Wow, she is so cute.. makes me want a second dog.

Coco is absolutely adorable. Makes me want another pup myself...almost. And your photos are gorgeous!

What a doll! These pictures make me want to hold and kiss her!

I think it is funny how she has white eyebrows, just like old men.
Although she defenitely has a puppylook in her eyes.

Truly adorable.

Oh my goodness. If I don't watch myself Coco is going to make me add to my brood.

Thanks for the brief respite from the workday!

She is so cute. And looks happy and obedient. :)

"THIS IS THE SPOT I WAS LOOKING FOR. Because that spot of yard is so very different from the THOUSANDS OF OTHER SPOTS IN THE YARD."

Two of our three dogs are rather quick with picking just the right 'spot'... but our Yorkie is insane. She would slowly walk every inch of grass (for about half an hour) and then, upon finding "the spot" she would turn around in circles two dozen times, if we let her.

Still, I love my dogs... and I love the dog pictures on your site, because now I feel less guilty about posting more pictures of my (furry) babies and less of my (human) baby. :P At least I'm not the only one...

She's totally going to have a poopy windchime, eating string and all.

I am convinced that God created puppies to be so damned adorable so that we wouldn't flush them down the toilet. Which is what I wanted to do most of the time my little lab was a pup. But it's over so fast that you MUST enjoy it now. She's the bees knees!

This post makes me want to run out and get a dog and I'm not a dog person. Coco is truly the cutest little puppy, I just want to snuggle up with her and take a long winters nap...well at least until she needs to go out to tinkle...

Wow...I made it in the top 30 comments!! Dooce - long time reader, first time writer/commenter. I thoroughly enjoy your website...and I've even been checking out !GEORGE!'s, too!! :) Keep up the great work! PS...why the name Coco???

I showed this to my wife and now i am getting nagged about how we need a dog!! hehe

hahaha, "...at least she's not chewing on my underwear." Funniest thing EVER.

I beg of you, please stop making me want to get another puppy!

she is so. cute.

and i'm so glad you're still doing the newsletters. i've been reading them since leta was a little frog and i just love them!

Ugh... I still truly believe that raising a child is less trouble than taking care of a dog. I'm sticking to my cat, who, though obnoxious beyond belief at times, poops in a litter box and requires absolutely no assistance in doing so.

My friend and her sister have four Australians between the two of them, and if I had to get a large dog, I probably would get one of them. They are super smart, and great around kids. I am not a dog person. I am glad you have a large yard for Coco...you are going to need it.

Love the white eyebrow whiskers- she looks like a Muppet!

Oh my gosh, Coco is so cute and sweet. Except for when she's being like Satan, I'm sure.

I love the way you write. I loved reading this post. You make me laugh aloud with your inventive ways of saying things. And your photographs are so, so wonderful.

Thank you for maintaining this site. It brightens my day each day!

Oh, Jesus. Those first few puppy months are so incredibly difficult. And so incredibly WORTH IT.

I said to my husband several times that we should've just had a baby. I'm sure kids are great and all, but I'm also pretty sure that there's no way any child of mine would love me as unconditionally as my sweet doggie does.

1) she is too cute to stand
2) this is so good for me to read because in a few months my son and I getting our dream puppy, a Golden Retriever. Your blog brings me back down to earth and remember this ain't all puppy breath and kisses. It's chewed up shoes, underwear and sleepless nights. But still. SO EXCITED!
3) did I mention how cute she is?

She really is adorable. What a dollface!
I've always sort of nursed a soft spot for female dogs over males... especially when they're pups. Females, to me, seem to carry a little more sweetness and are a teeny bit easier to deal with.
Every male pup I've ever had has been such an angry young dude, while all my females have been much easier to discipline.
However! It's been a hundred and a half years since the last time I owned a dog, so I might be generalizing through rose-colored glasses. And also mixing metaphors, or whatever.
Either way, Coco is adorable.

Girlfriend, one look at Coco had me running to the animal shelter. I brought home TWO CATS. They happen to be two of the coolest cats on the planet thankyouverymuch. At least when they're not barfing on the rug (transition's a bitch).

They've just recently emerged from under the bed, and I've put up some photos of them on my blog. Nothing too creative yet. One thing about cats, they don't freaking sit still when you come near them. They're all PET ME, LOVE ME, SCRATCH ME BEHIND THE EARS!

Whores.

But Coco. Damn. She's so sweet looking it gives me cavities just looking at her. What a total babe!

Hope she gets the hang of the poop thing soon. And yeah, that's a weird thing to say to a total stranger. Gotta love the internet.

Ditto all the remarks about your writing and photography--you are a pro, and it's always a pleasure to check your site. Thanks!

