Furry Friday - February 26

Cooper Johnson,

this weeks's Furry Friday Feature.

Momma and Daddy have ALWAYS had Scotties. They got their first puppy 2 weeks after they got married. It happened to be a male Scottish Terrier named Nosey. (Ever see that old Disney movie about a skunk named Nosey? Momma always wanted to name a dog that!) He was their first baby. They did not go looking for a Scottie, that is just the ad they saw in the paper. And that was all she wrote - they are Scottie people. And now we are all in LOVE with terriers, but I guess you already knew that. . .

Throughout my life, our family has always had a dog. Momma has always said it is the best way to teach a child about compassion. Our pets have always been hugely important to our lives. After Nosey, we had Oliver. Then we had Bailey (I found him at North Georgia my Freshman year). After Bales, Momma said she did not want another dog. Period. And being the good listeners that we are, one week before Christmas 2003, Daddy got Cooper. David, baby Jessa, and I were at Ft. Stewart. So we all met on the street next to their house and ambushed, I mean delivered Cooper to her. Daddy put a bow on his neck. It was perfect. OK, so we thought it was perfect. Momma, uh, she cried and cussed us a little at first.

But of course, she loves him dearly. He and Jessa were born about a week apart, so we always know how old he is. He is a crazy, quirky dog, for sure, but he is so precious, too. He is awesome for Mom since she is alone a lot. He barks ferociously. If you heard him without seeing him, you would think he weighed 150 lbs! He is tough. And he is very protective of his Momma.

He loves to cuddle and is a big lap dog. BUT he gets really nervous around large groups of people and especially children. Momma and I have discussed why he has become this way AT LENGTH. We have pretty much decided that he is so accustomed to it being just the 2 of them that he does not know how to handle it any other way.

But when J and S were smaller, well, he was all over them!

They were more predictable then - less grabby and chasey.

With Jessa - I love their crazy eyes looking toward each other.

With baby Spencer.

But would you just look at that face?

He is just the sweetest thing:

And I still love that booger to pieces. He and I are tight. When he was a puppy, I was always on the floor with baby Jessa when we were at Momma's. So he assumed I was sitting on the floor to play with him. And whenever I visit even now, he sleeps with me! I love it! (Of course, Dunk wants to sleep with Mom, so it is only fair.)

He is a Momma's boy kind of dog, but in a pinch, he'll take me!

Oh and when he sleeps with me, he likes to spoon. Such a romantic!

And he and Dunken LOVE each other so much. If dogs could man hug, they so would. They get so happy to see each other and SO depressed when they are first separated.

Even though he is the biggest of all of our dogs, he is the most unassuming. If they want to go out, he will step back and wait before he heads out. If they want his food, he always backs off and lets them have it.

He is just precious.

Our Cooper.