08/21/2026
We have always had a penchant for giant, drooling, slobbering, slightly standoffish dogs. Over the years, we’ve shared our home with a Komondor, Neapolitan Mastiffs and a Great Dane—so when we saw Cooper sitting scared and overwhelmed at Kershaw County Humane Society, we knew we had to do something.
Cooper had spent nearly his entire 4½ years with one family before circumstances beyond anyone’s control brought him to the shelter. He was deeply loved, but shelter life was taking its toll. He was becoming increasingly anxious and beginning to shut down—and, well, his size is simply his size. 😂 He needed somewhere quiet, stable and experienced enough to let him decompress at his own pace.
Cooper has now been with us for almost a week, and we’ve already learned quite a bit about this enormous, complicated gentleman.
He generally prefers men over women. If you’re dog-savvy, respect his space and aren’t intimidated by his intense stare or occasional low growl, he’s usually willing to consider your application for friendship. If you’re a Black man, however, the interview process is apparently waived entirely—you’re immediately Cooper-approved. This has now been demonstrated on multiple occasions while we’ve had him out and about.
We also strongly suspect that Cooper experienced some type of trauma involving young children. The only time we’ve seen anything approaching reactivity was when small children nearby were doing what small children do. Cooper gave the entire situation one enormous, unequivocal NOPE. We listened and promptly gave him the distance he was asking for.
Cats? Other dogs? Goats? Chickens? Pigs? Cooper could not care less.
He did growl at the donkeys. The donkeys ran away. There was a fence between everyone, so we’ll call that a successful first round of diplomatic negotiations.
Cooper is also a snack snob. Yak puffs, yak bones, dehydrated beef lung, Bucce biscuits, braided non-rawhides and ears were all met with a resounding rejection. Cheddar cheese and those dog biscuits that look and smell suspiciously like human cookies, however, received the giant, slobbering nod of approval.
And finally, even though one of us made the arrangements to bring him here—and one of us conducted an exhaustive, highly scientific snack investigation—Cooper chose the other Tom.
The betrayal has been noted. 😂
Cooper will be staying with us, and we will be adopting him. We’ll continue learning about him, helping him decompress, and giving him the security he needs. He isn’t a dog who should be rushed, pushed, or expected to become something he isn’t. He is a giant, sensitive soul whose entire world has changed, and he deserves all the time, patience, and understanding he needs to feel safe again.
DoRe Ranch and Rescue family, please help us welcome Cooper—our newest oversized, cheese-loving, donkey-intimidating, Tom-selecting gentleman. ❤️🐾
Kershaw County Humane Society Friends of Kershaw County Humane Society