As for Miss Coco-licious...sigh. I love other people's puppies. Thanks for sharing the not-so-fun with the fun. You're going to LOVE having a herding breed, except for those times when you don't. It's amazing how much focus and drive and heart and BRAINS these dogs have and your life is richer for bringing her into it.

Of course, she's also a lucky puppy to come into a home with not only a canine mentor but a kid who doesn't want to maul her and two adults who are head over heels.

She is so freakin' cute, she almost doesn't look real! I've often wondered about the dog-yard mystery. What exactly ARE the characteristics of the ideal spot of lawn to dump a smelly poop onto? And why can't they find it any faster??

Sorry to poop on anyone's parade, but "Glitter in my veins" already has 4,000 hits on google.

The pictures are breathtaking!

She is the cutest frickin' thing in the world. I seriously am so in love with her. The puppy stage is thankfully short lived. I still love how my dogs at 8 years old get so excited to see me, after I come in from getting the paper--as if I had just returned from a long trek around the world. Dogs...they are just awesome. Except if you are Leta. She would hate my dogs...they stare at me all the time until they get what they want.

I am so glad she has brought udder giddiness to you life. We all need that time to time.

Could. Not. Be. Cuter.

it's all about gettin' in the mood.

She so sweet. We're raising a puppy right now too. He's 4 months and all legs and he thinks I'm just about the greatest person on the planet. Dogs are good at making you feel special.

I opened up the comments ready to see people lashing into you for having her tail docked. Glad they didn't.

It's like the paint by numbers people got her absolutely perfect with her coloring and markings.

Have you thought about building a puppy stand? Very similar to a lemonade stand but instead people pay to play, hug and love on your Coco. Millionaries in no time. Good luck and can't wait to see you both on the cover of Fortune 500 Companies because you sell puppy crack.

Are those two, tiny freckles on the end of her nose? The cuteness!! It hurts!! It hurts!!

What better evidence of goodness and loveness than Baby Coco? Happiness is a warm puppy, indeed!

Man is she CUTE. I have a dog named Coco as well. He's nuts, so we call him Coco Nut. Your posts and Jon's about Coco are making me crave another dog but I doubt I'll convince my husband that it's a good idea in our tiny apartment. Oh well, a girl can dream!

That. Dog. Is. Made. Of. 100. Percent. Cute. Extract. But from one Aussie mama to another, be really careful with her and dominance issues - make sure she knows that Leta is boss because she's human (and that ankle nipping is prohibited). And consistency is king with training these little beasts - they need rules rules rules or else they get all screwy in the head.

what's the deal with crating? don't you feel mean? seems so unnecessary.

She is just precious...I hope the docking of her tail, however, was not done by you (it's so unnecessary for any breed) Sorry, I can't help myself...FT dog rescue person.

Oh, and in response to #74, crate training was hugely necessary for our springer spaniel pup. it's not mean at all, and now we've got a young dog who knows when we put him down for the night, it's sleep time. in fact, a lot of the time he takes himself off to bed when he's ready to go. it's like teaching a kid to sleep through the night.

Yeah, the puppy is adorable.

Thanks for naming your hippopotamus after me.

Like it's not bad enough going through life with a name like 'Peggy.' (It's SOOO 50s.)

And I don't even like raisins. (OK, maybe I do, but ONLY in certain desserts.)

I've been thinking about getting a second cat, or even -- yikes -- a puppy (that last picture is giving me a major case of puppy want), but I don't know how my seven-year-old cat would react.

This so reminds me of when our dog was a puppy, it is tough when they are little, but really fun and they outgrow the puppy stage so fast, I miss it.

Heeee! Oh, puppies.

oh, and this has nothing to do with anything but I like your little spam filter thing more than other websites. For some reason I can actually handle typing 'future Hemisphere' whereas if I had to type 'asfDLDS JGEIZse25' I would have just been really angry and probably wouldn't have even bothered commenting.

so. good work.

What a doll! Our pup used to latch on to her older sibling's neck too, then take a ride across the lawn as the elder tried to shake her off. As a result, the older sister spend a good six months with hundreds of scabs on her neck from those miniature needle teeth.

We have a Mini-Aussie too! Most amazing and smartest dog I've ever owned! Be ready for lots of excercise though - I tell everyone that my dog is the best personal trainer anyone could have! Don't get discouraged, our sleepless nights only lasted 2-3 weeks before he was pretty well trained. We also found that he cried at night because he couldn't see us (Aussies are like velcro with their owners)- we ended up getting an all wire crate (as opposed to the plastic ones) so that he could see us during the night. Worked like a charm!

OMG! How cute is that?! I and so getting a hippo just so I have something cuter than you!

Some Aussies have a naturally bobbed tail at birth. When they don't, most breeders in the U.S. opt to dock the tails shortly after birth to follow the "breed standard."

