If you told Silvio Siamo a month ago that his extremely lazy dog Sparky would soon become his primary workout buddy, he wouldn’t have believed you. But when Siamo’s life turned upside down under quarantine in Italy, he couldn’t have been more grateful to have his 5-year-old mini bull terrier by his side. And the same goes for Sparky.
“Sparky is a lazy boy,” Siamo told The Dodo. “He likes to stay with the family and be cuddled.”
Instagram/sparky_minibullterrier
Sparky is not a fan of cardio, and will often just give up in the middle of a walk. When Sparky decides that his walk should be over, he lies down and forces his dad to do the heavy lifting. And there’s plenty of video evidence to prove it.
Though Sparky hates to work out himself, he’s come up with a plan that helps his dad stay fit while giving him loads of affection. It’s a win-win scenario for the idle pup.
“For Sparky, working out together is something fun,” Siamo said. “Usually, he puts himself nearby where he can wait for kisses during our workout.”
Instagram/sparky_minibullterrier
Sparky knows that when Siamo starts training, all he has to do is position himself under his dad — and push-ups or squats will become pets and kisses. And his plan works every time:
All this helps lifts his dad’s spirits while confined at home.
“In these days of the quarantine, we are constrained to stay at home and to pass the time we work out together with Sparky,” Siamo said. “[He’s] helping us between the cuddles and kisses to pass the days with serenity and to make us almost forget the emergency in which we are living in Italy.”
Instagram/sparky_minibullterrier
For Sparky, life during quarantine is suiting him just fine — especially since his dad is now always by his side.
“Sparky is happy because he is cuddled all the time,” Siamo said. “We play together, make video calls with friends, prepare cookies that he likes very much. When he is tired he goes on the balcony to lie down in the sun.”