I know I have mentioned my diving Jack Russell dog, Sparky. I am finally going to officially introduce her. She lived in an abusive situation for several years before she came to live with us about 4 years ago. She is 8 ½ years old and full of fun! She has some issues from the abuse but is a very happy, spoiled, little girl now. She had a health problem about a year ago. She had a cancerous tumor removed from her hind leg, but has recovered from it nicely. Unfortunately, she does have to have surgery this Tuesday to remove her anal gland because it keeps getting infected. The vet says it should be an easy procedure and will correct the problem.
Sparky loves anything that involves play. In the summer, we swim together everyday and her really cool trick is that she dives to the bottom of the pool to retrieve toy torpedos. We don't really think that she likes to swim because she never just goes into the pool unless there is play involved. She will dive on to my kids and their friends if they are being wild and if they are under the water too long, she will try to "rescue" them by digging with her front paws (while still swimming) and biting their hair to get them above the water. She is lots of fun and very entertaining. Of course, she reminds me everyday that it is time to go into the pool. This summer, we finally bought an underwater camera so that we could capture all her tricks. Make sure you check out the you tube video. It is amazing!
In the colder months, when we can't use the pool, we take her on long walks through our neighborhood or in the park. At the park, she likes to look for the ducks in the pond and she loves to chase the birds.
Every evening, after dinner, we have a game of balls that we play where we keep 2 balls away from her by throwing them back and forth, similar to monkey in the middle (with her being the monkey). When she gets the balls, she keeps both and we try to get them off of her. Again, she reminds me when it is time to walk or play with the balls. She has me well trained.
Since we moved to Las Vegas from Pittsburgh PA, we have lots of friends that come to visit. Everybody is entertained by Sparky and wants us to send them pictures and videos of her. So, my husband put together a website for Sparky and also to answer everyone's travel questions about Las Vegas. Sparky has gone global with her website! Seems that it is unusual for Jack Russell to dive under the water. We almost had a plane full of Japanese tourists come to visit Sparky, but their trip got cancelled. I'm not sure how our homeowners association would have felt about us conducting a show in our backyard!
I hope you enjoyed the videos and website of Sparky. We have lots of fun with her and love to share her tricks with everyone. She is a very special dog and she knows it!
If you are interested in relocating to Las Vegas or would like information on Las Vegas real estate, please email me roberta@search4lasvegashomes.com or call me at 702-354-8988. I look forward to hearing from you!
This is TOO much fun for words! Everyone should checkout Sparky's website and mySpace page. I have not laughed that hard in a while. Next time I get to Vegas I am going to visit her. What a wonderful pup!
Have you started planning her Bat Mitzvah yet... only 4 years to go!
Steve: Glad you enjoyed Sparky. She is a lot of fun and enjoys visitors, especially during swimming season.
Jesse & Kathy: She sure is good at retrieving those torpedos and she will keep doing it as long as you do! Yes, she is a spoiled little dog.
Gayle: Oh yes, Jack's can be very active. Sparky is calm for a Jack but full of energy. Good luck with your Jack.
Linda: She is amazing. Thanks for checking out her video.
Sparky is amazing! I just emailed the video to my sister in Calif who has a Jack Russell she will love it!
http://activerain.com/blogsview/355283/Sparky-of-Fabulous-Las
Mark: She is a great diver!
Charles: I'm sure your sister will enjoy the video.
Roberta, Sparky is fabulous. Hutch's sport was to go mountain biking with me and my husband everyday day after work. we would ride for miles. He is a great breed for that because he could keep up and always stayed with us. I don't think Hutch would be into torpedo diving, we will leave that to Sparky!
Thanks for sharing!
Audrey
Audrey: I guess every dog has his or her own hobby. Thanks for visiting.
Jennifer: Glad you enjoyed the video and music. Sorry you can't make it to Vegas this year.
Dora: I think you'd be surprised just how many there are. The page was made for friends and family, but we started hearing from dog lovers all over the world, and so many have their own sites. In Japan I think everyone has them. In the US there's also quite a few, plus Dogster, and I just looked and they have 363,860. Sparky received an invite to post one there
My kids loved Sparky and want to know how we can train our dog to do that, they would love to take her in the pool. Thanks for the laugh and I'm glad the dog has got you so trained.
Todd: Funny thing is, we did not train her to do that trick. She loves to play so much, that one day she just went to the bottom of the pool and retrieved the torpedo. She has been doing it ever since. I'm glad your kids enjoyed her video.
Audrey: Thanks for stopping by. I think she's a cutie too!
Hey Roberta...what a fun post and a great pet.
Idea for a follow up-localism post: Animal shelter to take in abused pets.
Sparky is a great swimmer. It seems she is a fantastic dog too. How is she now? Did she had the procedure done? I hope she is doing fine.
Sandy: A JRT would definitely keep you young!
Griselda: Sparky is a great swimmer and a wonderful dog! Thanks for asking about her surgery. She is doing great now! She had her check-up yesterday and seems to be healing just fine. We still have to take it easy with her which does not make her happy. She is ready to play, play, play!
Jennifer: You would enjoy seeing her swim in person! She is very entertaining!