Henry (Murphy 07-385)

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This happy-go-lucky guy is Murphy, an 18-month-old male found as a stray in Iowa. Slight of build, Murphy weighs 60 pounds and probably won't get much larger. His coat--a dark gold with blondish highlights--is straight and not terribly dense, which makes him easier to groom than some Goldens. With a healthier diet, his coat will get shinier and perhaps thicker, and he may grow more feathering.

Murphy's most distinguishing characteristic, however, is his little stump of a tail! At some point in his young life, Murphy's tail was docked (whether by accident or intentionally we'll never know), but that doesn't keep him from expressing himself. When he's happy, which is most of the time, he's a complete wigglebutt.

Like many Goldens his age, Murphy is bursting with energy and will need a great deal of daily exercise. Because he's so lively and athletic, he might make a good agility dog or flyball competitor. He loves toys, likes to retrieve, and willingly releases the ball when asked.

 It appears that Murphy may have had some training, as he promptly dropped to a sit when I offered him a treat. Walking on a leash, however, is a challenge. He's not fond of the Gentle Leader, but we'll work on getting him used to it. We'll also need to teach this young man that it's time to leave the puppy behaviors--jumping on people, mouthiness, climbing into laps, etc.--behind. It's also not yet clear whether Murphy is completely housebroken. He marked inside the house upon arrival, but that is not unusual for an intact (read that, "soon to be neutered") male in a new environment.

Murphy is at that awkward age when he's trying to find his place in the pack. As is typical of adolescent males, he tested my three-year-old Golden, Chaz, to see who would be top dog. It took some harsh words from Chaz, but Murphy finally accepted his position, and they ended up playing together on the back deck.

Murphy has great potential. He bonds quickly to humans, craves affection, shows no aggressive tendencies, and possesses a sunny Golden personality. Obedience training and daily aerobic exercise will provide the final polish for this little rough gem of a dog.

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Murphy says: Ya wanna know how I lost my tail?  Well, I'll tell ya.  Later.  Next update. You'll just have to keep reading.

 

 

 

 

 

At a Glance #07-385

Golden Retriever Born: January 2006
Male Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

This happy-go-lucky guy is Murphy, an 18-month-old male found as a stray in Iowa. Slight of build, Murphy weighs 60 pounds and probably won't get much larger. His coat--a dark gold with blondish highlights--is straight and not terribly dense, which makes him easier to groom than some Goldens. With a healthier diet, his coat will get shinier and perhaps thicker, and he may grow more feathering.

Murphy's most distinguishing characteristic, however, is his little stump of a tail! At some point in his young life, Murphy's tail was docked (whether by accident or intentionally we'll never know), but that doesn't keep him from expressing himself. When he's happy, which is most of the time, he's a complete wigglebutt.

Like many Goldens his age, Murphy is bursting with energy and will need a great deal of daily exercise. Because he's so lively and athletic, he might make a good agility dog or flyball competitor. He loves toys, likes to retrieve, and willingly releases the ball when asked.

 It appears that Murphy may have had some training, as he promptly dropped to a sit when I offered him a treat. Walking on a leash, however, is a challenge. He's not fond of the Gentle Leader, but we'll work on getting him used to it. We'll also need to teach this young man that it's time to leave the puppy behaviors--jumping on people, mouthiness, climbing into laps, etc.--behind. It's also not yet clear whether Murphy is completely housebroken. He marked inside the house upon arrival, but that is not unusual for an intact (read that, "soon to be neutered") male in a new environment.

Murphy is at that awkward age when he's trying to find his place in the pack. As is typical of adolescent males, he tested my three-year-old Golden, Chaz, to see who would be top dog. It took some harsh words from Chaz, but Murphy finally accepted his position, and they ended up playing together on the back deck.

Murphy has great potential. He bonds quickly to humans, craves affection, shows no aggressive tendencies, and possesses a sunny Golden personality. Obedience training and daily aerobic exercise will provide the final polish for this little rough gem of a dog.

...................
Murphy says: Ya wanna know how I lost my tail?  Well, I'll tell ya.  Later.  Next update. You'll just have to keep reading.

