MIXED-BREEDS VS. PURE-BREEDS

You know, apart from some ancient working breeds that have been around for ages to help humans tend livestock, guard homes, etc - most of today's so-called "pure breeds" are relatively recent creations - and purely for the sake of fashion...

And so, although mixed breed dogs like Cookie still receive a bad press among the "doggie fashionistas", the plain and simple biological truth is that Cookie and her kind are far more healthy and intelligent than their show-stopping cousins...

This video tells the tale perfectly:



Follow Cocoa and her adventures on her Facebook page!

BEAR NECESSITIES!

At this age, Cookie does "bear" a passing resemblance to her wild cousin:

Here she is pictured next to a Black Bear cub for comparison!

More fun and stories with Cookie on her Facebook Page!

THE PATH TO ACCEPTANCE

As Cookie settles in, she's going to have to be patient as the rest of the Clan (featured in the images above) gradually gets used to her.

In the case of the cats, this is going to take some time. Cookie is really, really itching to play with them, but for her own sake, and some peace and quiet for the felines - she is only allowed to watch from safe distance...

17-year-old Jelly - the silver tabby and Matriarch, still watches the pup with some suspicion...

Find out more about Cookie and her adventures on her Facebook Page!

ASD ADOPTION DRIVE

Cookie was rescued through the efforts of volunteer organizations like this one. 

If you're in Singapore and have a place in your home and hearts for a Singapore Special (special in every way), please visit the ASD adoption drive:

Btw, Cookie's predecessor Cocoa, who was an absolute angel (Cookie has big shoes to fill), was rescued by ASD! Find out more about their work and how you could help at:

http://asdsingapore.com/wp/ and http://www.facebook.com/asdsingapore/

FIRST VISIT TO THE VET'S!

Like all stray dogs, forced to eke out a living on the streets, from the moment she was born, Cookie was up against the odds to survive...

Already separated from her mother and siblings at the tender age of 2 months, she battled these odds in the company of her friend Amber (who was also subsequently adopted). But a life on the streets comes with its dangers and risks, especially for a puppy so recently weaned from its mother.

And so it was for Cookie - just a day after being adopted, she had to pay her first official visit to the vet's. A really bad hacking cough, difficulty in breathing and a serious case of diarrhoea - all tell-tale symptoms of Kennel Cough and Parvovirus - both extremely life-threading to a puppy.

But after a thorough once-over from Dr. Melvin Tan of West Coast Vetcare, and blood tests and x-rays, Cookie was prescribed antibiotics to help her on the road to recovery. She'll have to go back for a check-up in a week.

Apart from the discomfort of the tests however, Cookie remained cool and calm - making friends with staff and trying in vane to initiative play with another huge dog about 20 times her size. At just 2.4kg, the young lady's still got a ways to go before rubbing shoulders with the big guys!

After her first big adventure, Cookie heads back home - where the continued task of becoming part of the pack continues...

Follow Cookie on her Facebook page!

FIRST DAYS OF FREEDOM...

Introducing Cookie - on the day she and her companion were taken from the streets of Singapore and impounded...

With an inevitable death sentence hanging over their heads, both puppies were rescued by Singapore-based dog rescue charity, Exclusively Mongrels Ltd. - giving them second chance at life and the possibilities of being adopted to a family of their own.

Cookie was just two months old when she was rescued - but she's already doing a fine impression of a bear cub! Quiet, curious and unusually laid-back, her rescuers were confident that she would find a home. In fact it took less than a week to find a potential adopter, and less than a minute for those adopters to fall in love with her...

And so begins the Chronicles of Cookie. There's a lot for this puppy to learn; her new home is also occupied by four world-weary cats and middle-aged Chihuahua-cross - so she'll have to find her place in the pack and learn the curious ways of her new human parents...

For the moment though, the world is big and waiting to be discovered!