“I knew it the moment I met him when I laid myself across his feet. With this man, I will be safe. He’s my human. I’ve won the canine lottery.”

That’s my impression of Sparky’s thought process when he reportedly draped his body over my husband’s feet at the guys’ lunch that Saturday in June. It was a watershed event. By the next day, my husband and I – who’d never owned a dog as adults – had adopted this rescue pup.

Pardon my imagined dialogue as I provide voice-overs for our dog, Sparky’s, antics and actions. It’s become habit, based on being a writer of stories in which conversation is prized. It also stems from my need to puzzle out the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of others.

Sparky is our perfect pet; he shares our mores. He’s a handsome, hypoallergenic, and mischief-making scamp.

Sparky walks the sidewalk that circles our pool each morning and each night, a routine in which he often stops to gaze into our forever view, He seems to be enacting a line from a Marshall Tucker tune, which echoes my husband’s ethic and POV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWxXo18WNaQ

He saunters, he prances, he preens. The scents that the ocean breezes proffer, as well as three barbequing neighbors in a row, may entice his nose. The smells of landscapes, especially the flowers, or other animals. Sometimes he cocks his head to listen to the sounds of children squealing in play at the schoolyard four streets below. He relishes meeting people on walks with my husband through our vast neighborhood with two proximate parks.

In this aptitude especially Sparky shares our desire to meet and greet others. To make acquaintance and friends.

He’s aligned with our values: please and thanks and parity. He makes turns between us when playing with one of his dozen dog toys. After all, he is an only pup – and we have disposable income to purchase chew toys enticing squeakers and rubber balls that torque when tossed. “Go fetch!”

Further, we can tell he was born to be our dog because he is curious. He plays fair;  he takes turns. He’s not vain, averse to having his picture taken, He’s purposeful – licking plates, even though the dishwasher will clean them hygienically – and giving nuzzles when he senses we’re sad.

He’s our self-appointed guard dog, alert to the sounds of the occasional traffic and pedestrians on our residential street. While he nuzzles our postal worker and plays with our pool guy, he barks to protect his turf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xam01uaj6Vg

Yes! Larry and I won the canine lottery!