Please welcome Cooper to America. Cooper came in 4/29/2017 along with 17 other Turkish dogs. He is being fostered in Richfield, MN. This is what we have learned about him so far. He is a large boy, weighing in at 86 lbs. He has been to the vet and is heartworm-negative and has no tick-borne diseases. He needs to have 3-4 teeth and a small cyst removed. His fecal tests were negative. He needs to lose 10-12 lbs., the vet says. Overall, he is healthy. He's 3 years old and lighter in color. He has a big, blocky head and a lovely coat. He has been groomed by Bark Avenue in Burnsville, MN. They offer free bathing and grooming to RAGOM foster dogs. So a big shot-out to Bark Avenue. I would highly recommend them for all pets to be groomed.

He is up to date on shots and has his own passport. Cooper had been attacked by other dogs in Turkey and had 17 bite marks that were infected and now have healed. He has a scar on his nose. He is very mellow for his age. Cooper will need a physical fence as he tried to jump our 4-foot fence on the first day. So far, he hasn't tried it again. He has not shown any interest in cats yet!

A good diet will help him lose weight. Don't let his size fool you - he moves pretty quickly.

Things Cooper likes to do:

• He loves to go for walks, 2-3 miles a day. This will help him lose weight also. We use a harness or a Gentle Leader.
• He loves to be outside and roll in the grass.
• He loves car rides.
• He likes to be where the action is.
• He doesn't really know about toys, but he likes his balls. And of course, they are all his. We are working on sharing.

He has met our 10-month-old grand-dog Cedar with no issues. They had a couple of nice play dates. Lots of energy from the pup, but Cooper played very well. Next, he got to meet the other grand-dog, a 6-year-old Lab named Trigger. He's mellow. All good with Trigger and Cooper. He does like to bark to warn you someone is near the house. We are working on "no bark." He has had no accidents in the house and has a very good bladder.

He goes to bed at 8-9 pm and sleeps all night. I have to wake him up to go out and potty at 6:30 am. He sleeps on a dog bed or the carpeted floor. He doesn't like storms. He will jump up on the bed to be near you, then settles down and goes to sleep, so you need a large bed. He is not a Velcro dog. He comes up to be petted, then goes to lay down. He is very low-key for a young dog. He just wants to be near his humans. Cooper is a very special dog and deserves to live the Golden Life.