Happy Tails: Cooper and Lilah

When I first saw this dynamic duo photographed by Kira DeDecker, I flipped out a little. They are the classic odd couple, so different and yet the perfect complement to each other. Lilah is a three-year-old Mastiff, and Cooper is a four-year-old Pug.  Both of these gorgeous dogs are rescues.

From Kira:  “Lilah  (pronounced like Deiliah, only without the Dee) is a big girl who loves hiking and lazing around. She is a bit on the reserved side, but once she warms up to you, she will show you her loving and goofy self. 

Cooper is a fun-loving little dude that loves his big sister Lilah and food, in that order. 

Despite their size difference, these two are the best of friends!”

 From Jeanne and Tia:  “Cooper was adopted on October 30, 2011, from Arizona Pug Adoption and Rescue Network (APARN).   Cooper was originally turned in to the rescue because the owner’s boyfriend did not like dog hair.  We met Cooper at the rescue’s adoption event, Pug-a-Palooza. Tia picked him up, and decided then that he was coming home with us.  Almost a year later, we adopted Lilah from Big Dogs Huge Paws, a rescue that is based out of Colorado. Lilah was turned in to the rescue as a result of the declining economy, and her previous family could not afford to keep her.  Jeanne had been looking at their site over the last year (we had to put our Mastiff down in Sept. 2011), and she felt a connection when she saw Lilah’s picture. Big Dogs Huge Paws arranged a caravan to get Lilah from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Albuquerque, NM, which even included a plane ride for her last leg of the trip. We (including Cooper) picked her up in Albuquerque.  Cooper and Lilah have been inseparable since they met.

We had the back of our 4Runner set up for Lilah, and she jumped right in and never looked back. Lilah and Cooper spent the next few hours in the back getting to know each other. It didn’t take long for them to be snuggled next to each other. Needless to say, they are certainly mismatched siblings. Lilah tends to defer to Cooper; Cooper is definitely her security blanket. But, to see them together, it’s evident they’re best buddies as they do everything together – even hiking. And yes, Cooper keeps up!

When they sleep, Lilah prefers to curl up on the floor next to Cooper with her head in his bed, sometimes her head is on top of him, and he doesn’t even care that her head weighs as much as he does.

Because of the heat in Arizona, we swim the dogs for exercise. Cooper is really a great swimmer, especially for a Pug! Lilah, on the other hand, is a bit leery of the water. However, Coop gets in and encourages Lilah to join – that usually does the trick. Although truth be told, Lilah prefers to just lounge on the oversize step. They both love everybody and everything. We couldn’t have asked for better temperaments. They love to go to the Famer’s Market on the weekend as there are tons of people and many other dogs for them to interact with, not to mention the free treats from the vendors. No matter where we are, people always stop to meet them or share their comments. Of course, the most common questions are how much does Lilah weigh, how much does she eat, and/or does she ever think the little one is a snack? The two of them always bring many smiles to everyone they meet.”

These images by Kira DeDecker of Cooper and Lilah certainly made my day a lot brighter! You can see even more of these two on Kira’s pet photography blog. Also, be sure to like Kira’s Facebook page to see her latest photos.

About Kira DeDecker Photography:  Based in Glendale, AZ, Kira DeDecker is an on-location, natural light, lifestyle pet photographer specializing in one-of-a-kind fine art and modern portraits. She works exclusively with dogs, cats, and all other four-legged creatures to create vibrant, quirky, and soulful works of art. In addition to her dog photography, she is also a regular contributor to a pet blog, Pawesome.  Kira is a member of HeARTs Speak and lives with her husband and their three Pomeranians.