Sparky of Fabulous Las Vegas Bio page

of Fabulous

Las Vegas, Nevada

Spa Sparky was originally "discovered" in Manhattan, NY, by a good friend and client of mine. He was visiting in the city, and happened by Pets on Lex in the upper West Side. He found this adorable Jack Russell pup, with markings that made her look like a little cow. On the spur of the moment he purchased her and made arrangements to have her flown back to Pittsburgh with him. He named her Sparky, and it was accompanied with his last name, Goldstein, which explains her "Jewish heritage."

He tried fitting a puppy into his lifestyle, but it was difficult for a single guy with a business to run. With no one left at home to pay attention to this tiny pup, he would either run home from work or bring her with him. Unfortunately it just wasn't working. OK, so it didn't help that he was out walking her for two hours in the middle of the night with no results. Well, until they stepped back inside and she christened the new Berber carpet with a nice fresh present. So that's where I fit in, the sucker for a cute face. I somewhat reluctantly agreed to give her a new home.

This was Sparky at 8 weeks old and on her first outing at McConnels Mills State Park in PA. We were their with the Army National Guard doing some rappelling and rope work on the rocks. Needless to say, she was a huge hit with all the guys in uniform, not to mention the folks passing by who just were out enjoying the day. I don't know if you've ever seen the size of the ropes the military uses for lifeline, but this tiny little puppy dragging them out of the bags made them look all the bigger. It was a Jack Russell preview of things to come.

Yes Jack Russell Terriers are a one of a kind, and Sparky is a pretty exceptional one at that. Extremely intelligent, playful, and a devoted companion. Strangely enough, not all humans can survive in a Jack Russell's house. Yes, THEIR house, because they are an assertive big dog trapped in a little, but very strong and agile body. Their intelligence will astound and entertain you, and you must be ready to play on their command, or they'll figure out a way to induce your involvement. Sparky's tug ropes are 3/4 " nylon from home centers, since the rag ropes get destroyed in no time. Very few toys can survive a JRT, and I often laugh at the ones marked "indestructable". They play so very hard and won't stop unless you force the issue. Sparky loves motion, be it running, riding, or even flying with me.

She was always a great kids dog as she loved to

play and attached herself to whoever is her special friend of the day. Sparky's temperment is considered very mild for a Jack, so don't let her or the very cute others in commercials, movies, and TV fool you. It takes special "humans" to live with them. The ones that can get an experience of a lifetime.

There was some sadness in Sparky's life. Due to divorce, Sparky was separated from us. Finally she was shipped out here to Las Vegas and instantly remembered her long lost humans. As she settled in to her new home we began to go through her things. It was horrible to find a muzzle among them, and for a while afterward she resisted having anything slipped over her head. Again, not everyone is suited to be with a JRT.

Sparky, just like the rest of us, fell in love with Las Vegas. The warm sunny weather was definitely her style. She really enjoys being in the sun, and the block privacy walls allow her to roam free. There was one little obstacle that had to be overcome.......there was already a dog in the house......Gizmo, a Yorkie. His personality was a direct contrast to hers and he showed his displeasure. When he did, Sparky would flip him on his back before he even knew what hit him. That has changed quite a bit, and Gizmo seems to be accepting the Sparky "rules", and is even starting to play. Here you can see them sharing "guard duty". Gizmo takes over the watch while Sparky gets a little shuteye. Hey, you never know when that evil UPS, FED-EX, Carpet Cleaner, or whoever may be lurking around ready to terrorize the neighborhood. Did you know that twice a week some guys show up with a big truck and steal all our wonderful garbage? Yep, right there from in front of the house, and in broad daylight! It's a good thing these two are on patrol.

Ahh, and JRT's ARE fearless watchdogs, and Sparky is no exception. Strangers immediately "pump her up" to the terminator, and the "cutie" becomes a Rotweiller. Still, if they pass the initial security check, within a few minutes she'll most likely be sitting in that newbie's lap. Just two days after arriving into this new world, the first of our many out of town guests arrived. Just a Vegas thing......live here and you have to enjoy getting company, because everyone comes here. We gave what would soon be our standard legal disclaimer of she'll be fine in a minute or two, just don't put your hand down toward her until she's ready. Sure enough, moments later she was in "pet me - play with me" mode and entertaining our company. We grill outside year round and this was no exception, so Sparky's distraction allowed us to finish dinner almost unnoticed. That's when the real fun began. Our family and guests gathered round the table, all ready to dig in to these gourmet burgers when Sparky decides a taste test was in order. Before you could blink an eye, She jumped on the back of Ed's chair, poked her head under his arm, and neatly snatched a bite of his sandwich. She was gone in a flash, even before the initial horror set in. After the shock, the laughter broke out, but of course we had a little discussion about table manners, and so far she hasn't repeated that performance.