When my dog was really young, he got terribly sick and I spent many sleepless nights awake listening him struggle to breathe and shoving medicine down his throat. He was a perfect puppy otherwise - I swear he was housebroken in about 48 hours. But I definitely understand the sleepless nights.

There is nothing more to say except:

I want I want I want I want I want I want I want!!!

She is seriously cute. I know the glee you feel. I got my dog when she was 12 months, but she was still pretty much a puppy. She came from a shelter, and had bounced from home to home, mainly because her separation anxiety was such that she would go nuts. She chewed through a metal crate until her paws and mouth bled when I first got her. After months of training her, she is now a very normal dog for the most part. And I went through all that because she is such an amazing little person. I say person, which Cesar Milan would frown at, but I really do feel that she is my little child. Sure, she's a child I shove off the couch with my foot when I am eating chocolate chip cookies and she stares at me with her yearning eyes, but she is my child nonetheless. The joy a doggie brings is unlike any other. It's a wonderful feeling. Congrats on Coco. And I am sure one of these nights, you will all get a good night's rest! Don't give in to the whining!

I lived with a Great Dane puppy with a diarrhea problem for a year, in an apartment like you mentioned - down the long hall, elevator, lobby, small patch of now diarrhea-encrusted grass. So worth it though, she was like a terribly cute baby deer.

Just found your blog recently and spent Christmas vacation reading most of the archives! I love your writing, this is a fantastic blog.

She is so cute!!!! and hey very soon will be over, she will hold for at least 6 hrs....I think that she is getting ready to have her own Daily Picture taken...at least I am looking forward to that!!!

AWWWWWWWW!!!!!

the cuteness! oh, the cuteness.
i laughed aloud reading this. in between clutching my heart because of the cuteness.

AWWWWW!

I could eat her up! Her coloring and symmetry is beautiful. Enjoy!

She is so stinking cute I can understand why you can't be mad at her

Oh it's a puppy, a puppy, a puppy!! Ahem - Sorry can't control myself around puppies, I wouldn't be able to function if we got a one, I would just hug it constantly. I'm bad enough with the three older dogs we have now - but their faces are just so cute.
The Leta photos are beautiful too. A strange thing to say but it seems like she is starting to look like a real person now, instead of still a little kid. She looks so grown up in the first one.

Huh? "What's with the crating?" It's like asking, "What's up with the crib? Seems so unnecessary."

Geezus, do some research on the subject before asking such a lame question, Yvette.

Your puppy is absolutely precious. I went through the same thing last Christmas (got a yellow lab puppy)--crating and all--and those first few weeks are rough but well worth it. Enjoy your new baby!

I remember those sleepless nights with Hooper. I forget exactly what my trainer said in regards to potty training timing but I think the rule is every week or two they learn to hold their pee an hour longer.

My lab was a shit when she was a puppy too. So much so that I told my husband that we would never get another puppy. The only thing that saved her was that she was so stinkin' cute! She finally grew out of her shitness about two years ago. She's seven.
My condolences to Chuck.
Have fun with the puppiness!

Question for dooce - how do you get Coco to stay so still for the photos. My dogs act like they are hopped up on crack whenever I point a camera at them. Be honest, are you drugging them? A little shot of whiskey in the water bowl maybe

I LOVE Coco! We got a puppy for Christmas - (crate trained, Yvette) and I have to go to work to give my lips a break from all the smooching!!! Ahhh- the smoochiness..... My husband and I are also getting much less sleep but it is sooo worth it. I love your site Heather! I can soooo relate.

Thanks for clearing up the docking issue. They are trying to ban it here in NZ because it is really just done for looks. When I see a dog sans tail I'm not all OH YOU HAVE A DOCKED DOG, YOU EVIL PEOPLE, it's more of a, is it REALLY necessary? What's better than a dog with a waggy tail?
Do you think you would have got Coco docked if you had the choice?

That is one of the best descriptions I have EVER heard!

"makes me feel like my veins have been injected with glitter"

Perfect way to describe the wonderful high of a new love!

Thank you so much for sharing. Your writing and photos simply lift my days and I can't tell you how much I truly appreciate it.

A side note - our daughter had a similar behavior with coughing and she grew out of it. For the longest time I thought she'd go off to college with that tic. After quite some time, she just gave it up. As if she never started it in the first place.

They just don't come with manuals and warnings, do they?

Enjoy your puppy breath days and savor this 47th month.

Oh man, you hit the nail on the head with the going out to pee remarks.

And seriously? Puppies are basically the best antidepressant out there since they invented Zoloft. I have two pugs to prove it!

