HOWLiday

On Friday Cooper attended the Howliday party at the Dog Den. It began with a large playgroup - there must have been fifty dogs. Cooper was initially a social butterfly, but he soon found his perfect match and the tandem played together almost exclusively. Every time we tried to separate them they eventually found each other. Next was the obligatory picture with Santa, followed by more playing.

After burning some energy it was time for activities: Cooper, with some assistance, added his paw print to an ornament; Cooper and I finished approximately fifth playing "Santa Says", and just missed winning a prize; our team finished second in targeting the bell (only two teams); and we decided not to participate in the talent competition.

Saturday was a busy day: puppy playgroup to burn some energy, visit Mac and Griff, and a Badger hockey game. We thought that playgroup would be a great way to prepare for a home visit. Since Cooper is almost five months old and larger than most of the puppies, we attended the second half of the teenager playgroup and the first part with the puppy group. He received some much needed correction with the older dogs and was less rambunctious with the smaller puppies.

With his energy fully depleted, we stopped by to visit with Mac and Griff. "A tired dog is a good dog." Mac, who is on the waiting list for a service dog, had not been feeling well, however Cooper seemed to be the perfect medicine.

At the hockey game, we stopped for a quick potty outside, but Cooper was distracted by the sights, sounds, and smells. Inside, we walked around the main level at the Kohl Center. It took about thirty minutes with the frequent stops to greet first-timers and the many friends that Cooper has made over the last few months. As we killed time waiting for the game to start, our puppy seemed out of sorts; he would not settle down. Experienced puppy raisers that we are are, we opted for a quick potty break before the puck dropped - issue resolved. I knew we should have waited him out before entering the building.