Sparky's Big Utah Adventure

Sparky loves taking road trips. Our very kind sister, Michelle invited him to come with us when we went to stay with her family in Lindon, Utah over New Year's. We were a little nervous because their house is at the top of a hill. Across the street is nothing but wilderness:

OK, well, it's not really this hill, but it seems like it's this big when your dog gets out 2 hours after arriving and it's dark and snowy and he LOVES to chase the deer. That's exactly what happened when we went there for Christmas 2007 and it took all of us (11) over an hour to re-capture him. So, suffice it to say we didn't want THAT to happen again. Well, this year, sure enough, someone left the front door wide open our first night and off he went! Wearily, we put on shoes and grabbed a coat, remembering the year before when Tyler had worn shorts. I crossed the street just as Tyler spotted him on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. I was hoping we could corner him between the snow banks but suprisingly he walked right to me (that NEVER happens!). Turns out he'd run out and hit a car, which knocked the wind out of him and dazed him, but seemed to do no further damage--mixed blessing! He got loose twice more during our stay--once in the am and Jeff tricked him by offering him cheese (his kryptonite, but you must be close enough to him to prove you can deliver) and once while Michelle and Dave kindly took him for a walk but they didn't know you have to use a choke chain because he can back out of his collar...oops, sorry!

Believe me, by the end of our stay, whenever the front door opened, EVERYONE had adopted Bryce's standard front door technique, "HEY, WATCH OUT! GRAB SPARKY!"

He is an escape artist and that is a bother, but our other fear in taking him also had to do with the fact that Dave and Michelle have a little schnoodle, Sadie, and we were afraid Sparky would bully her. Turns out they became the best of friends! In fact, I think Sparky has a little crush! He even let her steal his bones!