We put a large throw/or blanket over the crate at night....when our dogs were puppies...and it seemed to work. They couldn't see us if they did wake up in the night. Coco is adorable and I know you can't stay mad at her....even at 3 a.m.

A.Dor.Able. Almost as cute as my 10-wk old Border Collie, who was also a Christmas present, although was never a hippopotamus replacement.

Regarding the taking-forever-to-poop issue...I am clicker training my Border Collie and it's working like a charm. The first week I had him he took FOREVER to poop. Then I started clicking when he pooped and now he can't wait for his rear end to hit the grass so he can drop a load. Dropping a load outside = getting a treat. Brilliant!

It doesn't go miauw and it doesn't act all arrogant and haughty, but ok, I have to admit, she is kind of cute.

Ah crap, now I have to apologise to my cat.

Our new puppy, Sarah Jessica Barker, who came to live with three days before Christmas, is systematically trying to eat the family with her tiny doggie teeth. In fact, she has been quite successful in this pursuit, especially with the kids. Have you any advice on how to survive this portion of puppyhood, since you're probably going through the same thing?

Our Aussie wanted to herd US. I swear he can count. Whenever someone left the room, he'd follow and bring that person back by nipping at the heels. Be glad Coco doesn't do this. Methinks Leta would not recover..

Otherwise, Aussies are amazing dogs, and all they want to do is serve. Miss Coco is adorable!

The white eye whiskers make me feel SO HAPPY! She is one of the most beautiful puppies I have ever seen.

We recently rescued a 12 week-old Bullmastiff with a broken leg. We witnessed the accident and the bastards just drove off - HEARTLESS! He quadruples in size every two hours, but his cuteness brings me to tears and I forget he will soon be the size of a full-grown polar bear.

That is such a cool dog. I want twelve.

Has anyone told you how much Coco looks like the dog in "Black Sheep?" That's a very disgustingly gory yet hilarious movie. I recommend it. Bloodthirsty sheep just SOUNDS funny. So I was watching it and said 'Oh, look....it's Coco.' Thought you should know. She's absolutely adorable, makes me want another dog.

i work in a specialty pet food and accessory store and have loads of experience with puppies.
your best bet to keep your darling from chewing up everything from your underware to your favorite prada mules...
get Redbone stuffed bones,available at most petcos and most likely your local specialy cool neighborhood dog food store, also Flossies are excellent, puppies need to chew.., these are natural treats, stay away from rawhide and pigs ears and other not so natural treats that wil upset coco's tummy...these treats seem expensive..though one a day does the trick and they are alot less than a pair of Gucci pumps or recovering your sofa..

Veins injected with glitter? Coco is THAT cute? Okay yeah, I totally agree.

Also...crate training is THE SHIT!!! I'd never have lived through puppyhood without it.

I'm sure you're getting tons of potty advice but I thought, for what it's worth, I'd throw in my 2 cents.

I just got a new Westie for Christmas (we now have two) and what our breeder told us was to make the puppy go to the bathroom in the same place every time, not to let her have a run of the entire yard. This way, she smells where she went last and will know to go there again. Also, we've trained our Violet by saying the words "hurry up." The idea is to repeat it over and over again so she understands she must go quickly. Sounds stupid but it works. Apparently, this is a good trick when you're on a road trip as dogs tend to take their time trying to find the perfect spot and when you're in a hurry, it's annoying.

Our breeder also told us not to say anything to Violet when we take her out of her crate and to stand still when she's outside going because talking to her or moving around can distract her from what she needs to do. We've also put a lead out there that we attach to her collar so we don't have to stand there in the freezing cold rain.

Coco sure is a cutie!

Heather - We got a puppy, too, just before the holidays and she is pretty much housebroken now. The trick? We followed a book entitled "How to Housebreak your dog in 7 Days" ($7.99). Our breeder recommended it and we found it at Borders.

In fact, we haven't had an interrupted nights' sleep since day 3 of her being with us. Thank heavens. It was such a nightmare having to warm up my husband after he walked her. I mean, really.

If you have any questions, you can email me. Sophie (I haven't written about her in my blog yet, but I plan to in the next week or two) is 16 weeks now, so I suspect we are half a step ahead of you.

Oh look, we are entering the wonderful, wonderful world of teething.

Put that down. Down! Yes you! I'm not kidding here . .

Cheers!

She is so cute. Can I permanently borrow her?

Good luck with training her!

I love the January masthead too!

Even though I'm incapable of cleaning a bathroom or parallel parking, I know how to raise me some puppies.

I'm just gonna say, making a little ruckus on top of her crate when she starts making noise in the middle of the night might help you out. You know she can get through the night and she'll let you know when she *really* means it.

