Hello to any Murphy fans! Foster mom here, with a final update on this dear boy. I’m delighted to let you all know that Murphy has found his forever home!
I’m so sorry for the lack of updates for the past several weeks. We've been hindered by my work schedule and the death of a close family member, but I’ve been lucky to have Murphy to keep me walking 3 miles every day -- the stress release of exercise has been so helpful to both Murphy and me, albeit for different reasons. The following picture is from our walk after the last snowfall of the year – perhaps you can see how much he enjoyed the snow?
Murphy really is an all-weather kind of dog, and I was worried that he wouldn't enjoy walking as much once the snow was melted. However, I was wrong, because he has turned into some kind of a sleuthing dog – nose nearly always to the ground, sniffing and smelling everything, doing his civic duty to find and investigate, if not pick up and try to eat all the trash we might find on our way. Seriously, he does need to be watched, and it’s lucky that he’s good about trading what he’s found for a piece of kibble, because he does pick things up. He’s also been trying to clean up after the utility workers who trimmed the trees around some local power lines and left several small sticks and branches on the ground. He’s pretty cute when he finds a stick – gets all proud and prances along with it for a while. I trade those for kibble, too, for fear of splinters, but he sure is cute!
I’m so glad to have been part of Murphy’s journey to a forever family. Speaking of that journey, I would like to verbally hug all the people that have helped Murphy and me on his path to his forever family. There has been a small village of people who have been working with Murphy behind the scenes: The foster families he was with, volunteers who worked with him on weekends and holidays, a professional trainer who helped with his obedience skills, and the wonderful, awesome S.W. who helped me with writing updates because when my schedule and circumstances did not allow for it.
Since his last update, Murphy really started to blossom. We concentrated our efforts on socializing him with humans, and where possible, with other pets, even though we don’t have a resident dog. So we had a few playdates with willing relatives and their dogs, and we’ve learned that Murphy really, REALLY likes playing with other dogs – they need to be confident, and able to tolerate roughhousing / wrestling, since that seems to be Murphy’s favorite thing. Following are a few pictures from one of those playdates – we hampered Murphy with a really long tether to keep him safe, since our unfenced front yard is much better suited than the back for a good game of chase. It was interesting to see how his herding instincts seemed to help Murphy be more efficient at playing chase – cutting the corners just right, and anticipating where the other dog would be – and then when he would catch up, it was time for wrestlemania.
Murphy 14-311
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 11/2/2014 | preferred | 10+ | possible | not aggressive but interested | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
Meet Murphy, a absolutely handsome guy! He is a 10 month old, neutered Border Collie/Aussie mix mix. His coat makes you want to pet him all day. Murphy is a fast learner and smart. He learned sit, shake, lay down, "no", and stay extremely fast. Follow up and daily practice on basic obedience skills required if you bring Murphy into your home.This is a young dog who is always looking for some action. If not directed by his people, he will take charge. Murphy has a lot of love and energy to give. He needs a "job", A farm setting is ideal because he may have some herding dog instincts and would truly thrive in that setting. Somebody else suggested Murphy may have qualities to be trained in Search and Rescue. If a farm is not what you have a large area would be perfect too. Murphy needs an area to roam to feel as if he is doing his " job". When Murphy came to my home he was a little "nippy"; a habit he learned from being in boarding; it was amazingly corrected the first day with consistency! He is extremely smart!!!!!!!! Murphy wants to be by his "people" and followed me everywhere we we went. Murphy will sleep anywhere you put a nice soft bed, but prefers to be close to you. Outside? Yes please, Murphy loves it outside! He is a "mans best friend". He is potty trained.