 

 

 

 

 

Updates

Sunday, July 29, 2018

I adopted Henry (ragom name Murphy), 07-385 in 2007. Today he suffered a massive stroke that came quickly and he was euthanized. I am so very sad and broken. He was an amazing dog and the love of my life.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

This was Henry's (formerly known as Murphy) last weekend at Chez Chaz, so we made it a memorable one for him. On Saturday, while the rest of the city was sweltering in the relentless heat, Henry, Chaz and I went to a pool party hosted by the family of a Golden that we know from the dog park.

Henry had pretty much ignored the kiddie pool on my back deck, so I didn't know whether he even liked water. When we got to the pool party, I don't think he understood at first what the swimming pool was. He walked up and stood on the edge, and when I tossed a ball into the water, he stepped off as if expecting a solid surface. Surprise!!! He came up sputtering, but then instinct kicked in and now he knows why Goldens have webbed paws.

Henry is a strong swimmer and, as you can see from the photos, a heroic diver. We stayed for 4 1/2 hours, and he loved every minute of it (well, except maybe for that first step, which was a doozy!).

The next day, Henry's adoptive family came to claim him, and he hopped into their car without a look back. He probably thought he was going to the dog park, but I know he'll soon understand that the destination was way, way better--it's his forever home!

Good luck, Henry! We'll watch for you at the dog park--the ball-crazy little red Golden with the cute stubby stump of a tail.

Devon & Chaz

 

Henry (in the red collar) and foster brother Chaz race for the ball, while host dog Loki looks on. Henry, milliseconds away from popping the beach ball on impact. Chick magnets. Watching the action from the sidelines. Waiting for his margarita. Henry, with his new mom Jane and her daughter Annie.

 

Monday, June 25, 2007

Murphy is one smart little dog. We have a routine around here for mealtimes. Foster and resident dog must sit and stay in the dining room, watching me through the doorway, as I place their food dishes on opposite sides of the kitchen. They're allowed to go to their respective bowls only after I say "OK." Murphy learned how to stay after just a few meals.

That was impressive enough, but today, he surprised me even more. Both dogs were standing in the kitchen, watching me as I prepared their meals. I must have been taking too long, because Murphy decided that something wasn't quite right, and he went into the dining room and sat down! Good boy! Smart boy!

We spent four hours at RAGOM's booth at the Pride Festival yesterday, giving me a chance to see how Murphy does with kids. I'm happy to report that he loves children of all ages and accepts their clumsy, enthusiastic affection with clumsy, enthusiastic affection of his own.

He's young, however, and still learning the fine art of canine socialization. Although he's not aggressive, Murphy hasn't learned how to approach adult dogs politely, with the proper restraint, which sometimes results in growliness from the other dog. Murphy's getting better at it, however, and with practice, he'll be meeting and greeting like a politician.

The verdict is still out on his ability to live with cats. Every day he is showing less interest in them, which is good, although he's easily stimulated into a chase if they run. I think it's a play response as opposed to prey drive, but I want to be sure before I'll call him cat-friendly.

Although Murphy is not entirely housebroken, he's getting better every day. His slow learning curve is really my fault, as I have not been able to limit his use of the house as needed. (Baby gates don't work well in the spots where I need them.) But necessity is the mother of invention, and I'm finding creative ways to keep Murphy in sight at all times. I'm certain he will learn the rules soon.

I should also mention that Murphy is a real lover-boy! He enjoys sleeping on the bed with me if it's not too hot, and he even cuddled up to a perfect stranger at Pride yesterday. We'd walked past a group of people sitting on the grass. One of the girls invited the dogs over for a petting and was promptly bowled over. It's hard to see in the photo, but Murphy (wearing the rainbow bandanna) is lying against her shoulder, and Chaz is lying on Murphy.

Murphy is going to be a superb dog for some lucky person or family. Like every young dog, he has much to learn about how to behave, but the raw material--his sweet personality, his eagerness to please, his strong attraction to people, and his extroverted, social nature--is there for the makings of a wonderful companion. Because he bonds so easily with people, I believe Murphy would be fine as an only dog, although he could also fit smoothly into a multi-dog situation.

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Murphy says, How did I lose my tail? Well, it happened when I was just a young pup. I was chasing it, ya see, trying to catch it. No matter how fast I ran, it was always just ahead of me. But one day, I curled myself up sideways real good and CHOMPED! Guess I bit too hard, 'cause it came right off. Lucky for me, I was real young and don't really remember it.
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