THE DOG THAT WALKED ME

SPARKY & ME

I just got walked by our crazy dog, a mutt called Sparky. Don’t ask me how it happened, how we got the dog, and how I ended up walking the crazy canine. For those of you who know me well, you’ll know that how Sparky wormed his way into our hearts, namely M’s, is made of legendary stuff. How I ended up walking him this morning, is a totally different story. Like most writers, we digress a little and then we meld our stories.

When I woke up this morning, with a million thoughts buzzing through my head, I thought it would be a good idea to look for pandan leaves for my chicken rice dish to be made for lunch instead of driving out to the nearest market- i.e. TTDI, Sec 17 or Bangsar that would take at least an hour- driving, parking, haggling, etc. Curi pandan leaves? 5 mins!

SO I decided to go the truly ‘organic’ and kampung route, ala Malaysian and thought, why not just nick some from some neighbour who would have planted the pandan on the five foot pathway of everyman’s land anyway? As I was leaving the front door, darling Sparky came up and sniffed at me with mournful, longing eyes. Now, walking him has been ALWAYS my other half’s domain. Though M was dead against us having a dog in the first place (for obvious reasons), he actually loves dogs and pets very much and would walk him, on foot or sometimes “on his bike” albeit dangerously. (In the U.K, he would probably get a fine for doing that, no?)
So when N our lovely domestic passed me the leads for the dog, she looked at me rather doubtfully- “Are you sure, Ma’am?” “Sure,” I retorted without a blink of an eye.

So, out of the side gate we went, and I meant WENT! Whooooooooshh shot Sparky quick as a lightning bolt. It was better than the walking up Kiara Hill or a 90 min yoga session I tell you. 45 minutes later I was all sweaty and I’ll bet that my right arm will be aching like mad tomorrow!

What life lessons did I learn from my morning escapade with Sparky??

My mutt, who is big, I mean, huge, for a dog under one year can truly run. Sprinted he did.

Dogs love scents and boy did he make it clear that he did. He would lead me up and down the streets of our housing estate, sniffing for dog scents on tress, shrubs, bins, car tyres, etc. He would dig here and there controlling the whole show.

He pooed and I had my handy recycled plastic bag ready. I struggled to pick up his droppings, and he kept tugging at me.
Then he ran some more, across the park, up the slope to the other end of the estate and I was panting and heaving by this time.

Meantime, I had spotted a rather lush pandan bush so I quickly went for it before the, errmmm… occupants of the house saw me, tearing their plant apart, while Sparky impatiently was trying to yank me away for his next sniff adventure! I can tell you, it was quite a feat, trying to pluck 4 pandan leaves without killing the plant while a crazy, energetic big dog was trying to go find his next female dog scent!

What else did I notice on my ‘walking’ adventure? Yeah, that people in my neighbourhood love planting more lemon-grass than pandanus and many are quite patriotic for there are abundant hibiscus bushes around. Also, many neighbours are really friendly and smiley, especially my thoughtful Muslim neighbours, who did not bat an eye lid at this crazy woman in shorts and a pony tail being ‘handled’ by her dog! That was nice to know. :)

Our crazy dog? I love him to bits even though, and the EVEN THOUGH should be in bold, caps and colour, because there is a long list of ‘naughty’ things he has done!

1. He was TOOOOO cute as a puppy. Melted our hearts, esp the children’s, who like all children thought puppies are forever( NOT!),

2. He was so cute and regal looking that as a little wee puppy, a celebrity beauty queen actually thought he was a pedigree puppy- we know they don’t have half a brain anyway, but my point is, he was THAT Cute and Classy looking at the same time.

3. He then started looking like a real cute Jack Russell which made us love him even more!

4. He was so sweet that I bought him a posh pet basket from SSF and actually waited for two hours at a vet, just to let him have his jabs. I don’t even wait that long at the Paeds!

5. My dad had brought him home from the beach last July, so he is essentially a rescue dog. We actually thought that since the Obamas got a rescue dog( well, I know a Portuguese water dog isn’t quite the same as a Malaysian pariah dog, we’d still like to think we did something as cool as the Obamas! )

6. My dad had initially brought him home in an old towel in a recycled paint bucket, (yes, my dad’s a bit of a McGyver), and he thought he’d let his adorable grandkids play with it, and he’d return it to his Mummy back on the beach. (His mum is a bit of a bitch on the beach, sad to say, quite a bicycle.) But Sparky melted out hearts and he stayed, and even same home to KL with us.

7. I have never conned my husband into anything (and I say this with a straight face) but I admit to getting into a ploy with my kids over THIS DOG, to let them keep the dog. See Sparky was originally supposed to go to my father in law, for his new house and new wife(a separate story altogether), but we ended up keeping him.

8. We were supposed to look after Sparky for a week, groom and clean him, then go to Australia, and he would go to FIL as his new house would be ready then.
But luckily, we have lots of lovely kind angels surrounding us in the form of neighbours and friends. A, an angelic neighbour that befits her name, offered to look after the pedigree- looking pup while we were in Oz on hols.

After that, it was easy to convince Daddy after that as we would always have an eager and willing dog-sitter at any time we needed!

9. S showed us her truest, pet-loving colours the week before we went to Down Under. She looked after Sparky like a dream- fed him, helped bathed him, disciplined him, cleaned after him, nurtured him, and the whole works! As resident future vet, S had always been rooting for a dog. So eventually, the ploy worked, Daddy realized how much Sparky meant to the kids, and how we also had a network of willing sitters and walkers available for when we travel, which we do frequently; so how could he say no, esp. after we have named him, vaccinated him, and groomed him(spell-spent so much on him?) An investment had been made already!

10. Sparky grew and GREW. Yup, dogs do that. As a white dog with cute black patches, he would have been a Patch or an Oreo but little I named him Sparky, as 6 year olds liked to name their pets.
Sometimes, when I feel like it, Sparky became Ah Spark, for he is a true blood Malaysian mutt!
Damages so far?

Slippers, sock, Christmas ornaments, the kids’ toys, odds and ends, the grass and some shrubs in the garden, the walls, etc etc.
Major and exorbitant ones-The ABS braking system cable of my car( Twice) and the auto gate cables ( Twice as well!) Not so nice, well…

The cars are parked outside now and the auto-gate doesn’t work for the time being.

We all love and adore him to bits even though he is one mad doggity-dog!
Lessons from the mutt??

It’s a dog’s life! You’re still loved to bits even if you muck up.

And they make excellent exercise partners, I tell you! And yes, Sparky can heel, stay and sit though he prefers sniffing up ladies’ behinds more! Someday, who knows, I might get to be like Jennifer Aniston and star in “Sparky and Me” directed by Ang Lee!

Woof Woof!