Murphy was in my home until we learned that young children appeared to stress him out. He had many many many changes going on (new home, hectic, neutered, 2-vet visits) all in 6 days! It was overwhelming for him. We learned Murphy is not a big fan of change. You need to take things slowly and give him strict boundaries and limitations while he is adjusting to new situations. When people are stressed, we either cry, or become cranky. Murphy tried to cry but I didn't understand him. The only other way he knew to let me know he was overwhelmed was to growl a couple times. He was cranky once with a treat and the other when he was trying to rest. Do you blame him? I don't! Just to be on the safe side, and for his own health we decided to move Murphy!
At a Glance #14-311
| Mixed Breed | Born: November 2013 |
| Male | 41 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Profile
| In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered Foster Care | Fence | Kid Friendly | Another Dog | Cat Friendly | |
| 11/2/2014 | preferred | 10+ | possible | not aggressive but interested | |
| This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog. | |||||
Meet Murphy, a absolutely handsome guy! He is a 10 month old, neutered Border Collie/Aussie mix mix. His coat makes you want to pet him all day. Murphy is a fast learner and smart. He learned sit, shake, lay down, "no", and stay extremely fast. Follow up and daily practice on basic obedience skills required if you bring Murphy into your home.This is a young dog who is always looking for some action. If not directed by his people, he will take charge. Murphy has a lot of love and energy to give. He needs a "job", A farm setting is ideal because he may have some herding dog instincts and would truly thrive in that setting. Somebody else suggested Murphy may have qualities to be trained in Search and Rescue. If a farm is not what you have a large area would be perfect too. Murphy needs an area to roam to feel as if he is doing his " job". When Murphy came to my home he was a little "nippy"; a habit he learned from being in boarding; it was amazingly corrected the first day with consistency! He is extremely smart!!!!!!!! Murphy wants to be by his "people" and followed me everywhere we we went. Murphy will sleep anywhere you put a nice soft bed, but prefers to be close to you. Outside? Yes please, Murphy loves it outside! He is a "mans best friend". He is potty trained.
Murphy was in my home until we learned that young children appeared to stress him out. He had many many many changes going on (new home, hectic, neutered, 2-vet visits) all in 6 days! It was overwhelming for him. We learned Murphy is not a big fan of change. You need to take things slowly and give him strict boundaries and limitations while he is adjusting to new situations. When people are stressed, we either cry, or become cranky. Murphy tried to cry but I didn't understand him. The only other way he knew to let me know he was overwhelmed was to growl a couple times. He was cranky once with a treat and the other when he was trying to rest. Do you blame him? I don't! Just to be on the safe side, and for his own health we decided to move Murphy!
Updates
Monday, April 20, 2015
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Murphy has been in his new foster home for just over a week. We are walking 3 miles daily and the exercise seems to be helping him calm down. I think he has even been tired a couple of times. He is still testing us frequently. We are practicing zero tolerance of his nippy herding behavior. This nipping is decreasing dramatically and is dying out. I do believe he is starting to understand that humans are not chew toys.
Murphy does have an interest in everything he encounters. He wants to great every person he sees. All things are an opportunity to be approached and explored. Murphy will need a fence or someone very careful about using a tie out in order to keep him secure. Right now he is so curious, he will go in a second to investigate just about everything and everybody.
Murphy is extremely determined and confident. We have a room that is off limits to all dogs. Murphy holds the record of trying to enter that room 22 times. Verbal cues, positive reinforcement have not made a dent in him trying again and again to get into the room. He really thinks that if he keeps trying eventually I will give up and he will get his way. Lucky for Murphy I'm patient, stubborn and far more tenacious than him. I know his tenacity and determination are tremendous assets if directed and led in positive manners. Agility, fly ball, search and rescue. Murphy has so much potential.
Mr. Murphy is so loving and wants to be liked so much, he takes another chunk of our hearts every day. He approaches us for pets and is an extremely loving dog. He is also so cute. His thick coat of jet black hair is so soft. He is just starting to enjoy being brushed. Another positive thing is his demeanor around our dog savvy cat. I do believe Murph can co-exist with kitties. Today he played by himself for about 10 minutes tonight with a Kong ball with a treat stuck inside, racing around, dropping it, watching it bounce, grabbing it again, and then running to the other side of the room with it to drop it again. So cute!