I'm a die-hard cat fan, although I enjoy OPD's (other people's dogs) and have a furry niece and nephew. Coco is VERY cute. Will she grow to be bigger than Chuck? With all that adorable fluff, do you have to brush her more than Chuck? Is he very jealous?

i wondered how long it would take for coco to stop pretending she was so effortless. the first week is always "the calm before the storm" with pups :)

Coco is the love!!! I'm so happy for you. I'm glad Chuck is tolerating her.
Interesting dog fact...Coco should be able to go 1 hour for each month in age, plus 1 without pottying. So a 3 month old dog should be able to go almost 4 hours without needing to go out. There's light at the end of the tunnel, you'll be sleeping at night again soon (until you get pregnant, then.....)
Anyhow, your Coco posts make me smile, thank you.
(Be careful with her chewing on stringy stuff, it can wreak havoc on the intestines, I had a dog die from eating an afghan.)

I totally love it! Coco rocks! I want to run out and get a dog now!!! Of course, Chuck makes me want one, too!

I absolutely love the white eyebrows? Are they eyebrows? The look too high up to be eyelashes. Anyhoo love them. But I cannot believe you are taking away Daily Chuck and making it Daily Chuck and Coco....nooooooo I am sticking up for Chuck here. Coco is adorable yes but Chuck is loyal forever the best dog!

Thank you Heather. When I'm having a really shitty day I can go to your site and laugh. THANK YOU! I love "injecting glitter into my veins..." -love it. Thanks, and I hope you get some more sleep soon.

Nicole

Cutest puppy. Ever. I'd definitely go out and get one of those right now, but we've got four dogs and my family would kill me if I came home with another one.

I can't stand how cute she is!!

ok, this is not about Coco.

does Leta have the most incredibly gorgeous eyes, ever? i think i am in love with your daughter!

OK, I know you've probably had a MILLION people tell you this already (I hit apple F and found a least 4 comments already), but when I saw her with the string in her mouth I had a mini panic attack. I spent a night at the emergency vet clinic with a friend who's 2 year old cat swallowed some string. She had to be put down, and it was the hardest, most awful thing I've ever had to see a friend go through. So, if she were my puppy (and I realize she isn't) I'd remove the string promptly. Even though it makes for some cute pictures :)

Coco is completely adorable, and I can't promise my husband won't send you any hate mail. It makes me want another, however I don't think our 700 sq ft apartment can manage it.

Perfect writing, as always. :) And the pictures...I am IN LOVE WITH YOUR DOGS. BOTH OF THEM. But Coco...be still my heart!!! And thanks for opening up comments because so many of your entries just SCREAM for people to say something good....so I appreciate when you let us talk!

Of course, you probably could never read them all.....you are so popular. ! Anyway, love your site.

All the way from Texas.

i was blinded by the cute, and therefore worded my comment badly :(

moxie still slept in the crate but if she cried she was allowed out onto the paper [silently] and that was it. the paper wasn't very much fun unless you really had to go so she quickly learned to sleep through the night.

also someone said something about eyebrows...i think they are big long eyelashes but either way they'll certainly get her what she wants, i love it!

I love how serious she looks all the time! Someday, I hope to call Coco, "Madame President." Hey, if Chuck can be a senator... why, who knows what could be in this little one's future? Hopefully she isn't disqualified just because she's an Australian... shepherd.

The only thing better than one dog is two dogs. :)

After reading your post, I felt like I do when I see people with babies...I'm SO glad I'm done with that! Our golden's are one year old. We got two at one time so we had double the pleasure!
She's adorable...looking forward to the pictures!

See? This is why I say every single world leader and morose rock star needs a puppy. I mean how can you possibly be a life hating, war starting, melodramatic sourpuss when you have a puppy?

Puppies for everyone = world peace & no more emo turds!

You officially have the two cutest doggies ever!

Adorable! I have an 11 month Mini Schnauzer and I have to say I am glad to be past the up all night, I'm a new puppy nights.

wow, you're quite a photographer too!

I have Puppy Envy.

And the fact that you can take photographs while Coco IS DESTROYING SOMETHING. WITH HER TEETH!

Well, that's just amazing. You're definitely ready for another kid.

I love my dog, but I think I love yours too.

Oh, I must have her!

That is so cute it's painful!

I remember when we got Nina, 2 years old now. A "labradoodle" rescued from a mill, in Ontario. And how H, my husband, didn't believe in crates...So I spent 5 days with Nina, making sure she didn't fall down the stairs (couldn't climb yet), her peeing on me, yipping (what we call a small puke) on me. I hadn't bathed, brushed my hair, or been apart from her for that length of time. Then I called H, and said BRING A CRATE HOME, NOW. He understood the urgency of my mental state.

But ohh, how I love the puppy breath...so sweet. We call her Monster now. And yes, she's a total whore "touch me...why aren't you touching me?"

