Since Peppy, my first Sheltie, became so attached to my father when I went away to college, he became my parent's pet. So, it was only natural when I graduated and got my own place that I wanted another Sheltie for myself. At the time I was living in Greensburg, PA. Although, it was certainly not my goal on that day in 1975 and I vaguely understood the issues involved in buying a dog from a pet store, I just couldn't pass up that cute little sable female I was presented with at the Greengate Mall. So, home I went with a 13-week bundle of energy that I named Sparky.
What a spitfire. I think the weeks being crate bound just had to get out of her system. This puppy would just race around the house non-stop. New things were wonderful and it seemed as if she delighted in getting into trouble. One incident in particular that is still quite vivid, was the day I returned home from work to find she had chewed up the grill cloth on my stereo speakers. Another thing that I remember quite well was the first time she ate something other than dog food. Shortly after I got her, I was scrambling up some eggs and decided to give her a treat. The reaction I got is hard to describe, as I have never experienced anything like it before, or since. With the first taste, she started trembling and she started turning circles as she gulped pieces down. When she was done I had the most attentive dog you can imagine for the rest of the morning. The funny thing was, in later years; she really didn't seem to like eggs much. Interesting how fresh and exciting something new can be. As time passed and Sparky got used to food, toys and routine she naturally started to mature. Eventually, she became I very reliable housedog.
One of the main things I experienced with Sparky, that I warn people about, and am very sensitive to even today, was that as a single person out working all day, I wasn't around to give her the attention she really deserved. I began to realize this was one of the reasons she got into trouble when I was away and became so energetic when I returned. This become a source of guilt to me that grew even worse when I returned home dead tired from a long work day. Since my parents loved her and she got along great with Peppy, it was agreed that Sparky would be better off with them until my life settled down and I got married. As with Peppy this was supposed to be temporary. As with Peppy it didn't work out that way.
Shortly after they got Sparky, my parents moved from New Jersey to Virginia where they still live today. Their new home in Virginia was in a community called Lake of the Woods and the home has beachfront on a 500-acre recreational lake. Little did we know at the time, but at some point Sparky must have had a transfusion where she received blood from a Labrador Retriever. The dog was an absolute fish. Once she got a taste of the water, we couldn't keep her away. When my father went swimming Sparky couldn't wait to go. In fact she knew when he put his bathing suit on and excitedly waited next to the door until he was ready. When we opened the door for the dogs to do their business, Sparky headed straight for the lake. If we were in the water and she was on the dock, all we had to do was call her name and she would jump right in. The fact that such a jump resulted in total submersion for a split second didn't seem to bother her at all. Even as a geriatric when she seemed to be on her last legs and was having a hard time breathing, the dog loved the water. We honestly thought that her end would come from a heart attack while swimming in the lake.
Lake of the Woods is a community that restricts residents from fencing their property. Both Peppy and Sparky, being from a herding breed, had been boundary trained and were extremely reliable. Neither one ever strayed off the property. Every 4th of July, the community has a fire works display that is set off across the lake from my parent's house. It is really nice to be able to take lawn chairs down on the beach and watch the fireworks as they reflect off the water. What was not so nice was the year we learned how much fireworks can scare a dog. Since she loved the water it was only natural that Sparky insisted on accompanying us to the beach. When the fireworks started Sparky took off around the side of the house. Although I immediately went after her, she was no where to be found. We looked for hours walking up and down streets and talking to neighbors. Finally, we encountered a fellow out washing his car in the driveway who had her. Evidently, when Sparky finally settled down, she had the presence of mind to latch on to the first person she saw. This guy said she just walked up and started following him around. He was waiting for the owners to claim her. So, this story had a happy ending, but we try to educate people about dogs and the 4th of July not mixing. On that day of the year leave your dogs safely locked up in the house. This is one day when dogs are best off without the extra attention and companionship of being with their human. Every year now we notice how many lost dog posters go up right after the 4th of July. Don't make this heart-breaking mistake. Learn from our experience.
The rest of Sparky's life was relatively uneventful. As a pet store Sheltie, she wasn't the best representative of the breed, but she wasn't terrible either. She carried a big coat and was relatively healthy for the majority of her life. She lived to be over 14 years old. The last year, and in particular the last few months of her life were sort of sad, in that she developed some sort of emphysema, or breathing disorder. It was really tough to sit there and watch her struggling and gasping to breathe. Of coarse the vet gave us medication to help and she went through times when it seemed to get better for a while. So, it was really tough to decide when enough was enough? Of coarse, wouldn't you know that the really bad time came on a Sunday when the vets weren't available? So, we had to bear watching her in such distress for the better part of a day before we could give her the final relief she so much deserved.
Sparky was a very nice dog, especially as pet store dogs go. We got lucky. But even so, the lack of early socialization and life in a crate until we bought her definitely had an effect on her overall personality. Although she had every benefit that we have given all of our dogs, she never quite developed the really special personality traits that set most of our dogs apart from the pack. She lived a wonderful life and she certainly found her niche in our hearts, but when we tell people they can never make up for what a puppy does not get before they buy it, we know of what we speak. It is so important to find a reputable breeder that spends the time required during the first 8 weeks of a puppy's life to bring its personality to full potential. Many people buying pet store dogs won't have the benefit of Sparky's good health or temperament and that would be a real heartache.
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· Friends & Pets · Sheltie Tetherball · The Grapevine · Seasonal ·
· Rescue · Sheltie Links · Awards · Contact Us · Site Map ·
© 1999 - 2001 by John E. Rueckert - All Rights Reserved