Sputnik appears to be a Rat Terrier, although his dark brindle markings would disqualify him from registration with either the AKC or UKC. He is about four years old, weighs 16 pounds and stands 15" at the withers. I found him listed on Petfinder and adopted him when he was about a year old. His canines were already gone from obsessive chewing on tennis balls. Sputnik came from a shelter in New Jersey where nothing was known about his background. At the shelter, he briefly went by the name of "Jax". My name for him comes from our mutual love of balls - mine being 1960s signs such as these and these. Sputnik's ears look very much like the spikey projections of these signs. The actual Russian translation of his name is "fellow traveler" which is also very appropriate.
Nik has boundless energy and is crazy about balls and frisbees. He will retrieve them for as long as you can throw them. He also loves stuffed toys and squeak toys but guts them instantly. If a toy isn't handy, an empty bottle or a tiny piece of paper is a fine substitute. Nik is also overly fond of chasing and hunting small critters and insects. He barks hysterically at the sound of motorcycles. His high-pitched screaming and manic barking are luckily only an outdoor phenomenon. A few times, his screams have actually frightened squirrels enough to make them to fall from trees. I trained Nik for agility but he didn't enjoy competition since you can't bring a ball into the ring.
In 2008, I discovered that Nik is completely blind in his right eye. The vet believes it was probably a genetic defect. The retina in his right eye is completely gone. For all I know, he may have had this blindess when I adopted him. You would never know that he has this handicap. He catches balls with great precision and is able to leap and go around objects at top speed. Nik has evidently developed his own system for depth perception. His left retina seems to be in good shape and will hopefully last him the rest of his life.