I also caught him lounging inside his kennel with the door open. Murphy met my 3 1/2 year old niece. His behavior was mostly appropriate. However, I did keep him tethered, because he is just a little too rambuncious for such a small child.
I at attaching the first ever photo taken of Murphy inactive. We call this one "quietly contemplating." Murphy is a great dog and totally worth the effort.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Hello, Murphy here with an update on #1 dog. I am super happy because I am living in a new foster home. I am able to snuggle with FM and she is getting her daily exercise now that she can walk with young energetic me. My thick shiny coat is perfect for walking and being outside in February. I need no boots, no coat or gloves. Foster Mom needs a lot more time to get all her gear on. I have only been here for a couple of days, but in addition to my walks, I am enjoying having a whole bunch of toys. I did chew up the blue bone in the photo, so that got thrown away. There is something called time outs here also. FM says these help me calm down and learn how to behave like a good dog. I am trying hard to be good, because I do not like time outs. I want to be with my people where the action is. Good thing for me I am a very smart dog. I will have this mastered in a short time. Stay tuned to learn more about how I am doing. It will be interesting I promise.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Yesterday was a big day for Murphy. We took him on an adventure and introduced him to some new situations. Murphy went into an underground parking garage where a volunteer lives. He was absolutely fine with going underground. Once there, we let him run back and forth the length of the garage between the two of us. This was a great way to burn off some of Murphy's pent up energy. We had him going for about 30 minutes just having him come from one of us to the other, while we called his name. Treats for sitting and for doing down at both end of what we called the "goalposts." Then we rode an elevator up to an apartment. No fear or concerns with elevators or with people he encountered in them.
Next came the big test...."CATS" When we first walked into the apartment, Murphy was not interested in the cats. He ignored them, no barking. After a brief introduction we closed the cats into one part of the apartment and let Murphy just wander around. His favorite parts of the apartment were the kitchen and the balcony. He loved being on the balcony. He also likes being in the kitchen while food prep is happening. We had lunch and Murphy has good manners. While we ate, he laid down a short distance from us.
After lunch we opened the doors and had more cat interaction. KABAM! The kitty ran and Murphy was off after it.
- Cat jumps on chair-Murphy jumps on chair and the two sniff nose to nose. No barking, or attempt to harm kitty.
- Kittty hisses and jumps to sofa. Murphy jumps from chair to sofa
- Kitty jumps from sofa to the dining table..Murphy clears the sofa and is up on the dining table in the blink of an eye
- Kitty jumps from dining table and escapes to bedroom and under the bed..We grab the leash, game over.
Murphy thinks cats are a great chase toy. much more interesting than balls. Right now we believe Murphy should go to a home without cats.
Murphy's #1 requirement continues to be exercise. He really needs someplace and somebody who believes that exercise is important and is willing to fill that requirement daily.
Murphy's #2 requirement is obedience training. He has made progress and knows basic commands like sit and down. However, he needs a family who is dedicated to continuing both formal classes and daily practice. If these two requirements are met, Murphy is a dog with a huge heart. He has a desire to please. Murphy has no quit in him. If those traits match what you want in a dog, Murphy is waiting to make you smile every day.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
He sure doesn't mind the cold and snow, not with his thick coat of fur. His tail is a-wagging non-stop on our walks. He will lay right down in the snow when he wants to take a break. He takes treats gently and loves attention from people.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
My 9 year old son and I got to spend some time with Murphy today. He is a handsome boy! Although initially excited, Murphy took my redirecting very well. Clearly treat-motivated, he responded quickly to verbal and hand signals.
Murphy rode well in the car, and enjoyed our long walk in the rain. My 9 year old enjoyed helping with the training, and even earned a few kisses by the end of the afternoon. Here is a picture from our little outing today.
