Copper the Hopper
By Kathy Bunse
Copper is a happy little dog who likes to do tricks. He is very good at hopping up, hopping over and hopping around on his back legs. That’s why I call him Copper the Hopper.
He has his own jump. It’s a bit like the ones they use in dog shows. He runs, jumps over the bar and back again.
“Yay for Copper!” I cheer. “Do it again!”
He keeps jumping until he gets tired. Then he lays in the cool grass to rest. Maybe next time he will jump longer or higher.
Copper’s favorite trick is going through the tunnel. He goes in one end and out the other. After he goes through the tunnel and back three times, I give him a treat.
“Ladies and gentleman,” I call to the crowd at our pretend dog show. “Let’s hear it for the amazing Copper!” He sits by the tunnel with his head cocked to one side watching me while I clap for him.
Copper keeps going in and out of the tunnel until I run out of treats. Then, he walks away. If he could talk, he would probably say “That’s all for today, folks. Come back tomorrow for another show”.
Later, he wants to play ball. I throw the ball and shout “Go get it!”
Copper runs to fetch the ball and brings it back to me. “Ruff, ruff!” he barks. That means he wants me to throw the ball again. We play ball until he’s worn out. Then he finds some shade and takes a nap.
When Copper wakes up, he’s ready to do his happy dance. What luck! I just put more treats in my pocket. He stands on his back legs and turns in circles. He follows the treat in my hand and turns to the left. I move my hand in the opposite direction and he turns to the right. I hold his front paws and we dance together. We finish our dance with a high five. Actually, Copper gives me a high four.
Copper has had a busy day of jumping, fetching his ball, dancing the happy dance and going in and out of his tunnel. Tomorrow he will do more tricks. Maybe he’ll learn a new one. Who knows, we might even invite some friends over and put on a real dog show.