Still Looking For a Home

Cooper still needs to be adopted! We've had a few interested people who want to help him, but in the end they can't sign up for the responsibility of a puppy in their lives right now. We don't want to force him on anybody.

Cooper has changed so much in just the past week alone. We switched him to a regular kibble diet, and he seems to have grown more in the past week than he has in total past month and a half. It was very noticeable when I was giving him his bath. Each day he looks bigger and bigger to me. He is also growing more and more hair. No more hairless ears! He is almost soft to the touch now. He is getting cuter by the day, and I know if somebody comes to meet him they will fall in love.

It is very tempting for us to keep him, but it's just not in our plans. Atlas is obviously very distraught by the little guy. He is very well behaved around the little pest, but we can tell that he is bothered by Cooper stealing his attention and territory. Atlas would prefer to be the only spoiled dog in the Edwards House.

Please please pleasssssse consider adopting Cooper! He has been through a rough journey and is now ready for his happy ending.

Cooper's Ready for a Home!

Written by Erin

ADOPT ME

It's finally that time! Just 37 days since being miraculously found on the side of the road, Cooper is ready for his forever home. If you can get past the incomplete puppy coat and the slightly skinny body, he is just like any other puppy. He is still on one medication for good measures, but after a lot of time and work, he is now considered a healthy puppy. He LOVES to play, just as any puppy should. He plays with every toy he can find, even the ones that are twice his size. He plays with people, cats, and dogs as well. He sleeps well in his crate, and he hasn't peed in it in over a week. He hasn't pooped in it in at least 3 weeks. Cooper runs around and leaps through the air all the time. He is significantly less clumsy on the stairs, and enjoys exploring the backyard. His legs have been acting normal, and we suspect it was just the effects of an uneven growth spurt. Cooper eats like a pig, bounces like a bunny, tumbles like a toddler, and loves like a dog. He will make somebody a very fine pet.

As you might expect, we will be very picky about his future owner. I think we have the right to be - we did save his life after all. Whoever adopts him must be somebody we know and trust to be a good dog owner. We can't have any doubts that they will take good care of him. We will request to be able to visit him as he grows. At the very least, we would like photo updates. We have put in a lot of work to get him this far, but all that's left to do is raise him and train him. Anybody can do that. If you are interested in adopting Cooper and loving him like a child, please send me an email at cooperneedsahome@yahoo.com. Cooper's ready. Are you?

Day 33 - Bad Legs

Written by Erin

Cooper is a completely different dog than he was a week ago. He is acting just like a puppy should. He wakes us up every morning barking in his crate. Sometimes he is barking because he wants out, and sometimes he's just playing with his toys in his crate. When we let him out, he bounces through the living room while wagging his tail. He is able to go up and down the 6 stairs leading from the deck to the yard. He is playing with the animals, toys, and our hands. We have to be careful he doesn't learn to bite us, because he has some sharp puppy teeth. He also loves cuddling with us. If we are in the floor he loves lying down against us. Mason pulled him onto the couch and let him sleep against his belly the other night. This morning I woke up to Cooper sleeping between us on the bed! Mason is a such a sucker for whining puppies! 


Cooper's hair is growing back and he is growing cuter by the day. I put a bunch of pictures from the past few days at the bottom of the post. He still has bumpy skin, but no more flakes. We think he is just about ready to find his forever home. But then we hit a speed bump...

Cooper's limping got really bad on Wednesday. I called Thursday morning and made an appointment for this morning. Of course, Cooper decided to stop limping just in time for his appointment. We were the crazy clients with a healthy puppy. Dr. Nemetz knows we wouldn't make something like that up, and he gave a thorough exam. There are a few possibilities for what could be going on.


First, it could be a soft tissue injury. This seems likely since he limped for a short time and then stopped. Also, it coincides with his increase in activity. He is now climbing stairs and jumping around a lot, so a sprain would be likely. Also, his joints could be weak because he doesn't have much muscle mass to support them.


Another possibility is metabolic bone disease. The biggest example is Rickets. This condition is usually caused by nutritional deficiencies and is the reason why vitamin D is put in our milk. It is commonly seen in puppies that are being fed adult dog diets. Cooper is on a good diet that is approved for all growth stages. He was extremely malnourished for the beginning of his life, and he may be having trouble recovering still. We were told to monitor the leg. If it keep re-occurring, it is more likely to be a growing metabolic issue. He is already on a good diet, so we might not be able to do anything but hope he grows out of it. If the issue continues to worsen, we will take him back to the vet for radiographs.


This all sounded fine and dandy, and we were glad Cooper was no longer limping. Until dinner time. His front left wrist jutted out again, and he was limping. Within a few minutes, his front right leg was bowing out too. Not good news. I took a video of him walking. We have noticed that his leg issues get more noticeable near the end of the day when he is tired from jumping around a lot. We are hoping that he just doesn't have enough muscles to meet his activity level. After taking a nap, the legs seem to improve. We will monitor those wobbly legs closely over the next week.

Day 29 - Acting like a puppy

Written by Erin

The past few days inside have done a world of good for Cooper. He has become very playful and is enjoying interacting with the world around him. First, he is interacting well with toys. Yesterday, he showed particular interest in one of Atlas' stuffed dog toys that we got at a Braves game. He went over to it and started biting it. At one point he picked it up and shook it. Today, he shook it a lot. He also carried around a cat toy, played with a fox toy, and cuddled up with that fox toy. He has been trying to chew on the giant antler bone that is for Atlas, so we got him a puppy chew bone for his crate. He's already worn the ends down.

Second, he is interacting with the other animals more. He continues to nip at Atlas, and Atlas tolerates it very well. I would not enjoy being jumped on and bitten by a little thing. Cooper has also been trying to cuddle with Atlas. Atlas is not a cuddler. Not with humans, not with animals. Cooper has sat down close to him a few times. He even tried to lay down against him twice. As soon as Atlas feels contact or sees Cooper so close, he jumps up and lets out a loud, deep bark as he walks away. After Cooper was rejected earlier today, he cuddled up with the fox toy instead. Cooper also wants to play with the cats. He pounced and barked at each of them today. They just turned around and walked away.

trying to cuddle with Atlas

Thirdly, Cooper is interacting with Mason and me more. He seems to know when I'm going to pick him up and carry him outside, and he starts to run away. Other than that, he seems to be enjoying our company. He sits up tall in his crate and watches us. If he knows we're in the other room ignoring him, he starts barking in his crate like a normal obnoxious puppy. Last night, he even tried to cuddle with me! I was sitting on the floor leaning against a chair (because Atlas was sleeping in the chair that I sit in with my laptop). Cooper walked across the room and sat a few inches from me. After a few minutes, he scooted against my arm. There were a few moments when I thought he wanted to lie down. He put one of his paws on my arm, and he even rested his head on my arm, but he wouldn't go all the way down. I put my computer aside and adjusted my arm so that it made a more appealing bed. He walked over and sat next to it again, trying to figure out how to use it. He did lie down, but not against the arm. As I write this post right now, Cooper is playing with Mason's hand. He is nibbling at it and pawing at it like he plays with Atlas.

sitting against my arm

Yesterday I noticed Cooper sitting with his front left leg bowed out. I thought it was coincidental, so I decided to re-assess later in the day. Sure enough, he was sitting that way again. He was putting most of his weight on his right leg. I then watched him walk and noticed that at times he was limping. I palpated the leg, and it didn't feel broken. It also wasn't painful, although this strong pup has never shown pain to us. It wouldn't extend all the way, which I thought was weird. If I can find a hole in my schedule this week, I will take him back to the vet.

sitting funny