Cooper's Day - Meeting with Lilly and The Countess

Cooper has being visiting a few times a week for a little while now. His mom and dad want him to feel comfortable here before there's a real need of overnight stays. The Countess and Lilly had finished their early morning fun times and were quietly resting indoors.

River - "Hey COOPER! When are you getting here?"
Lilly - "Hurry Cooper we want to play more."

When Cooper arrived he came straight to me happily jumping up. A behaviour I will usually rebuff with a backwards movement or turn away from. This day I reinforced it by bending down and giving cuddles. His dad says when he told Cooper they were coming to visit me, Cooper became excited. Yay Coops! I hope he believes things here pose no threat. Confidence, comfort level and security, yay!

Cooper - "Wait for me Lady, I'm coming too."

As dad drove away Cooper watched with only one short whimper. He had a relaxed body and wagging tail. I stepped away and called him, he turned and happily trotted up to me and then followed me to the top yard. There was no moment of running back to the gate for security. His focus was on the sights and smells of the yard and on me. Good boy Cooper. I’m winning your trust. 

Can we go in and see the others now please?

Indoors, the senior Countess River and the exuberant, almost 2 yr old, Lilly were in the living room separated to give Cooper maximum comfort meeting them. I allowed Cooper to say hello to the well socialized and seasoned senior River first. It gave Lilly an opportunity to watch the positive body language and see an appropriate interaction between the two and still have an opportunity to contain her excitement.
As I expected from River, she stayed calm and polite when Cooper approached the gate.

Cooper seemed reassured when River showed she was ready to meet him.

 It wasn’t long ago Lilly was the ‘newbie’ going through the same slow introduction process. Now it was her turn to learn to engage the newcomer in a safe, more relaxed mode. Lilly excelled! She showed 4 year old Cooper the respect he deserved and allowed him to say hello to her at his own pace. Well done girls, River and Lilly! I know your moms and dads are so proud of you both.

Cooper - "I see you and I need you to go slow please?"
Lilly - "Yes, yes, I will but can we just touch please?"

Lilly - "I'm being good right?"
Me -"Yes, You sure are Lilly. I'm very proud of you"

I kept a safety lead on Miss Lilly for a while outdoors as a precaution. One excited leap with her puppy paws could easily set Coopers trust back.

After polite greeting exchanges, Lilly, Cooper and The Countess
roamed back and forth all around the yard marking and remarking areas.

It didn’t take long for all three to be outdoors free of leads and collars to socialize and explore.

Cooper - "Hey River, wait up"
Lilly - "Wait for me too"

Cooper wandered, then followed and soon was staying close to the others and seeking them out as they played. He chose not to join in but made no attempt to run away when they began their romping. I’m hopeful he will soon feel confident enough to join in a controlled bout of play with another soon.

River - "Do you want to play too Cooper."
Cooper - "Ahh, no thank you, maybe another day."

Cooper - "Hey! Wait for me. I wanna come too."
River - "Hurry up then, or you'll miss it."

A few more days like this will hopefully allow him to relax even more. I’ll be watching for the right time and the right visitor to promote a safe, happy playtime for him. I feel like I’m gaining Sir Cooper’s trust and want to continue moving slowly in a forward motion. A backslide can easily undo all the positive gains he’s made to date.

Just dogs in the yard
Lilly, River and Cooper

Thank you to his mom and dad for allowing Cooper to visit and find his place in our extended pack. He's a little darling and his personality is truly shining through now.
I can't wait for his next visit.