My Hilarious Talking Dog

Some way, some how…my dog, Cooper, has developed a hatred for baths, water, and really anything else a typical Golden Retriever loves to do.  I like to joke sometimes and say I got a “defective” retriever.  Aside from the fact that he isn’t your average goldie, he is highly intelligent.  So much so, that he has learned to “vocalize” words when he really wants something. Or better yet, when he really really DOESN’T want something.  This is not a trick I have tried to teach him, and honestly, I have no idea where it came from. But he is progressively becoming more talkative as the days go by.  I was fortunate enough to catch one of his “moments” on camera without even trying to.  I was trying to show how his mood changes whenever I ask him if he wants to take a bath.  He made it very clear that he did not want to take a bath last night.  You can hear the “NOOOO” in his howl!  Hopefully this video will cure your case of “The Mondays” with some laughter and cuteness overload!

BarkBox: Two “Paws” Up!

I don’t think I have properly introduced my fur-baby to you all yet, but since this post is primarily based on his spoiled-rotten lifestyle, I feel that it is only appropriate to tell you a little about the second man in my life.  His name is Cooper, and he is a 2 year old European Golden Retriever.

Ever since I was old enough to walk, I have always had a passion for animals.  Dogs in particular.  When I look at old photographs from my childhood, I was always holding a stuffed animal dog, or playing with one of our family dogs in every single picture.  I don’t think I have ever NOT had a dog until I left home to go to college.  I remember begging my parents to let me get a dog when I was away at school, but after several failed attempts to convince them of my dog-ownership potential, they convinced me to wait until after I graduated.  After all, I can (kind of) understand why they said no for so long, since owning a dog costs money, which I personally did not have much of when I was in nursing school.  So when my parents asked me what I wanted as a graduation gift, I chose none other than a puppy to call my own.

Cooper has been one of the best gifts I could have ever hoped for.  Everyday, he brings me so much joy and happiness.  And I think any dog owner could agree with me on this, but the love I have for this dog is unsurpassable.  He is as smart as he is handsome, and brings a smile to anyone he meets.  So, when I heard about a subscription box that is just for dogs, I couldn’t help myself but to shower him with even more love than he already gets.

BarkBox is a monthly subscription box delivered to your door, filled with all sorts of toys and treats that will certainly get your dog’s tail wagging.  A portion of the sales go towards helping animal charities and homeless dogs, which makes me feel even better about using this already awesome service.  So when it finally came in this week, I think I was almost as excited as Cooper to open it up and see what was inside!  So let’s see what Cooper was spoiled with this month…

“I am so excited to open this box, Mom! What’s in it??”

“…almost there!!”

Cooper’s absolute favorite item was the “Cuddle Monster” stuffed animal from the picture above.  The arms of this toy have crinkly plastic inside them, and it sounds like you are trying to open a peppermint (but way louder).  The squeaky of course is his favorite part, which almost sounds like a duck call.  All I could think about was how much fun he was going to have with this toy until he finally gets that “prized stuffing” from inside.  This is precisely why I only buy him toys without the stuffing inside, since he tears through them within hours.  Supposedly, this toy is “double reinforced” to prevent that from happening.  So far, it has lived up to its promise and I am very impressed!  Needless to say, he can’t go anywhere in the house without his new toy between his teeth.

He also got some holistic treats and snacks in the box.  The one I am not too fond about is the Alaskan Salmon Strips.  Cooper LOVES them, but I hate, hate, hate the smell of fish.  They are like Fish Strip “rawhides” and I hate when he eats them in the house (GAGGG!).  But, my husband loves to give them to him, so I can’t fight it.

Cooper brings so much love and joy to our lives, and we have been truly blessed to have such a special dog.  Hunter and I love doing anything we can to give him the happiness and love that he unconditionally brings us every day.  BarkBox allows us to do that for Cooper , and I love seeing his bushy white tail wag frivolously in approval!  Cooper gives it “two paws up” and is anxiously waiting for his next delivery of doggy surprises next month!

Thanks for reading about Cooper’s first BarkBox, and I look forward to sharing more about Cooper with you in future posts!

Love Always,

Jillian Wade