Murphy 9

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Update 09/15/10:

This youngster continues to do well in his foster home. At almost 1 ½ years old, he is a beautifully marked, gangly teenage puppy. Murphy is just growing into his body. He has large feet, long legs and a thin muscular body. He loves to run and swim and can do this for hours. He stays around his home area but wanders to the limits. He will always come back but, sometimes he acts like a puppy and decides he is not coming back until he has finished his sniffing and investigations. If he is not run around a field enough times, he will run by himself in a field again. If you are not taking him out on the river to swim next to the boat, he will swim out by himself but always keeps within sight of his family. Don’t you wish you had half his energy!

After an active day, Murphy loves sleeping on furniture, a preference his foster family has not broken him of. His favorite place, above all, is a bed, so to dissuade that, his family keeps the bedroom door closed.

He is also a sweet Velcro boy. He needs lots of love. He is not comfortable with stern requests but responds well to positive training. His foster mom is very consistent in showing love when she calls Murphy to “come.”  By doing this, Murphy now comes because he wants to please and be loved. His foster mom is building his trust in her and this helps in many ways. One day he was chewing on an animal bone he had found on the farm. He would not give it up when first asked. His foster mom tried to open his mouth but to no avail. So, she just looked him in the eyes and softly told him he had to give the bone up. She could see his eyes unglaze as he slowly released the bone. His adopting family will need to be gentle with Murphy too and willing to take the time to develop his trust in them. With this kind of effort, his foster mom feels he is a dog that probably would go through fire for his master.

Murphy is one special boy. He is ready for a steady, gentle leader in his life to guide him fully into adulthood. He will need ample daily exercise and would thrive with the companionship of other active dogs. If you are ready to invest your time and love in Murphy, you’ll be his trusted friend for life!

Original:

In the 18 months of his life, Murphy has lived with two different families. His first owner kept him chained up in the back yard without giving this growing puppy the exercise he needed. He was rescued by another family who loved him and trained him well. His new family members had had knee surgeries and they were fearful that their active, jumpy Springer pup could hurt them inadvertently, though. So, they contacted MAESSR knowing that Murphy would find a wonderful new home.

Murphy is a sweet, handsome, high energy boy who will grow into his gangly teenage body. Well-behaved for a puppy, Murphy knows the commands “sit,” “heel,” “off” and will “come” when called. He does not bark, counter-surf, or chew. When he gets excited, he will jump in front of you, but obeys commands “down” and then will stop. Since Murphy likes to follow his nose, he has to be watched or he will wander away following a scent. He does come when you call him, though.

An active boy, Murphy love to run, swim, and play with other dogs. His forever family must be committed to giving this young Springer the exercise and attention he needs. Remember, a good Springer puppy is a tired Springer! When inside the house, this housetrained boy can also be quiet and just content to sleep. This cuddlebug also loves to get up on the furniture with his head in his person’s lap! More than willing to go for a ride in the car, Murphy is a good passenger. If there are children around, he enjoys these two-legged playmates and they enjoy him, especially if they are old enough not to be knocked down accidentally by him. Murphy’s foster family has other large, calm dogs and Murphy follows how they act.

Murphy would do best in a home with an older dog for guidance as he is still a puppy or in a home where he could receive lots of exercise and attention. His foster family thinks Murphy has real hunting potential, too, since he has such a good nose and is not afraid of loud noises.