Congrats on Coco. And for Chuck, you might find that he exhibits some kind of "pa/maternal" thing...to teach Coco how to be a dog. It happened with our old girl Trudy, and Nina. Now Trudy's so old that Nina takes care of her.

I wanna puppeee! One as cute and sweet and smart as Coco! Wait -- maybe I just want to read about one and see your wonderful pictures of her and by the way the last picture of her today is completely absolutely a Chuck face. I wonder what else he's teaching her?

So so cute!

Just keep her away from corn dog sticks - oh the stories that "frat boy" Chuck could tell! :)

I just wanted to chime in with a WORD on the eyebrow approval. A wee explosion of white whiskery goodness. Totally redonk. The masthead is cracking me up.

Does anyone have some insulin I can borrow? Looking at that dog is like eating 16 cupcakes. Straight.

She is absolutely adorable! I am going to look into the mimi-aussies.. because I wouldn't mind having one some day. I have a Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix and she is the LOVE OF MY LIFE! She is really the smartest and most wonderful dog ever. I can see the love in her eyes and how much she wants to protect us. Awesome dogs!! And so SMART And easy to train. Good luck with her.

Please don't forget about your first love, the Senator Chuckles.

That being said, Coco is insanely cute. :)

Ugh she is so cute!!!! I can totally see how your veins feel like they have been injected with glitter every single time you look at her. We have a shetland sheepdog and she reminds me a lot of his puppyhood. I love hearing stories and seeing pictures of her.

TOO MUCH CUTENESS!!! CANT HANDLE IT!!!! MAKE HER STOP!!!

Ok, fess up...you have a secret stash of adorable dog breeders, right? Because Coco is abso-freakin-lutely ADORABLE!

Also, I am hoping that someday you will share your swami-like secrets to capturing the essence of Chuck and Coco with you picture taking device. Please????

KThxBye

Oh she is ADORABLE!

I remember when we got our puppy, the prettiest Tibetan Spaniel/Australian Terrior cross - my parents kept her hidden and brought her out for me and my brothers as we each got home from school.

I will never forget her fat little puppy body wiggling with excitement as she met each one of us. Sadly she passed away recently, at age 16. She never lost her puppy-cuteness, though.

Pepper Reynolds, 1993-2007

Okay just to be different, I'm going to say how NOT CUTE Coco is... oh, who am I kidding, she's adorable. It's those eyebrows! Too cute for words.

I wanted to share some information about crating because I was shocked by how many people think it is ok to crate puppies. I think it is so sad and unfair. I understand how hard it can be and I am sure no one means to hurt but it just isn't right. I hope this helps.

A crate will not help a puppy learn
to “hold it.” Puppies’ bladders are not
fully developed until they are 4 to 6
months old, so trying to force them to
learn something that they are incapable
of learning can backfire.

Crates do not promote a feeling
of security. On the contrary, many dogs
who are “crate trained” for long periods
develop separation anxiety, depression,
hyperactivity, and other types of antisocial
behavior.

He doesn’t “love” his crate.
He loves YOU. And he’ll do anything to
please you, including sitting behind bars,
waiting patiently for you to free him.

A crate is not similar to
a playpen, crib, or den. A crate is a
cramped, impoverished environment
that prevents dogs from engaging in
basic normal activities, such as looking
out the window, walking around, and
stretching out comfortably.
Using an exercise pen, gating off a puppyproofed
room, tethering your puppy to you,
making arrangements with a dog walker
during the day, putting in a doggie door,
going home at lunchtime and not working
late, providing interactive toys (such as
Kongs), and deciding that your couch isn’t
more important than your relationship with
your dog are all better options than a crate.
But mostly, puppies and dogs just need
consistent, attentive, knowledgeable
training and care—just as children do—
not warehousing in a crate.

No more denial! A crate is nothing more
than a convenience device for busy
humans—but it’s not good for your dog.
No animal on the face of the Earth “loves”
being locked inside a cage, including
your dog. If you still doubt it, go on—
lock yourself inside a crate and see what
you think.

Thanks for listening.

What a cute baby, have lots of fun

Your puppy is adorable, and I love your photos!

Not sure if you're still reading comments, but if the puppy hasn't *quite* satisfied your desire for a baby hippo as a pet, you might sympathise with the kid who put together the petition described in this article. He wanted the UK to change the laws disallowing elephants from being kept as pets.

She is so ridiculously cute. I get glitter in my veins just reading about her and the glitter in your veins.

Crate training is your friend, they learn to work you pretty quick though. I brought a rescue home on Saturday and it's Thursday and she knows when the heater kicks on, it's time to punish me until let her out. Still, this is the tough love portion of our program, she's working you, get some sleep girl!

