Copper turns 7(ish) today!
He came into our lives five years ago today, and little did I know how unprepared I was to help him. He had separation anxiety, couldn’t walk on a leash, didn’t know how to socialize with other dogs, hated cats, couldn’t be left alone, wasn’t house trained… Our first year together was very difficult as I realized that loving a dog wasn’t enough to give him the life that he deserved. I cried a lot, panicked a lot, worried a lot, and then I finally got down to business.
When people see the videos that I post of Copper now, they can’t believe it’s the same dog. He was a mess- and so was I. But we found training and we worked so hard to overcome his fear and anxiety. We spent countless hours learning how to walk on a leash, how to be calm around other dogs, how to listen around distractions. A lot of it was sloppy and slow and looking back, I can count dozens of things that I should have done differently. But the important thing is that I kept working with him, I kept learning, and we built such a strong bond and trust that we now carry everywhere we go.
I get teary thinking of how far he’s come, and how much he trusts me in new stressful situations. That didn’t happen overnight, and we still work at it. Learning to teach him is the reason that I discovered my love for training dogs, the reason I started this business, and he is a critical part of our team.
I truly couldn’t do the work that I do without him. Every dog that comes through our doors learns from him in some way. Whether it’s learning to read another dog’s body language, learning to relax in the same room, learning to walk calmly past another dog, or learning to play politely, Copper has played such a big role here. And as long as there are treats and belly rubs involved, he’s always a willing helper!
I am so lucky to have found him. And I am so lucky to have learned so much from such an incredible dog.