Photos > Pets > DogsJuly 24, 2009

Sparky (West Highland Terrier)

Sparky is a 9 year old Westie (West Highland White Terrier). We got her in July 2000. We think Sparky is gifted. She can pick out toys from her toy box by name.

She likes to play hide and seek with her daddy. He'll throw her ball down the hall. As she runs to get it, he hides in 1 of 4 places. She gets the ball and brings it back. But where's daddy? She drops the ball and goes to the first of his hiding places, then the second, until she finds him. Once she finds him, she goes back to her ball, grabs it and runs down the hall. Then he tells her to bring the ball back. And this repeats. They do this for 20 minutes at a time some nights.

She is still as spry as a puppy. She has a 15-yr old brother, our son, Alex. He adores her and is big on belly rubs and throwing her ball around for her. She can catch it in mid-air. She also shakes her red, squeaky toy. As she shakes it, it hits her on both sides of her head, but she doesn't seem to mind. Then she tosses it up and plays catch with herself.

By Candace from Scottsdale, AZ

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By
07/27/2009

What an adorable baby and you gave such a great description of how she plays with her daddy and by herself!

By
07/26/2009

Thanks for sharing! ....What a SMART & gorgeous little doggie! (& adorable too!)... How do you ever keep him so clean!?

It's funny, my cat also plays "hide & seek"... sometimes we hide, but it's usually him that hides. It's adorable, he reminds me of a toddler, when he buries his head under something, like a paper bag on the floor, he thinks we can't see him because he can't see us! He'll stay there shaking with anticipation with the bag covering just his head while we say "Whhhheeeere's Smokey?" Then when we tap him on the butt he'll quickly jump up & run around the house!

Another thing I love about Smokey (my cat) is how he "punks" me... I'll be walking from my pottery shop out in the back yard through the grass to my mobile home in the evening & since it's dark & he's all black, he's totally invisible, I can't see him... He'll run by, jump up & quickly pat the back of my legs with his soft paws (no claws), then he'll be gone before I can say "AHHHH" & let out the loudest surprised scream/laugh! ...I can't help but laugh out loud! This cracks me up every time!

Another thing Smokey does is steal my chair... He'll wait, pretending not to care, but once I get up from the computer chair to grab something, he'll dash across the room landing on the chair (with wheels) & "serf" the chair across the room. Then I'll have to bribe him with a treat to get him off ...I swear he's a dog in a cat's body.

Animals are such a treat! ...They keep us young!

By
07/24/2009

Isn't it amazing what dogs learn? My 8-year-old Yorkie does the same thing; knows all his toys. He also plays ball by himself. He has a little tennis ball that he "throws" by flinging his head, and then chases it. He also "negotiates." Sometimes when I tell him to "get in your bed" in the family room, he goes right in front of it, lies down on the floor and looks at me as if to say "Is this close enough?" LOL Usually he gets away with it, because hubby and I are laughing!

By
07/24/2009

She is adorable. Loved her picture. Amazing what she can do. I wish my new Pom Puppy would learn all this.

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Sparky (Westie)

Sparky the Dog with Sunglasses onSparky is an 11 year old Westie. We bought her when she was 10 weeks old because my 6 year old son wanted a sibling and we were unable to have another child.

So when we went to the breeder's house, I said to my son, "Pick out your sister." Sparky loves to play hide and seek with her daddy. He throws her ball down the hall then runs and hides in 1 of his 4 hiding places. Sparky goes after the ball, brings it back, drops it, then goes to hiding place number 1. If he's not there, she goes to hiding place number 2, until she finds him.

When she does see him, she turns around, grabs her ball and runs down the hall and daddy chases her. They can do this for 20 minutes at a time. She also likes to try to get her squeaky toy unwrapped from her baby blanket. Then she takes it back to us on the bed so we can wrap it up again and throw it again.

We are sure Sparky is gifted. If there was a gifted program for dogs, she would be in it. You can tell her which toy to get and she runs to her toybox and gets it. She has us wrapped around her little paw.

By Candace K. from Scottsdale, AZ

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Shared on: 10/13/2011

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