Cooper the dog

[bcody]

This is cooper.

Cooper is a great little dog. He follows me all around the yard. He is a quick learner and always comes when I call him. He doesn't dig, or chew my plants. He is young, and gets along with everyone. My three dogs like him even though he is much smaller then them. He is very cute and has a great personality.

The problem is, he is not mine. He comes over to play,

His yard is fenced, but if he angles himself just right and doesn't mind a scrape on his hip he can squeeze through. My yard is fenced, but there is one spot on the driveway where he can squeeze under the gate, I guess the cement doesn't hurt that much. He comes over here all the time. There are times he spends more time here then home.

Cooper has a good home. People who adopted him after he got hit by a car and dumped at the vets. They have tried to fix there fence. They take him for walks, he has been very well socialized. They bring him down the street to play with dogs his own size, yet he comes back to my house. He never leaves my yard unless I go out and call him, then he comes under the gate. He doesn't come when they call him. He is fed, vetted, they had him neutered. There are two young girls that love him. He has a big fence yard. He has dug over there, never over here.

What is up with Cooper?? I have three dogs, they are all bigger then him. Why is he always here??? Good thing he is cute!!!!!

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Oh my gosh, he is SUCH a cutie!! He looks like such a happy go lucky little guy. I wanna give him a hug, LOL.

It sounds like just wants to play with your dogs. Yes, they take him out to play, but on THEIR schedule.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

When I was going to dog obedience classes there were some owners there who had dogs who would not stay home or come when they were called. The trainer said dogs are pack animals and will stay with their pack. BUT some dogs are born with something missing, and they do not have the pack instinct. (I suspect lots of dogs in shelters have this problem.)

Your neighbor's dog does not know his family is his pack, or he doesn't care. He just wants to do what he wants to do, regardless of what his pack is doing.

They might try taking him to a formal dog class. Some of the dogs in my classes needed that discipline to bond them to their owners. Besides, the classes are lots of fun!

 

[Katiean]

Maybe it was the neutering thing he didn't like. No, Just kidding. Maybe he just likes your dogs better than being alone or playing with who "mommy and daddy" say he has to have for friends. Our next door neighbor had a cocker that no matter what they did he wouldn't stay home. He was always in our back yard. We did consider adopting him when they decided to get rid of him. However, the last time he came over he started messing with the show rabbits through the bottom of the cages. We couldn't take him after that. You just can't risk one animal for another.

 

[Miniv]

Cooper has chosen you and your dogs as HIS. Normally a dog will choose their person within the family they live with, but occasionally a dog will look elsewhere.

Years ago there was a West Highland Terrier who lived a few houses away from my father's place. Every single day, Amos, the Westie, would trot up the street and spend the entire day with my dad and his German Shepherd mix. And every evening either my dad would take him home or the neighbor would come looking for him......... One day the neighbor went to Dad and asked him if he wanted to just keep Amos. Dad said YES. The neighbor brought Amos' bed, leash, and dog dish over and Amos never bothered to go back to even visit his old owner.

Amos had made his preference very clear.

 

[REO]

MiniV is right! Cooper wants to live with you and your dogs. It's very clear

 

[bcody]

Cooper is a great dog, but do I need four dogs? I bet the kids acros the street would be sad, but they could visit LOL! Thanks for your import. I wonder if he will grow just a little more and not fit through his fence? I actually think I would miss him.

 

[sundancer]

OH I think Cooper has decided its your house that he wants to live at. He has chosen you!!! Besides whats one more dog?? LOL Maybe if you got a replacement dog for the girls plus they can still visit Cooper, it could be a win win situation!

He is adorable!!

Julie

Victory Pass Stable

Maine

 

[Rocket's mom]

Your story about Cooper put a big smile on my face! I'd keep him!!!! He looks like he's loads of fun, too.

 

[Shortpig]

Everyone else has said it, Just keep him of course if that is ok with his owners he has now.

I suspect you don't have a dog door. Imagine coming into the house to find him curled up on your couch. How cute would that be? He is a little cutie though.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I have dogs that I have choosen and dogs that have choosen me. The dogs that have come to me in a "different way" are extra special I have always found. They are gift dogs and you should look at them very carefully and try to find some extra room for them if you can.

On the other hand you should determine if Cooper is choosing you and your dogs, or if he is simply bored. Socialization and dog park visits are fun, but most of those activities are at the owners choice of time, not Coopers time. Could he be lonely for pack dogs at his own house? When you let your dogs out he might be like the little kid that hears the kids playing outside or the ice cream truck coming. If he escapes and he gets rewarded with doggie play time, he will do it time and time again. If they got another dog, would Cooper be happy, or would you have two dogs visiting? There are many factors at work here, but the scarey part is that if Cooper didn't have your dogs to play with when he escapes, he could get out onto the road and get killed. He probably doesn't dig or act up at your house because he has your dogs to play with, lots of activity and exercise. He is tired and doesn't need to dig. If he is lonely and bored at his current home, he entertains himself with digging and escaping. Totally fun activity for a "badger dog" that needs something to do. Sometimes owners need to examine their lives and the dogs life and see if the two are well suited. Kind of like the guy that didn't like when his border collie kept rounding up the kids and putting them onto the jungle gym in the yard and circling and nipping at their heels when they tried to come down. He re-homed this dog to a guy that does herding trials and the dog was a most excellent happy herding dog that spent the rest of his life doing what he was happiest at doing. The owners got a golden that bonded to their whole family and enjoyed going everywhere with them. The other funny thing is that you could also find that if cooper comes to your house, they get another dog, then cooper will escape your yard to go back to their house to play. haha.

Maybe you two could work out a trial period to see if it would work out for Cooper to live with you. I just adopted dog number 5 last fall. I was not looking for a dog, she came to us in a "different way" when her elderly owner became too ill to care for her. I examined my sanity more than once at taking on another gift dog. She is totally awesome and I cannot remember what life was like before she came. The strange thing is that my dogs typically bark their heads off initially at visiting dogs. They were silent when she came in for her trial visit. They accepted her right off. It was so weird and out of character for our dogs to be silent that I actually got a chill. I turned around and looked right at her and she gave me the wise eyes look. Even my husband remarked at the look in her eyes. Gift dogs, gotta love them.

Whew, long one, sorry guys... one of my favorite topics. Dogs sent to us vs. dogs we choose.

 

[bcody]

I guess it is true that sometimes we choose and sometimes we are the chosen, I never really thought about it. My poodle choose us. We were at the pound, looking for 6 months or older, small dog that is not black or grey. ( I have had keeshonds for over 15 years and standard schnauzer, I thought a different color would be nice.) We went into a big yard that had some younger dogs playing and he just came up to my kids and would not leave them. He was 8 weeks old, black and at least half if not all standard poodle. Did not fit MY requirements, was not what I was looking for, but there was no way we could leave without him, and he is an awesome dog, and so good with the kids. I am not sure if Cooper likes us, the people, or the dogs. If my dogs are not out he sleeps on the patio, and stays in our yard, even when his owners call him. I did ask if they wanted himn to just stay here, but they said no. I guess he will have to hope he can keep sqeezing through the fence.

 

[Miniv]

Perhaps you could suggest to the owners that Cooper is lonely? And that they may want to consider finding another dog?

If they aren't willing to do that, AND are not willing to let him go to you.........Then, that tells ME what kind of people they are.