We got OUR little Coco before having our daughter, and part of the reason we named her Coco is that it's short for cocorico, (which is what a rooster 'says' in French) and we were horrified that she would wake us up at 5 am to go pee. I know!

Then we had a baby and laughed at ourselves over it.

Your Coco is so very sweet, I'm glad that she's the "good one", the second one is always the "good one", for babies too!

Sheri Bheri

Whew. For a minute there I thought she was chewing your comforter instead of a doggy bed.

Though with that face it would be hard to get mad at her for doing it!

I just want to squeeze her and scream into a pillow at her cuteness. Or maybe I need to give my 3 year "pup" a friend.

We just moved to a sort-of retirement community since our kids are all adults, free of a lot of our "stuff" and reveling in the joys of no longer feeling responsible for anyone but ourselves. We have never, ever had or wanted a dog - we just wanted to look forward to the day when we could just LEAVE at the drop of a hat, not make arrangements for sitters or emergencies or anything.

And then you got Coco.
My empty nest is in danger. I could SO see having a dog like her!

Coco makes me want another baby. I am currently in love with my 8-month old golden retriever, Ashley - she's a Southern belle, and as such, that's the name she came with, and it stuck, although we like to call her Ash, Ashie, Ash-Ash, Ashford, and sometimes The Great Ashmundo. I love Australian Shepherds and your blog has just about convinced me that we might need one to be Ash's sibling...because she's a little spoiled.

What a cutie! One trick that we used when we brought our (now 4 year old) dog home was letting him sleep with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. It worked great, I think because it made him feel like he was still sleeping with his pack.

Love, love, LOVE the puppy pictures!! Keep them coming! Coco is so adorable, and I really love the ones of her and Chuck together! Reminds me of my dogs - Storm, our old man, totally has that attitude with the other boys.

Welcome to the world of puppy hate mail. You just thought you got hate mail for GETTING the puppy - just wait! Crate training, tail docking, feeding, walking, yard training vs pad vs litter box training, yadda, yadda, yadda... It's almost as much fun as kid hate mail. I don't know why everyone can't adopt a "to-each-his-own" attitude instead of "the-bloody-heathens,-what-ARE-they-thinking" kind of attitude about how others choose to raise their dogs, kids, hippos, etc.

Good luck getting some rest!

My dog does that crazy "sniff 27,456 different spots before finding the right one" too. And it's especially annoying at midnight when I'm a little drunk and just want to go inside and pass out. Or when it's cold. Or really any time for that matter. JUST PEE ALREADY!!!!

Also, my parents just got a Mini Austrailian Shepherd (a red merle) too and he's SO FREAKING CUTE. So it's fun reading about Coco because you're more interesting and take better pictures than my mom.

Oh my God. That is one freakin' cute puppy!

That has got to be the cutest puppy - EVER!

And I love it when you write things like,"having her around makes me feel like my veins have been injected with glitter."

And the Daily Coco will be added to your site when?? :-)

I am in love ALL OVER AGAIN.

God! That is one cute puppy.

You lost me at the picture of her tearing into that pillow. I am done. No puppy envy from me, but you almost had me.

My puppy is about a year old, and still a little brat.

But every time he does something nutsball, i remind myself that he's NOT peeing inside like he did for the first month and therefor I don't have to cry myself to sleep just wishing to god above for strength.

housetraining is HORRIBLE.

Ahhh. Now I know why I will not be getting a puppy- ever! I had no idea of the horrors- thanks for sharing. Waking up to feed a child bred in my womb was hard enough- waking up to take a dog outside in the freezing winter? Not going to happen.

Gah, I am in need of sleep too! I don't have a puppy that is so cute she will burn your retinas with her preciousness, but I have a boyfriend I just moved in with that is so asleep he reaches for my face in attempt to shut off his alarm clock-needless to say, his attempt to silence the alarm while using my lips failed

So cute! We just got a new puppy, too. She's adorable, but I forgot how miserable I am during the up-all-night-crying stage. I think our memories wipe that out after a couple of years so that we are open to the idea of going through it all again. Otherwise...well, we'd be a one puppy household.

My childhood cocker spaniel had a docked tail, and it was docked before we had her. I don't know much about the subject (and certainly didn't at the time), but seeing that small tail wagging was the cutest thing ever--ok, perhaps not as cute as the whole tail might have been, but still adorable.

We also did the crate training, and I now wonder if we made her wait too long during the night. That has pretty much nothing to do with you, but I'm just sitting over here thinking, "Oh my poor Licorice, I bet she really had to pee!"

We actually didn't crate any of our dogs, it never really was thought of I suppose. They just sleep on the couches in the living room, but we do shut the door so they can't get up and scratch at bedroom doors. They are the most spoilt creatures alive and I don't begrudge them one bit of it. Where else would we get unconditional love and 24/7 cute face.

