Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with dogs,
Good with cats,
Story
Hello new friend! My name is Cooper. I am a young pup with so much love to offer. I'm still learning all of my big boy manners but I'm trying my best and learning every day. I know how to sit and lay down but there is still so much more I am willing to learn! I love to play with any and all toys but sometimes I'm naughty and find my own "toys" when I get bored. I enjoy the company of any and all humans. I am still learning how to make doggy friends as some dogs don't enjoy playing and wrestling with my goofball self but I'm learning how to tone it down a bit. I just get so so excited when I get to make a new friend. After I have the chance to run, jump, play, and wrestle some, I enjoy a nice cuddle session and tons of belly rubs. I also enjoy walks around the town but I won't lie, it will take us a long time to make it back because I have to sniff EVERY blade of grass and all the leaves I can find. Would you like to be my new adventure buddy?? Let's go smell the world together!***Please note Cooper has started to display signs of resource guarding***He is entering the Freedom Tails training program starting December 5th and graduating at the end of February. His training is focused on resource guarding along side other basic manners, tricks, and skills. A completed and approved application is needed to schedule a meet and greet. Stay tuned, more info coming soon!_____________________________________________________________________________________________12/12/24 Hello everybody,My name is DJ and I am Cooper’s handler. Cooper is roughly about 13 months old. He’s a pit/ Boston Terrier mix who weighs in at a whopping 53 lbs. Cooper has pretty sea green eyes and a face that could melt any heart at first glance. Day one, Cooper came right up to me as friendly as could be for a warm hello. He is a lover of all people and dogs with a drive for social interactions that will take him far! He has quite the backstory but his future looks bright. So if you're looking for a cuddle bug who NEVER seems to smell like a dog, even when he’s wet, please consider this guy to be the newest member of your home! Stay tuned for weekly updates! ______________________________________________________________________________12/19/24We are going to teach Cooper “off,” which uses the visual cue of flipping your hand over while saying off when he jumps. “Stay” so that he will stay in one place while his person leaves and until they return. For this we hold our hand palm up facing out while asking him to stay. “Leave it,” which will be good specifically for Cooper as he is under the impression he must eat all the grass. The hand cue for this is hand down, palm toward the dog's face with side to side motion at the wrist between the dog and the object. “Take it” so he knows to pick something up or when it's ok to eat something. Cooper is tuned in, he knows when we say go ahead that we’re referring to taking his food. ______________________________________________________________________________12/25/24Hello everyone, My name is Cooper and I’m here to give you some of my background story. I’ll fill you in on my experiences leading to my time here in the Freedom Tails program. I was born in a litter with 8 other siblings, one of which actually made his own journey through the Freedom Tails Program and found his forever home upon graduation. I was adopted when I was 3 months old to a nice young lady who took me with her off to college. Sadly it was a little much to manage school and take care of me all at the same time so after 5 months I was brought back to PAWS. About a month later I was adopted again by a family, but was returned the next morning because my new dad thought he was going to have some help from his family but I guess they all were busy. Oh well, their loss. After that I was adopted again on 9/19/24 and I lasted a few days in my new home! But then I started to show off and may or may not have table surfed at my new house and then tried to reenact my favorite WWE wrestling match ever while my new dad was sitting in his recliner. I was just so happy! I also may have started claiming things I maybe shouldn’t have… I did mention I have 8 siblings right? Well sometimes you have to fight for what you want when your family is as big as mine was, or at least that’s the way I thought it was. I began resource guarding things in the house and would get overly moody when I had to give those items back. I have no bad intentions when I do this! I just know that when I would do this to my siblings when I was little they would back off! I thought the same technique would be perfect for humans too. Don’t get me wrong, I love you all! I haven't met a human I didn't want to run up to and get a nice belly rub from. Since my last family didn’t know how to heal with my behavior I was again returned back to PAWS. It wasn’t their fault! They just didn't know what to do or how to teach me… I sat again at the shelter from 8/14/24 - 11/2/24. Ms. Allie from PAWS walked into my kennel one day and asked if I wanted to take a trip and of course I said “YES!” We loaded up into the car and ended up here! We had to walk through a bazillion fences first. When we got through there was this man waiting for us with a big smile and leash in his hand. I pulled my way right up to him and pressed my body against his legs and demanded he pet me. This man turned out to be my new handler, “DJ” He started laughing as he bent down to give me a nice belly run, clip his leash to my collar and stood back so I could take a look at him. I looked him in the eye and with a couple of nudges on his hand, I let him know we were going to be best friends. We walked all the way to what will be my home for the next 12 weeks, stopping so I could smell this or that. There are so many humans here all wanting to say hello to me but since I was so new, I wasn;t able to say hello back even though I really wanted to. There are so many other dogs here going through the program too! I love them all. Sometimes I can’t go say hello because they’re busy with something else so I start whimpering…. I don't want any drama with my new canine friends! I made it inside to where I would be living with my two handlers DJ and Treven. I have to say, I don't know what all the fuss about prison is about. I have my own crate with a nice soft bed inside, my own shelf stocked with lots of toys and tasty treats and all of the attention a dog would ever ask for! Yup. I'm going to like my stay here. Oh! I almost forgot to mention, I also got a bath today! I LOVE THOSE! The warm water feels so good so I just stand there like a good boy while I get washed and dried afterwards. All I need now is a wonderful home to head to after graduation! I hope my story has been compelling enough to keep you interested. Stay tuned as we follow my journey though Freedom Tails! Much love, Your Pal Cooper ______________________________________________________________________________12/30/24If I had to list 5 endearing facts about Cooper I would say my favorites are - He is very friendly with humans and other dogs. He snorts and grunts when he eats. You couple probably rent him out to a sci-fi movie to do the sounds for a scary monster when he is eating. He rarely sheds his fur and when he does, it's almost invisible! He loves eating grass and mud. He seems to stay away from flowers but weeds don't stand a chance. He might be part goat. He is very smart. He focuses so intensely on you! He’s always trying to figure out what I want when I work with him. Cooper has a moderate amount of energy and is content with a few hours of play throughout the day. He loves stuffed animals and toys and I think his favorite treat would be literally anything you handed him. He loves food. What I love about him is how affectionate he is with complete strangers. He is very eager to please and will work the attention he wants from you. The fact that he never stinks like a typical dog is just the best cherry on top! I can’t say the same about his farts though… Oh boy…. ______________________________________________________________________________1/09/25 This week I am working on Cooper’s recall. He gets distracted sometimes and will take a little longer than I like to come, but he is getting better with every session. So far Cooper has mastered kennel and crate. He will also drop what he is doing the moment he hears either of these cues. His leash walking is still a work in progress. He tends to stray when he sees someone he knows but will bounce back as soon as he realizes we have stopped. He only tends to pull when he is looking for a place to potty but who can blame him for that?! On that note, Cooper is 100% potty trained and will let you know when he has to use the bathroom before having an accident.Please apply to adopt at: http://www.pawsgh.org
