“He always picks it up when he gets excited and wiggles his little butt.”
Liz Andersen can always tell her dog, Captain, is happy when he grabs his tiger toy.
The 1-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever has been obsessed with stuffed tigers since he was a puppy.
“He had a white tiger that was our daughter’s and he claimed it as his own,” Andersen told The Dodo. “He destroyed it, of course, but my daughter had this orange tiger, and he kept stealing it — so it’s his now.”
“He brings it everywhere! He always picks it up when he gets excited and wiggles his little butt,” Andersen said. “It’s his bestie.”
So when Captain’s family moved from California to Denver, Colorado, the well-loved stuffed tiger came along for the ride. Andersen couldn’t wait for her pup to experience everything Colorado had to offer — especially the snow.
And she wasn’t disappointed when fluffy white snowflakes started drifting down into the yard. Captain couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“He kinda just looked around at it and, of course, tried to eat a bit of it,” Andersen said. “But he just watched … he was so fascinated.”
Andersen was surprised when Captain came to the door asking to be let in but quickly realized why — he wanted to share the special experience with his stuffed tiger.
“[He] grabbed his tiger and ran back out and was galloping about,” Andersen said.
Captain knows everything is better when you share it with someone you love. And that’s exactly how Captain’s family feels about him.
“He has really made this family complete,” Andersen said. “He is such a light and is always there for everyone. We have a son that is autistic, and he always goes to him to give him comfort. He’s just the best boy we could have ever hoped for.”
Captain can’t wait for the next snow day — and he’s keeping his stuffed tiger close by, just in case.