The Murdog

I have a dog. His name is Murray. He's the apple of my eye. My little pumpkin pie. Probably the 2nd best thing that's ever happened to me. He's a good boy and a naughty boy (as all dogs should be). I'd tell you his breed, but I have no idea. I call him "the brown dog". He was listed as a golden retriever mix, but I believe that gives people the wrong impression. I think he's a mix of most breeds. There are days he looks very much like a retriever, others a spaniel, or a border collie, or an irish setter, and on and on.

He was estimated to be 5 years old when we picked him up from Second Chance Animal Rescue for $85. He was found as a stray that winter weighing only 25 pounds (he's now a healthy 50 pounds). No background on him is known.

His picture was posted on Petfinder.com. He was wearing a bandana around his neck and looked ridiculous (see below). But, out of all the dogs on the internet, he stood out to me.

We went to meet him on a Sunday afternoon. When his foster mom brought him in the room, he ran up and sat right at our feet looking up so eagerly (he was once such an obedient dog). I fell in love instantly.

As my husband and I drove home "debating" on whether or not to get him. We both knew. We called right away and said we wanted him.

He came with tricks. He knew sit, lay down, roll over, and shake. When we ate dinner, he would go lay in the corner. That first night, he slept on the floor between our bed and the wall. My husband and I were unsure how to act around him yet. We found ourselves whispering in bed that night then laughing at how ridiculous it was to whisper because the dog was trying to sleep.

We both had to work the next day, so we locked him in our bedroom. His foster mom said this is what she did and she was gone for 9 hours and he was fine. When we came home he had chewed the doorframe off the door. Woodchips were spilling out from underneath the door. We picked up a kennel and he was kenneled when we left until the summer when we felt it was too warm to stay in the kennel. So we let him have free reign of the house. He's never had an accident or ruined any doorframes since.

He's such a special dog. It's hard having a dog when you don't know anything about their history. He has an issue with faces. As in, he doesn't want you to put your face in his (unless it's me or my husband). And he's let people know he doesn't like this. He comes with a lot of warnings when people come over. It's frustrating because when it's just the three of us, he is the greatest dog a person could have.

The tricks have worn off. He still knows sit and lie down. But as he gets older and his hips get older, it just doesn't seem right to make him feel pain in order to get a treat. I've taught him another trick, though. If he wants something, he basically "shakes" for it. Which means he gives you his paw. But sometimes he's overly eager and it's more like pawing at you.

He also no longer lays in the corner while we eat. I've also taught him to beg for food. Which is terrible, I know.

But, he's still the best dog. He's turning 11 this year, we guess, and he still acts like a puppy. He always wants to play and is as healthy as can be. He sort of has his own bedroom in our house. He has a closet full of toys that he can get at at any time. He gets a kong full of liver treats for breakfast every morning. He gets up at 6am to go for a walk with my husband. He loves to play soccer.

I don't really know what else to say about him. I just love him so much and thought he deserved his own post.