With our newer, slightly mental dog we did get a crate, as he broke his leg just after we got him and would not stop jumping around on it afterwards. He was so hyperactive I was scared he was going to really hurt himself. So I went and bought a crate and tried to coax him into it - he eventually went in. I thought it would be a place for him to rest and take a bit of time off the leg. But the look on his face was heartbreaking, he thought he was being punished - he looked so sad. I felt like a prison warden and even sat next to the crate with him. I lasted about ten minutes, eventually I had to take it back to the shop.

Our problem was that we got him at six months - I guess if you can train them as puppies it is not as upsetting - good luck.

I cannot even stop myself....to any crate hater out there (ahem Tracybeth ahem) obviously you have no idea what crate training really is. You aren't trying to force them to "hold it" it is a way of teaching routine. And dogs who are trained correctly DO love it! I think I speak for many dog owners who see their dogs go in their crates for naps or quiet time all on their own. When my niece and nephew have worn my pug out he goes in their with a bone and a toy to enjoy some quiet time. When he is hungry he will go in his crate and sit (as if that is going to make us feed him early :). We never use it as punishment, it is like a bedroom for him. So please, I don't shit on anyone for not using crate training, maybe you should try the same. It is a very humane method and it helps the dog learn that he has a place of his own. Period.

Finally, you have a normal dog. Congratulations!

My parents got an Australian shepherd when I was a senior in high school. He was the most adorable thing ever, and the very first night we had him, my friend and I were playing with him on my bed, and he, without skipping a beat in the bouncing, and chewing and general cute-playingness, squatted on my bed and peed, and peed, and peed, and so much that he soaked the comforter, blanket, top and bottom sheet, mattress pad, egg-crate thingy, and well into the actual mattress. I put him out of my room and never let him in again.

I think ten or so years later, when I was home for a holiday, he got into my room, and climbed up on my bed next to me, and nuzzled so sweetly, that I think I finally forgave him.

He barks at people outside the immediate family who hug or otherwise stand too close to any one of us- very protective. And he herds the family. That's one of the most adorable traits I've ever seen, a fifteen year old dog, still walking from room to room, trying to convince us all to be in the same place. He's never happier than when we are all back home for Christmas.

Oh my goodness Coco is adorable. At least she seems to be GETTING the whole peeing outside thing. My mom's dog was a NIGHTMARE to train, because he really didn't get the concept. True story, I once stood outside with the little guy, for a full hour and a half, at 2 o'clock in the morning--waiting for him to go. The books all said, don't bring him back inside until he goes. Finally, after an hour and half in the damp, cold, darkness, I gave up because it's 3:30 in the morning! I swear to goodness, that little twit of a dog peed all over the floor the *second* we got back inside the house, looking at me as if to say, "Mooom, thank god! I've been holding it so long! Why did you keep me out there in the cold when I had to GO?!?!"

Thank goodness they're cute.

She really is so, so cute.

Now I miss my puppy in California. :(

What an angel...it makes me want to get a dog and I'm ALLERGIC to dogs!!

I love the line "...veins injected with glitter..." so funny!

You are now officially a dog blog. Too much dog. Too little vintage dooce.

When Gracie was a puppy (a darling golden retriever puppy with the saddest face on the planet) and she was bad, we would tell her she was making The Baby Jesus cry. The Baby Jesus cried for two months straight. Now he only cries once every few weeks. But I sure do miss holding her in my arms.

A few posts ago I saw this red dog bed you guys have and thought "oh my God, these people have great taste".

Today after seeing the pics I felt like crying...is Coco going to put an end to it? Send it to Brazil before she destroys it, I would sleep on it!

Chuck will always be my fave!

Mel, A crate is exactly like a bedroom and being in it makes them feel secure. But a bedroom doesn’t come with a locked door. In a bedroom, you can come and go as you please.

Dogs will do anything for someone they love and that includes tolerating being locked inside a cage. Dogs are stoic and they love unconditionally and they want to please their guardians. Dogs don’t enjoy being caged but because of this desire to please, they silently (or not in many cases) suffer.

Common sense is really the bottom line. Does it make sense to say, “My dog loves to be locked inside a cage”? You can put a soft bed in there, and you can throw in some toys and treats, and you can "acclimate" your dog to the crate, but you can't change the basic fact that the dog is locked up with very little space to move around in.

I suggest instead puppy-proofing the house and training (getting help as needed). I know it can be very difficult to deal with a puppy but that should be a consideration before getting one. There are also millions of wonderful older dogs in shelters around the country who need a loving home for those who don’t feel they have the patience for a puppy.

Everytime I visit here, I leave wanting a dog, another child, or design skills. :)