Big Dog, Tiny Dog, Black Lab, Dachshund

As the temperatures get cooler, our hearts get warmer in our little pack. It's hard to believe that next week Cooper will have been with us for three months and Diesel will have been the big dog for just over two months. Time flies when you're training a puppy while being supervised by an 80-pound tank of a black lab.

The man at the shelter gave us the best advice: it will take three days for a puppy to decompress, three weeks for him to feel safe, and three months to settle into a routine. We've hit that mark on the timeline, and while I'm not sure I would use the words settle or routine yet, we're definitely getting there.

Diesel is 9 years old now, which we just discovered at our last vet visit. We were convinced he was 7, but Dr. Jordan had his adoption papers in his records. My soul dog has aged a little on paper but definitely not in spirit. 

Cooper is almost 6 months old, so he's very much a teenager. He's determined, headstrong, very mischievous, stubborn as all get-out, and will throw barking temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. But then you see this adorable face and just give him all the cuddles you have to give.

Cooper was crated trained very quickly, like literally in a couple of days. It's one thing I would write in ink on that routine list. He's loves his bed and his blankets, often taking the blankets out to string across the room when we're all home. Diesel has free-range privileges while we're at work, so Cooper's crate is out with him so they can still see each other. 

During the last couple of years when we had two senior dogs with bladder issues in the house, no dogs were allowed on the furniture. Over the past few weeks, that mandate has been lifted and Diesel couldn't be happier. He is my velcro dog with physical touch as his love language, so he needs to be as close to be as possible at any given moment. He's still getting used to the tiny dog wanting to touch him and lay next to him, too, but we're getting there.

Like any little brother, Cooper will do anything and everything Diesel does. The big dog is off leash during the day (I don't like him off in the dark on the wildlife preserve), so there are some places Cooper can't follow. But he will smell what Diesel smells, do where he goes, chase what he chases ... you get the idea. I can't wait to see what adventures they go on this winter! Diesel will have to give him the lay of the land.