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Cooper, DOG
9812 Shelbyville Road Suite 4
Louisville, Kentucky 40223
Individual, Group, Couple & Family Therapy
Phone: 502-423-0509

Cooper is a 2 year old Standard Poodle has been a working as a therapy dog since he arrived in Louisville at the age of 11 weeks.  Having a dog in my practice has enriched my life and he demonstrates his love and concern for us humans on a daily basis.  He often knows when someone is upset or depressed - sometimes before I am aware.  He feels it is one of his jobs to provide his care and will lie at the foot, or rest his head in the lap of someone who needs the support.

This dog adores children. It is not unusual to find him in the waiting room visiting with kids who are either waiting to be seen or waiting for a parent who may be in therapy.  However Cooper is friendly to all and has to check in with the other therapists to make sure everyone is okay before he makes himself comfortable in my office.  On more than one occasion, Cooper has been asked to spend some time in another therapist’s office to assist.

A spontaneous event during a therapy session occurred when Copper was less than a year old.  A couple was in the middle of an argument when Cooper hopped out of his chair, climbed onto the couch between them, rested his head on the woman’s shoulder then waited until she was calmer. When Cooper felt she was okay, he turned to her husband, put his head on the husband’s shoulder and waited until he was calmer. Both had been so involved in the argument they had not acknowledged Cooper’s behavior.  Finally I suggested Cooper was trying to comfort them.  Neither was aware they wanted nor felt they needed comfort; but, comfort seemed to be the missing ingredient in their relationship.  From that point on, the dynamics changed and I recently learned the couple was getting along well and enjoying their relationship more.  Cooper broke through an impasse of several unhappy years and did it without saying a word.  He just gave them what he thought they needed.
 

Cooper after his first haircut when he was 13 weeks old:

Cooper has had extensive obedience training (see below) and will be going to pet therapy classes in the near future. However most of what he does is instinctual and freely given. People ask me many questions about Cooper and what is typical of his breed.  Standard Poodles are not often seen outside the show ring and they evoke curiosity wherever they go. This will be an attempt to cover some of the questions and I will do my best to answer them as it pertains to my Standard Poodle. Standard Poodles are highly intelligent, sensitive, beautiful, elegant, playful, impish, willful, physically strong, free spirited, adventuresome, incredibly sweet and will test you frequently for leadership. They make excellent therapy dogs because they love to connect with humans and will often anticipate what someone needs long before the human knows it. Standard poodles are high-energy dogs and must have plenty of exercise.  They need to run a large distance and always benefit from a nice long walk.  Standard poodles are wonderfully intelligent and sensitive but they also like to be in charge. Cooper, my two-year-old standard poodle is growing up to become a fun, playful, loyal, gentle and affectionate dog.  However he is no exception to the rule, poodles are high maintenance. It took hard work and a lot of training with Cooper to establish my role as leader. Cooper is 72 pounds and tall, he is unaware of his size or strength.  Good obedience training was critical if Cooper was to be with me in the office meeting and greeting people.  He has trained with Michele Keirle, owner of Good Dogs & Co. in Louisville.  During the early days, there were some hair raising experiences when Cooper thought it was a great game to bolt from the house and/or the office, and once ran out into the middle of a busy street. Michele taught me to help Cooper be more respectful by training him to walk on a leash instead of pulling me down the street, sit & stay, wait, come when called.  When I take Cooper to the park he now listens to me and we have established a boundary (“Let’s go, over here, this way”) where he can run safely without being in danger.

Cooper at the office waiting to see who is coming next:

He has a sensitive side too.  He is used to riding in the car and if I leave him at home too often, it hurts his feelings.  There is no question Cooper is mad at me if he turns his head away, refuses to speak and will not eat his treat. Our neighborhood is next to a large park with many skunks who like to visit. He has been nose-to-nose with a couple of them but luckily never sprayed. One of Cooper’s standard poodle friends Savanah has been sprayed twice. Her owner has a good supply of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda on hand.  Thankfully it works like a charm. Many people ask me if Cooper gets along with cats.  He lives with 2 Abyssinians and they are always in charge.  They allow him to chase after them a couple of times a day but they always win.  Dogs are pack animals and if you have cats, birds, guinea pigs, a rabbit or any other living creature, the dog will consider it a part of it’s pack.  The rule is “no bite” and “easy.” Cooper loves to play tug-of-war or his game of fetch. He chases, chews on the toy, then wants you to do the fetching.  A strong stinky salmon jerky treat helps him remember to chase the toy, bring it and drop it.  However he soon grows bored and tries to reinvent the game. After he chews and slobbers on his toy awhile, he decides when you should throw it again.  He also sits, stays, rolls over and plays dead on command.  But it is really beyond his dignity so he does it in slow motion. Cesar Milan, “The Dog Whisperer” on National Geographic Channel and Victoria Stilwell who is featured on The Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog” have also reinforced how dogs think, how important it is to understand the dog wants to please and will respond to our sense of confidence and certainty.  The most helpful lesson is the more balanced and calmly assertive we are, the more our dogs will trust and follow us. Contented, well behaved dogs have a healing presence and we can learn from them patience, tolerance, balance and unconditional love.  It is our responsibility as dog owners to teach them kindly to be respectful with good boundaries and limits. Having a happy dog is the one of the best therapies around.

Cooper hard at work in his favorite chair:

It’s surely obvious by now, how much I enjoy bringing Cooper to work with me in my therapy practice and having him as a daily presence in my life.  I hope some of the stories have been enjoyable for you.  Thank you for visiting Cooper’s web page. Please come back as often as you like. Wishing you all the best – Cooper’s owner, Linda J Hill, LCSW, DCSW

                  email: Linda@lindajhill.com

This web page was posted on May 16, 2008 and revised on May 18, 2008.

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