Category: Sparky (Page 4 of 18)

I brought Sparky home just short of 2 years ago.  It was a mild winter, but I was concerned that he’d be too cold when we went on walks.  He’s got that short, seal fur, but didn’t have the fat layer.  I got him the Carhartt jacket.

Now that I know Sparky, it’s clear that even in the snow, he has a lot of dog stuff to work on.  When we are out, Sparky stuffs his snout into the snow like this all the time. 

I also know that if Sparky gets cold, he will head for the house.  I could lead him on a longer walk, but he would not be reluctant to give his opinion.

After a week of use, Sparky appreciates his heating pad Christmas present.  It’s on low, and keeps the back half of his bed warm.  It got down to 20^o F last night and we’ve been burning consistently.  The bedroom was in the low 60’s. 

If Sparky was cold, he’d curl up like a pill bug.  If he were too warm, he’d be in the front of the crate.  FYI, that’s why only a part of the bed should be heated.  His eyes are open, and he stayed in bed for another hour.

My guess is that Sparky stays in bed so I have time to stoke the stove.  When he did shamble out of bed and had gone out for a piss, he settled in for a comfy morning.

We tried Search and Rescue again today, and it didn’t go the way I expected.

To foster Sparky’s intellectual development, we started a new training exercise.  It’s really just hide-and-seek, but Sparky likes it better if we call it search-and-rescue.  He wants me to get him an orange vest that says, “RESCUE DOG”.  I reminded him that dogs can’t see the color orange, but he doesn’t care.

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This time, I thought Sparky’s argument was really weak, and I had some complaints of my own.

Sparky’s complaint is that sometime when he’s on my lap, I am distracted, looking at the computer, or not petting him or giving him my full attention.

That’s not fair.  “Sparky, I’m doing all the work.  You’re just laying there, not moving, hell, you could be asleep.  You aren’t paying attention at all.”

Sparky says that’s okay, because his eyes aren’t closed and he is like a hundred times cuter than I am, and just showing up is it’s own reward. 

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