MACH2 PACH Cooper X MXG MJB2 MXP3 MXPB MJP6 MJPS PAX OF T2B CGC owned by Shelley R. Webster of Trenton, NJ
Cooper was found as a stray in Ohio at the estimated age of 7 months. His next 11 months were spent in shelters until Shelley adopted him in Princeton, NJ, on July 6, 2009. Since he was estimated to be 1 1/2 years old, she gave him a Jan. 6, 2008, birthday.
“He was overweight at 66 pounds, totally untrained and full of energy. The first three months were tough, him adjusting to life in a home, me giving him lots of exercise to get him in shape, and us getting used to each other,” she said. “We went through basic obedience classes and Canine Good Citizen training and he earned his CGC title on December 12, 2009.
“Cooper doesn’t really play with toys or fetch things and I was looking for something active that we could play together, and my trainer suggested agility,” said Shelley. So, on Feb. 4, 2010, they started agility training. This was Shelley’s first exposure to dog agility, so they learned together. “Cooper seemed to enjoy it; I certainly did. He was pretty good at it when his nose didn’t take over and send him sniffing off somewhere. After all, he is a hound-mix born to follow his nose, and his antics in the ring are sometimes very entertaining.”
In 2015 Cooper earned his first MACH which was followed by MACH2 in 2017. By then he was “getting up in age” so in July 2017, Shelley moved him to Preferred so he could jump 20 inches instead of the 24 inches he had been jumping. He earned his PACH on June 6, 2019. “He will be 12 in January and, since he still enjoys competing, we will continue as long as it is what’s best for him! Cooper is a very sweet, happy dog and is a wonderful part of my family. I am grateful to be on this journey with him.”