Christmas marked the 200th day since Spark became our dog. We rescued him from a sad situation and, in turn, he rescued us from the contented, yet flat groove my husband and I had slipped into.
So, I co-opted a popular Christmas song to call out his contributions to our lives.
On the first day, June 18, 2023, Spark gave to us – himself, our first pet in our adult lives. Along with him came one deluxe dog bed, a half-full bag of Kibbles, and some toya.
On the second day of dog ownership, we were awakened to the sounds of a whimpering pup, who’d whimpered the prior night when we put him to bed. Too much change bewildered our 8-month-old pup.
With consistent and loving attention, by the 30th day, Spark had gained two pounds. He pulled strongly when we attempted to walk him, so a trainer seemed to be in order.
Sadly he hadn’t been neutered, so a vet’s canine castration was performed. He was noble during a four-week recovery, gamely trying his best to walk with a cone – even at a dog park where the other dogs shunned him. A plucky pup, feeling more secure in his new home daily.
On the 50th day, Spark got a proper haircut. He rang five rings around the groomer, so to speak, and came out with nips and tucks unintended.
At 60 days, we participated in four bi-monthly dog training sessions. He learned to “get down, lay down, sit,” and to wait until we said “go” to start the walk. However, he declined to “fetch,” belying his golden retriever heritage.
We purchased dog insurance at this juncture. Because it was now clear that he’d never abandon counter surfing and eating at least seven things he shouldn’t:
- grapes
- an entire loaf of bread – and it’s plastic wrapper
- a pen and chewing a dozen other…
- a pebble or two…
- cherry tomatoes from our garden
- grass, a sign of stomach upset
- a half-dozen cookies adorned with chocolate bits that I’d baked for his groomer, etc.
By now he’d accumulated eight chew toys. While we might not be spry owners, we had exposable income to fall for the dog toy arrays that stores sported.
90 minutes of exercise became his daily regimen. Larry had better knees than I and became to designated walker. Sparky chewed through several leashes…
Sparky had an affinity for chewing fluff-filled dog toys – at least he didn’t eat the fluff – so replacements and several balls were added, so that now he had a menagerie of ten, though he wasn’t leaping for the game of fetch at the park that Larry desired.
By now we’d heard nearly a dozen Sparty sounds – almost like words if his mouth could articulate them – beyond barking especially when his tail drummed the carpet while he played with his favorite toys.
Sparky had his own songs. Now here’s the original tune for the poem I purloined: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QPQI5QUs74
Sparky sounds so cute and mischievous. That’s smart that you took your dog to a dog training class. I wish I would have done that with my dog. And my dog loves to destroy pet toys with stuffing. For some reason, she doesn’t do that with cheaper plastic toys that squeak.
Ah, yes, the toy destroyer! Our dog also does that, and we’re glad he doesn’t swallow the stuffing he pulls out. At least he doesn’t chomp and destroy our furniture!
If only obedience training taught a dog to return his toys to the bin – ha!