3. March 2024Kalle is loved and gives back so much

Many thanks to Kalle’s people for this detailed and honest report! ❤️ We hope it will encourage all those who have a longer familiarisation phase to go the way together with their new family member:

We grew up without dogs. As we talked more and more about getting a dog, it was clear that we were starting from scratch. Our cat Emma comes from Greece; and we also wanted the dog to come from animal welfare. It wasn’t easy to find a reputable agency, but it’s worth taking the time to read up on it!

With the first portals, it was not possible to filter for dogs that were also suitable for inexperienced people. Initially, there were a few cancellations due to inexperience.

Then we found the possibility to filter at TASSO and came across the Tierschutz Verein Europa e.V. (European Animal Welfare Association). There were lots of dogs. We already had very specific requirements (compatible with cats, dogs, children and neutered. He had to be able to cope in the city, he should be able to go to the office, go over the knee if possible, we would love a shaggy / rough-haired coat) But even then there was still a choice – and Kalle (then still Cooper) was one of them.

He looked very cuddly in the pictures with his beady eyes. The text described him as a calm and relaxed dog who always checks that everything is ok and generally gets on well with himself. Cats were no problem either. (There was video evidence, which we thought was great. In general, we received lots of videos and photos from Spain. That helped us a lot)

During the first phone call, we were able to discuss all our ideas without judgement and it became clear that the little man would cover pretty much everything we were looking for.

During the second phone call we got down to business, when was the transport, what was needed, where would the handover be.

At the beginning of December 2023, we had expected to take the dog home in spring 2024. Friends had advised me to apply early enough, as quarantine, entry, checks and so on can take a long time. Kalle’s transport appointment was scheduled for 16.12.23. It was a tough decision to take a dog from northern Spain at such short notice, a week before Christmas, without any experience. In the end, we decided in favour of the dog.

That was so exciting! The transport collided with a wedding, but the association was very supportive, tried everything and in the end Kalle was able to stay one night and we picked him up on 17.12.24. The little man coped really well with the six-hour car journey, and everything was fine at home too.

And then came the first night, Kalle didn’t sleep a minute. It was to be the first of many – Kalle struggled to arrive. You can’t blame him, new climate, different noises, new language, the castration wasn’t long ago either.

But when the first week was over and the dog still wasn’t sleeping (not even during the day), things got tough. As long as we were on the move it was ok, but as soon as we sat down he was running, barking, scratching and almost impossible to calm down. We had to sleep in shifts.

Then there was bad diarrhoea, worm infestation and the change of food. The worming agents have done the rest. He wasn’t completely house-trained either.

When we had to go back to work, it became really exhausting. Kalle was still running as soon as we were seated. So going to the office was not an option, the diarrhoea was still there.

Then came the diagnosis that he has cataracts in one eye due to trauma, he is virtually blind. That really blew us away again. We were in contact with the association the whole time, which was able to provide us with a transparent breakdown of where the information had been spilt and also provided financial support.

At first he was hardly interested in our cat Emma, which we took as a good sign, but due to our uncertainty and nervousness – we couldn’t tell at first whether he was chasing or playing, growling or just interested? – we put him under a lot of pressure and confused him so that they both needed some time.

After almost 4 weeks it finally got better: the worming medication worked, as did carrot soup in large quantities, the eye was so far unproblematic and under control with eye drops.

We became calmer, which also calmed Kalle down. He came into the office, got to know the routes and the family.

In the meantime, we have learnt that Kalle is quickly overwhelmed by too much movement and impressions. Since he’s been travelling on his cargo bike, we have a different dog.. The little man sleeps longer than us in the morning, is quiet and cuddly. In the morning we make coffee and then we have to go to the sofa, because Kalle needs a cuddle, and Emma is sometimes there too!

After 8 weeks, Kalle can now ride the lift, and he has also mastered the train and bus (the main thing is that he can stand in front of the door and look out)

Other dogs have never been a problem, and he has been nose to nose with Emma several times. As long as the feeding places are separated, the two get along very well and can even be alone for several hours.

Kalle is doing great in dog school, the little man is incredibly good at adapting.

It now enriches our everyday lives. When he’s not with us, we miss him and the daily walks are good for everyone. In the meantime, Kalle can also come jogging with us.

We are curious to see what will happen next, in March we are going on a longer holiday (unfortunately this was already planned before we even knew about Kalle, during this time we are going to a dog hotel), in spring his teeth will be done once.

We have seriously and repeatedly debated whether to keep the dog. Really. We were so determined that if you decide in favour of an animal, you have to go through with it. But Kalle and, above all, his suffering were hard to bear. We are all the happier now that we got through it together with him. The little man is very much loved and gives us so much in return.