Cook
(@CookTheDog) is my twitter pal from Holland. Cook is a 19-pound, male, mixed
breed, believed to be primarily a Lhasa terrier mix, and approximately six
years old. Cook’s mom and Cook himself were nice enough to share their amazing
story on how they became a family. I am pretty sure you will love it as much as
I do!
In
2011 Cook’s future mom and dad decided to settle in one place and adopt a dog.
Mom read in a local newspaper about an animal shelter in La Linea, Spain called
“Animal in Need” that is owned by a Dutchman. Hundreds of dogs were transported
from the shelter via land and air from Spain to Holland to be fostered until
adoption.
Mom
found on the Internet that a woman was fostering an underweight, beige and
white dog from the Spanish shelter in Holland. When his future mom and dad went
to visit, mom says, “It was love at first sight” when she saw the dog, later
named, Cook. Within ten minutes of riding in the car, Cook was fast asleep with
his head on dad’s knee, while mom drove their new family home.
Cook’s
mom says, “He was very timid but he obviously had had a home at some time since
he knew a couple of tricks.” Cook needed to be housebroken, which took about a
week, and he loved walking outside. In the beginning, he would howl when left
alone, and it took a little bit of time for him to realize mom and dad would
always return. Cook also had allergies and was itching all the time. It turns
out he is allergic to wheat, so he eats a “Barf” (bone and raw food) diet, no
dry food. Mom says within two weeks of the new diet, the allergies had cleared
up.
Today,
mom says Cook is “a cocky little thing full of self-confidence.” He also walks
with a pack (other dog pals) three times a week, and he is now completely socialized.
One of his friends from the pack, Boy, taught Cook not to be afraid to go in
the water. Mom continues, “He definitely is a very happy little dog, very
affectionate, good with the cats (also from a shelter getting a second chance)
and good with children.”
Cook
loves to steal clothes and slippers and hide them in his basket, so mom and dad
cannot leave any clothes hanging around or they will become Cook’s. He also
loves car rides and goes most places with mom when he is allowed to actually go
with her. Mom does not like to leave Cook in the car or tied outside of a
store. Cook likes bones more than anything else, and he buries them everywhere,
preferably in dad’s bed.
According
to the vet Cook never learned to play. Cook says, “I have a ball, but I have no
clue what to do with it.” Cook has toys that he sleeps with in his basket. Cook
says, “Pulling on a towel is fun. When I am wet mom dries me off and we pull on
the towel.” Cook also says he used to hide undies and eat poop, just like me! And,
like many of us doggies, Cook is afraid of fireworks and the vacuum cleaner.
So,
as you can see, it’s pretty amazing that Cook travelled all the way from Spain
to Holland to find his forever home. Cook is a great dog that is “loved to bits”
by his mom and dad, and in turn, Cook “loves mommy and daddy to bits.”
Many
thanks to Cook and his mom, Hansje Kalff, for being a feature “Meet Me Monday”
on my blog. Please leave a comment for Cook and his mom and dad below. If you
would like to share your story, please email me at abbydawgblog@gmail.com. I look forward
to hearing from you.
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