Well, I got my new dog a week ago on Saturday (Feb 3). Here are a few pictures of him from last week.
He is 12 weeks old and 36 lbs - I have him housebroken and he is faster and more wiley than I expected - I can't catch him when runs - and my daughter thinks it is the funniest thing ever! (wasn't funny when he wouldn't give my the remote control for my TiVo back!!)
He's an awesome boy that loves going full throttle for a few hours then crashing on the couch at the end of day.
My girlfriend and I have wished we had more room since first seeing this dog "in person." He is a bigger version of the dog I have now...well, if my dog was mixed with Great Pyrenees.
The video link explains a bit more about his current situation. He had his surgery that's mentioned in that video in early February.
If you're more into leisurely strolls in the evening than early morning jogs, Cooper might be your match. Cooper is a 2 year old, Great Pyrenees/ Australian Shepherd Mix (that's what Town Lake said anyway - who knows?). We do know that he is gorgeous, super sweet, and an 80 pound floor potato. He's pretty content just laying in the floor near his foster parents and getting his ears scratched every once in a while - he'll let you know when.
Cooper was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. He has seizures sometimes, so the vet put him on medicine so that he won't have them as often. He'll need to take the medicine for the rest of his life, but he only needs it once a day and he's getting pretty good about taking it. The medicine costs about $ $50 every 6 months (some people spend more than that at Starbucks!) Since he's been on his medicine, the seizures are less frequent and has them about once a month. Since being on medication, he recovers more quickly, gets up and is ready to go!
Cooper is such a sweet boy. He gets along well with EVERY dog and person he meets and isn't interested in the cat. He loves his people the most and would do just fine as an only dog, or as a friend for an older dog that isn't too active. He bonds very quickly to his family and is calm, but very friendly and social.
He is neutered, house trained, and crate trained; although doesn't need to be in his crate unless no one is home.
Cooper is a very special boy looking for an equally special home. Whomever decides that he is the dog they want to love and be the guardian of the rest of his live, will NO doubt be the luckiest humans on earth!
UPDATE: Cooper is recovering from his TPLO surgery he had on February 8th and is doing GREAT!
I have a Aussie/Queensland mix (Annie) i rescued from the shelter one day before they were going to gas her, the dog has been one of the best dogs i have had. I have run into one problem with her and it is a big problem and small at that same time, she has epilepsy. When we first discovered it thought she had been poisoined and i wasready to go kill some neighbors, well ya know when you wake up at 1am and the dog is convulsing and foaming at the mouth you draw conclusions pretty fast.
I went to the vet the next day and they told me what was going on recommended meds and i said no for now, lets see how often she has seizures, well lo and behold they have been really far apart for the last 14 years and when she has them we just hold and pet her till she gets through it, now the bad part, since she has advanced in age the seizures have gotten more frequent but less harsh with the convulsions, she does have temp blindness that go's along with them and takes longer to come out of them. I have done some more reasearch recently and have found that aussies are a breed that can have epilepsy more than most any other dog, they say its a gene thing from what i gather. I think the breed is great just be forwarned of some extra special care you may have to give that special aussie pooch in your family.
The video pretty much pegs the seizure routine except they do not show foaming of the mouth and the vomiting that ensues shortly after the seizure is ended, it can be quite a chore to get the dog outside or at least to a hard floor to try and make cleanup a little easier.
If there was an Australian Sheperd it would be a kelpie
Or a blue heeler
May 2003 - "Mission Accomplished"
June 2005 - "The mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight"
-- G W Bush, freelance writer for The Daily Show.
I demand more pictures and stories of dogs. As a college student, I can't afford to have one yet. I'm counting down the days till I am able to have two or three of my own.
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Leo's baby picture from last July.
He is now 10 months old, tall and a mass of energy like Starbuck. He's well behaved and fearless and crazy smart.
Playtime is rough, he's already cracked my wrist bone, busted my lip open a couple times by smacking my mouth with his head, bruised my eye with his shoulder bone. But that's my fault. He's also loving and the best companion I could ask for. If we live through his puppy stage the rest is gravy.
I would fight a bear for that dog.
Last edited by rhyae on March 20, 2007, 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
With labs, make sure they have a diet rich in calcium. As labs get older, they suffer from serious hip injuries. My golden lab (Murphy Brown) died of hip problems, and the breakdown of her bone structure could have been prevented or at least slowed if we had given her more calcium.
Labs are gorgeous, loving creatures. Yours has a wonderful coat as well. Just make sure the puppy chow and future dog food is rich in vitamins. That way you provide the best nutrition for a valued family member.
Kaldaur wrote:With labs, make sure they have a diet rich in calcium. As labs get older, they suffer from serious hip injuries. My golden lab (Murphy Brown) died of hip problems, and the breakdown of her bone structure could have been prevented or at least slowed if we had given her more calcium.
Interesting, I did not know that calcium could help prevent those problems. I have known several friends who have lost labs to hip problems, and I hope to one day get a lab of my own. I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the info.
"It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant."- Barack Obama
