 | Home:Grayslake, IL | [I have a diary!] |
Age: 10 Years Sex: Male Weight: 11-25 lbs
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Leave a bone for Murphy
Nicknames:
Smurfy, Murph
Doggie Dynamics:
| | | | | | | | | Energy | | | | | | Intelligence | | | | | | Friendliness | | | | | | Playfulness | | | | | | Disposition | | | |
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Quick Bio:
Likes:
Sitting on a lap
Pet-Peeves:
When Toby (the other dog in the family) is sitting next to mom or dad and he can't; when Toby tries to play with him, getting in the water
Favorite Toy:
Doesn't seem to like any toys
Favorite Food:
He is very picky about his regular dog food unless it has heated broth added to it, but enjoys any kind of treat.
Favorite Walk:
Dog parks
Best Tricks:
He is learning basic commands like sit, down and come
Arrival Story:
Murphy was tied to a tree outside of the jr. high school where I (his mom) work. At first, we thought he belonged to someone who was visiting the school since he had a sweater and collar (but no tags) on and had recently been groomed, but by the end of the day he was still there barking away. We tried paging over the intercom and asking everyone we saw, but no owner appeared. Since it was a Friday afternoon and we didn't want to leave him alone outside, I decided to take him to a shelter just in case he did belong to someone and they were looking for him. He was very friendly and sat very nicely for the car ride. I made it to the shelter just before they closed and they ran an ad in the weekend paper along with contacting other authorities. He was estimated to be about 8 years old and had cataracts and a lump on his hip (turned out to just be fatty tissue) . I kept inquiring about him at the shelter since everyone at the school wanted updates on how he was doing. There was talk that he might be put down due to his age and medical conditions that would be costly to treat in order for him to be adoptable, so we decided to take him in. We had to wait a few weeks before the shelter would release him and then bring our other dog, Toby, to meet him. We thought the adjustment would be to our cat, Figaro, but it turned out that Murphy and Figaro got along very well. It took a few months for Toby and Murphy to get along (there was some jealousy, but nothing too serious, and jostling for the top dog position), but now they seem to tolerate each other well although still tend to do their own things. We enjoy having Murphy in our house and seeing his progress and getting to know him better.
Forums Motto:
I will follow you wherever you may go.
The Groups I'm In:
CHICAGO BURBS DOGS, Chicago Dogs (and Cats), Greatest American Dog Fan Club!, Small Dog Forum
I've Been On Dogster Since:
| July 10th 2008 |
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More than 1 year! |
Dogster Id:
811300
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See all my Pup Pals
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October 26th 2008 7:59 pm
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Mom and Dad took a chance on me and tested me for the Therapy Dog International test and I passed with flying colors. Both Mom and Dad tested with me so I will be able to go visiting with either one. It will probably take a month to get my paperwork processed, but I am so excited! I was so happy to show off all my new skills and greet all the people.
October 21st 2008 6:59 pm
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We ventured over to PetSmart tonight for their Howl-O-Ween costume contest and pictures. There were lots of pets there, so it took a long time to get through the contest. Toby and I took 2nd place as fisherdogs. Of course, Mom and Dad were dressed up too. We were beat out by a dog wearing a spaceship costume. It looked like his owners spent a long time making it. Speaking of long time, we spent fur-ever waiting in line for our picture.
October 18th 2008 6:17 pm
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Mom and Dad took Toby and I to a Howl-O-Ween parade and costume contest in Schaumburg. They divided us up into small dogsa and big dogs, so I went with Mom and Toby went with Dad. We were all fishermen. I had on my fishing vest, with lures, and a fishing hat and wicker basket. The hat was just slightly too big for me and it kept covering my eyes, which are already a bit blocked by my long fur. Anyhoo, I ended up taking 2nd place. I got a Halloween jester's collar with lots of bells and some treats as a reward. Then they had a parade around the block. Mom then got a crazy idea to have me try out the agility course they had set up AND participate in a fun run against a few other dogs. Mom and Dad were quite impressed with how well I did on many of the obstacles (the treats were a great motivator). I successfully completed 5 of the 7 obstacles, such as a panel and tire jump, weave poles, a bent tunnel and an A-frame. I ran out of time to do the chute and struggled on the dog walk. Mom felt a bit guilty having me try the dog walk (and earlier the teeter) because she knows usually you would do a lot of other work to build awareness of feet and build confidence before going on the big contacts. But I was very cooperative and had lots of fun.
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