Murphy
We have a new family member! Now, if that doesn't warrant a new post, I don't know what does.

When Victor and I moved in together, I gave up my cat, Liam. Victor is allergic to cats, and Liam was quite the handful anyway, so we found a better home for him (the fact that he was regifted again to an even better home doesn't really matter to this particular story). Since then, I've been lonely for a pet. I figured we could someday get a dog, since neither of us are allergic. I grew up with dogs, and had maybe the best dog ever while I was young, Sam. Sam and I were fast friends, and I taught him all sorts of tricks. But he passed away when I was in college.

Anyway, when we decided to buy a house, I got very excited about the prospect of a dog. Yard = dog, right? I did a lot of research and decided that keeping a dog outside would be pretty cruel to an only dog, and we weren't ready for two dogs. Plus, we travel a lot... so we decided to hold off getting one.

That didn't keep me from scouring Petfinder on a near daily basis for the better part of a year, looking for the perfect pet. I researched types of dogs, finding ones that didn't shed much, were kind of lazy inside, easy to train, all that jazz. And I started chipping away at Victor's "no dogs inside the house" edict. I guess I was really annoying, because he finally gave in. We decided I could get one for my birthday (January 24).

I had picked out a whippet mix named Murphy that was being kept at a vet office's pet orphanage. He had a real sob story: his previous owner's large dog had bit him, and instead of taking him to a vet, they dumped him. Neighbors fed him while he was on the streets. Police found him when they saw him wandering around a crime scene. By the time he made it to the vet, his bite wound was infected, and he was skinny and scared. The Petfinder entry said he was gaining confidence and needed a home. His story tugged at my heartstrings.

I called East Lake Pet Orphanage to ask how he was doing. They said he was doing very well, was working on socialization, and was crate trained and housebroken. I went to see him on my birthday. He was wearing a ridiculous lime green sweater, but he was very friendly and sweet. I liked that he sort of pranced when he walked; in fact, his walk was kind of a bouncy trot, like a racehorse. He was smaller than I expected, less than 14 pounds, but his long whippet legs made him tall.

Victor wanted to meet him before making a decision, but I went ahead and turned in an adoption application. It was approved, and on Saturday, January 26, we went to pick him up (pending Victor's approval, of course). They got along, and we adopted him.

It has been rather a wild ride since then. He's still adjusting to his new house, so we've dealt with some accidents inside the house and the crate. I am still getting used to the idea that crating him during the day isn't cruel, but he likes to chew on things, so I'd rather crate him than have no possessions. I wanted a whippet because they are light shedders, but the other breed in Murphy (whatever it is) must be a big shedder. We've bought a new vaccuum cleaner to help deal with the mess, along with lots of brushing tools. I've learned how to give a dog a bath in the tub. We've dealt with some protective barking and an under-the-fence escape artist. I'm getting used to the wettest nose possible poking me all the time.

But all of that doesn't stop the fact that he's the cutest dog ever. He's really fast, mega-athletic, and springs in the air with glee when he's out in the yard. He prances around like a little deer. He curls up in a tiny ball when he's sleeping, after he turns around in his dog bed several times. He follows us around everywhere. He loves to play with his toys and will throw them around and jump after them. So despite all of the craziness, we're enjoying this.