Old friends

This is an old picture of Teddy and Cooper
from their time here as foster dogs.  It's one of my
favorite pics of them because it shows their bond.

I have a few human friends that go back a ways, a couple from Salina, a couple from college, a couple from my early years on the east coast.  Most of my human friends are of recent origin, not many I'd call "old friends."  Among canines, however, I have many that I'd consider to be old friends.  The time frame is compressed among dogs, of course, but also it doesn't take as long to develop the bond and the intimacy required to achieve "old friend" status with a dog.  Two old friends came today for about a two week stay.

Cooper today.  He looks great.

Teddy is still shy and scared, wouldn't approach me,
but he's fine as long as Cooper is around.

Teddy and Cooper are a great pair of dogs.  Teddy is sweet, but is so shy and withdrawn that I really thought he had canine autism if there is such a thing and I don't know why there wouldn't be.  Cooper is Mr. Sociable, friendly and outgoing, and he became Teddy's companion and service dog in a very real sense.  I had them both here as fosters and they were both ultimately adopted by the same person.  Teddy always loved Cooper and stuck by him closely.  That helped when he got adopted because he followed Cooper into the house when he wouldn't otherwise come on his own.  Cooper can now round up Teddy when he needs to come in.  They make an amazing pair of dogs.  Although Cooper would have been fine on his own or with another dog, he has given Teddy a life that Teddy could never have achieved on his own.
 

Cooper was very happy with his going away present.

Teddy must be worried, but he's in a familiar place and
he still has Cooper around for security.  He will be fine.

I set them up in the kennel where Sparky had been.  Sparky moved over with Riley a couple weeks ago.  Teddy and Cooper have a big space to themselves, the shed for shelter, and a refrigerator to store the raw chicken that they get to supplement their Sammy Snacks dog food.  They are well fed, well cared for dogs.  They even got two big, raw, meaty beef bones as a going away present.