That episode would mark the beginning of Sparky's rise to stardom as the newest "Las Vegas Showgirl". It seems like the town has brought out the true entertainer in her. She started off with her usual games and toys, amazing everyone with the strength and endurance of what appears to be a small dog. Of course we can't forget to mention that other common JRT activity.........kill the carpet munching monster! Well, any type of vacuum, actually. Shop vac, yard vac, tiny quick pickup vac, it doesn't matter, she's never quite satisfied until she has silenced the beast. Her attack varies from deliberate stalking to the nonchalant surprise lunge at the "business end" of the creature. When it shows no signs of life, she triumphantly ignores these demons of the closet......or whatever their dark lair may be.

We have a pool, and Sparky was never much of a swimmer, so just in case she was in hyperspace and the cement pond happened to be under her when she did slow down to warp drive, we figured it would be a good idea to teach her where we hide the steps. She wasn't very happy about it, which is probably why she was so quick to prove she got the message. To this day she doesn't go in the pool............unless there's that one thing she can't resist..............TOYS!! Yep, that's how it all started, pool rings and torpedos. First diving in to chase them around the pool, swimming effortlessly and quick, turning on a dime. Then she started going after toys on the steps, dunking her head under the water and using her now famous snort to keep the water out of her nose. We actually missed her first "deep dive". A torpedo had been left at the 5' mark in the pool. Next thing you know Sparky is walking around with a torpedo. we were all looking at each other, going "Nahh, somebody must have got it for her". Boy were we wrong. The next time the toys were in the pool and one landed on the bottom, she dove right down to get it. Even from a swim, she corkscrews herself to the deepest parts of the pool. At first people look at you like you're a little nuts when you tell them about it, but after they see her in action, it's "Oh My Gawd! I've never seen a dog do that before!" So needless to say, the requests for "more of Sparky" got to the point where it was easier to put up this site than to fill all the requests for pictures and video. Oh, and so I sort of lied about Sparky not getting in the water without a toy. She does sit in the hot tub for a relaxing soak after a hard day of entertaining young , old, and everyone else in between, the locals, tourists, and us!

She's added several comedy acts to her repertoire since then. Her version of "Catch" was another stunt she pulled off on her own. Just toss the tennis ball at her while she's balancing on the back of the couch and she shoots it right back at you. A favorite visitor surprise is "back surfing". Yes, bend down to tie your shoe and the next thing you know there's a JRT hanging 10. Then there's those times when you try to stand with her like that and she does her parrot imitation, perching herself on your shoulder. When she's in "explorer mode" she's very determined. An occaisional climb on the floor to ceiling Lazy Susan in the pantry. Opening the entertainment center doors.....just to take a look around. Kitchen cabinets sometimes call her name. The best is her mastering the lever style handles on the doors all around the house. Now and then she drops in for a little nap , and performs her jump, dive and" muzzle cover toss" which is one fluid motion. Look at this photo and see if you can find the JRT. Yes, family and guests have had the pleasure and surprise of sitting on our "growling beds", or enjoy that warm fuzzy feeling stretched out next to you under the covers, and hearing that familiar Grrrr should you move the wrong way. You might say Sparky is a bit of a snoozulhead and prefers to sleep "underground".

I must mention one more of Sparky's shows, although the list could go on and on. She has grasped so much of the English language it's scary. It's also kind of wild how she sometimes comes up to "people level" to join in conversations, or sits in your lap face to face and refuses to move until you've spoken with her. She cocks her head from side to side, listening so intently. We're finding that she's even deciphering our spelling words out, with "walk" having to be called the "upside down M word", and "toys", "ball", "rope", "bone" and others have to have their watchwords changed to avoid detection. Even her psychic abilities will astound you. She just appears in the exact place you were going, and before you get there. You have no idea what it's like to have something flash past you, only to arrive at your room to see this little "cow marked" dog with your swim suit. Especially when you've given no clues, and never said a word.

So this is the story of Sparky, and her first 9 months as a performer in the "Entertainment Capital of the World", Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. Oh, and be sure to "stay tuned", because we're sure there's more to come!

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