Worried about Sparky

I’m getting worried about Sparky. He runs around and still barks. But he’s just not as sparky as he used to be. I know he is getting older, but I think it is more than that.

Who is Sparky? Sparky is a dog, and not actually our dog. He belongs to the Yang’s, our neighbors. Ken has put one of those invisible fence collars on Sparky that extends right to the edge of our driveway. Also, his name isn’t actually Sparky, but Jinx. At first, Terri didn’t know the dog’s name, and seeing him run around crazily, started calling him Sparky. It stuck, and now I suppose it’s his official nickname.

Sparky is a knee-high mixed breed dog. (Don’t ask me what breeds. I don’t have a clue.) I’ve told people he’s the best type of dog to have, your neighbor’s dog. He is actually a pretty good watch dog. He will bark and let you know if someone not on his familiar list drives up in either driveway. I think the highlight of his day is barking at the mailman, actually mail lady, when she delivers the mail in the afternoon.

Sparky really gets excited when the UPS truck makes a delivery. He knows the sound of the truck and will start barking when it’s a block away. I’ve had people ask me if he will bite. My answer is, “I haven’t heard of him biting anyone, but he has teeth.”

I used to think that I had Sparky pretty well trained. I walk out of the house heading toward the garage and here he comes. He would stand there waiting and looking straight at me, expecting his treat. And he would give a little bark if he thought I was ignoring him. He would stand there until I go and bring him a piece of bread. Yes, I’ve got him trained well. Then I thought, “Wait a minute! Just who has who trained?” I realized that the dog is probably thinking, “All I have to do is just stand there, stare at him, bark a little, and he’ll go and give me a treat.” And he is usually right.

But Sparky has been acting a little different lately. He actually seems a little depressed. I think I know what it is. I think he may be suffering from pet separation anxiety. I read about it on the internet so it must be something real. Many people are working more at home since the COVID-19 outbreak. An article I read a few months ago discussed about how pets are getting used to having their owners around much more. Now that many workers are heading back to the office, the pets are missing them and are dealing with anxiety. Remember, it’s on the internet, so it must be a fact.

Maybe that is what is wrong with Sparky. When COVID-19 hit, the Yang household became much busier. Katie had come home from college because of the outbreak, and Kayla was finishing her Senior year in high school. There was always someone coming or going, whether it was the Yang crew, or their friends. Logan even had a small workout gym set up in their garage. Sparky was loving it. The world inside his invisible fence was bustling.

But now Katie and Kayla are gone to college. It’s quiet most of the time, except for the mail lady and the occasional UPS man. Sparky now spends much of his day under the dogwood tree, looking out onto the street, thinking maybe some of his people will drive up soon. And looking over into our yard, waiting for his snack.

So Sparky may be dealing with pet separation anxiety. He misses his people. You know what, I miss them, too. It was a joy having those young people around for the past few months, even if it was often just a wave, or a “Hi, Mr. Mac.” (By the way, they are all polite and respectful. If kids only knew how much of a positive impression that makes with us older folks.)

Is Sparky suffering from pet separation anxiety? He and I will discuss it when I give him his snack later today. He’ll be waiting.