. More than all of that though, there is something profound about dogs and their owners.

They say that dogs can smell things about you that you don't even know about yourself. They know when you are sick and stressed and angry and sad. They smell those chemical releases so even though they don't know what you are saying, they are very aware of how you are feeling. I don't like to be sad and cry in front of other people, but crying with Cooper feels normal. He sits patiently and puts his paw on my shoulder and carefully licks the tears off my face. When I'm energized, he's energized. When I want to lay and around and be lazy, he naps with me. I'm not a morning person and now after several months, neither is he. He lays on his crate bed until I tell him it's time to go out. The synergy of these little things far exceeds what I have given up and changed about my life.

I saw a good friend this weekend for the first time in a few months and brought Cooper with me. Her boyfriend really wants to get a dog and soon, but she is hesitant right now as she is still in school and has an aging cat. I recommended that she go the foster parent route first. Tons of local shelters are in desperate need of foster homes for their animals who are sick and need to heal or really struggle with shelter life. Being a foster parent is a great option for someone who's unsure if they are ready. The shelters provide the food, supplies and healthcare needs of the dog and you get to learn about different breeds, and how your life will change with a dog without making that full time commitment just yet. Plus, you can find out if you want to get a puppy or if you want to get an adult dog who's already got it figured out.

In the meantime, anyone willing to babysit my puppy for the night is more than welcome to it. I've got months of running I desperately need to get back to and a party girl that was quashed inside of me who would like a good night out.

Snow, and thoughts on Crate Training

As I left the unforgettable Bob's Garage last night after a round of beers with the soccer team, it was still pouring down that awful, somewhat snowy, slushy, freezing rain that Pittsburgh is famous for. Earlier that night, Coop had refused to do his business before I left for the game so I was not looking forward to the second try with him that night in the miserable weather. He still doesn't understand the concept of the umbrella. On nights like last night, I use my golf umbrella so that he can also walk underneath it should he want to. Instead he jumps like a mad hatter to try and bite the parasol part of it - and usually manages to fling muddy water all over me in the process.

In any case, by the time I arrived over the 2nd bridge and made it through the tunnel to the south hills on the drive back, I noticed the difference in the precipitation. The southern side of the tunnels was actually getting snow, and a lot of it. The main roads were fully covered and so were all the lovely hills that I have to drive up to get home. If it weren't for several years of training, I would have gotten stuck on the hills last night. Growing up, Dad's house was perched on the top of a hill in a small private community. To reach the main road from our complex, you had to drive down a winding gravel driveway, cross a short bridge and then head straight up a long, steep hill. In order to make it to the top of the hill without 4 wheel drive, you had to floor it coming out of the last curve of his driveway and over the bridge. Needless to say,I'm really quite good at driving up snowy hills now.

Once I reached the top of the hill though last night, it was really beautiful. My neighborhood is full of huge, old houses and trees and at 12:30 in the morning, Coop and I had the perfect winter wonderland setting for our evening walk.

Cooper adores the snow, so our snowy walks are a combination of fun and frustration. The fun part is watching him get all worked up. He licks every inch of snow (which can be frustrating when the snow is clearly no longer pristine), buries his face in it, drops down on his front paws with his wiggly little behind in the air, and then flicks the snow up and tries to catch it on the way down. He also exhibits the typical crazy lab behavior- very Marley-esque. He runs around and flips and turns and twists at top speed with a look of unabashed glee before rolling in the snow and then rubbing up on me. It's frustrating though when he pulls me down snowy hills and does his usual gig of refusing to heel. My neighbors must think I am horribly angry and mean as I scream myself hoarse- "HEEL COOPER! NO! BAD COOPER! COOPER DROP IT! HEEL! CoooOOOP!" The last "Coop" represents a warning turned reprimand midstream.

(I don't understand it- all my friends have said he walks really well on a leash with them, so why drag me through the hills of Pittsburgh? I feed him and pet him, so I should be getting the best behavior out of him. )

(I've just suddenly realized what my parents must have thought me as a teenager. )

Last night we also received Cooper's new crate. Originally, I crate trained him- or rather, he just immediately caught on that he would be stuck in a crate all day so he should not do his business there. We went through varying stages of crate acceptance in the first few months. First, he wanted to please me and went in easy. Then he knew I wasn't going to take him back to the shelter so he would whine and moan and beg for me to let him out. Then he just ran away from the crate when it was time to go in. Finally, he reached a begrudged acceptance giving me a sidelong sad puppy-eyes glance as he hung his head and walked in. After Thanksgiving, I decided I was done with the crate. I felt bad leaving him in a cramped space all day and all signs of his regular behavior pointed to him not destroying my apartment, so it seemed to make perfect sense.

For just over a week, I've been gating him into my kitchen and hallway and it's been going really well. However, he still needs a crate for when he's spending time at houses that are not mine, so we opted to buy a cloth travel crate.

I've never seen my dog shake so hard. Cooper wanted nothing to do with that crate. After forcing him into it and laying him down, I laid outside the crate and pet him for 20 straight minutes and even after that, as soon as I moved, he bolted right out of it.

I guess I'm re-crate training him again, although something says that since he's now comfortable in my home, I'm going to have to make a much bigger effort this time.

Writer's Block

I always believed I would be a writer growing up, but I ended up being a promotional/marketing consultant. And I love my job, don't get me wrong. But the little writer lives inside and although I'm the world's worst person at keeping a journal, I'm attempting to blog in order to write a little and not lose all of the journalism training I received.

Maybe I'll also give mini french essays so I won't forget what my college major either...that's rather unlikely but don't be surprised to see little french words and sayings pop up here and there.

I think I've been cursed the entirety of my life with writer's block. Or maybe it's just writer's blahs. I'm an avid reader and I'm usually so overwhelmed by the creative ideas and crafted characters that mine usually feel washed up and unimportant. So for the 7000th time, I delete the story from my computer and move on. At least here we're not waiting for the major development of any plot or character.

The only thing developing on this page will hopefully be me and my errant dog, Cooper. Life with Coop has certainly changed my priorities and my time and is quickly forcing me to give up on certain things- for instance, his hair is everywhere. I tend to be a really clean person and although it goes against house policy, Cooper sheds on everything. My work clothes, my couch, my floor, and I swear I found his hair in a shoebox that had not been opened since I got him four months ago. On the flip side, he does give me a whole new slew of things to write about and honestly makes me question my sanity at least once a week.

Nothing like a new baby to keep you on your toes.

I'll sound off on a thought about Governer Blagojevich from Illinois. In reading the msnbc article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28139155/?GT1=43001) I really have to question how he possibly thought that he wouldn't get caught trying to sell the senatorial seat in the heat of other ongoing investigations and allegations. In addition, his thought that if he took that senatorial seat himself he could campaign in 2016 for presidency and not have this scandal drug up then is beyond ridiculous. For many people, there are not many gracious words to describe the depth of their idiocy and I belive that principle applies here.

A bientot!

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