A little Cooper update... he is seven months old, has been with us for 7 weeks now and is growing like a mushroom!
He's a lovely clever boy, gentle and learns fast. He has recently started dog school, which is going well. He and Polly (aged almost 10) play all day long (when they aren't napping together) so Betty has become a little bit of a spare wheel (poor Bets!) but she is coming round to her baby brother slowly ... they were caught exchanging gentle kisses yesterday, so I know they will be fine in the long run.
Bets has definitely had her doggy nose put out of joint and as she has such a gentle, nature, she won't challenge Cooper for time with Polly, or her toys, so I have had to do lots of work to teach Cooper to share ... he is understanding more and getting much better and loves to run with Betty (Polly prefers to plod) so they are bonding, but it is a gradual process. Lead walking three dogs has been hard work but after seven weeks of graft, we now have it looking pretty tidy and thanks to a waist belt and a longer lead for Polly to walk on the outside, we can at last walk from A to B in a straight line!
In the seven weeks he has lived with us Cooper has made new friends, been on lots of walks, mastered a good solid recall and visited his new vet. He has learned not to frighten our cats and is learning to take turns with Polly and Betty for treats and play... and he is slowly learning not to jump up. He has learned to wait at the door until he is invited outside and is starting to walk without pulling on the lead - that will take a while to cement.. he waits beautifully at kerbs until invited to cross roads and has mastered how to walk up and down steps with me safely. We are working on eliminating counter surfing and that is coming along nicely now after a challenging start! He no longer jumps on me in bed.. and instead now politely puts himself back to bed after his early morning walk with my husband. (Horaay!)
There is plenty still to teach but Cooper has worked hard and made a really great start to life with us!
PS: Don't let anyone convince you having three goldens is no more difficult than two ... so not true!
Think three times more mud, more chaos, more expense, more space on pavements required, less space in car... and definitely at least three times more owner energy needed!
Three goldens are a significant commitment.
