More comfy dog

Summer has come and gone right before my eyes. The kids are back in school, I am back in school and the dogs....well, the dogs are back to their fall routine of lounging all day in their kennels. Eating dinner, playing and then lounging some more.

I just got my first off camera flash and had to do some experimenting, so Murray got to be my fist victim. I have a long way to go on improving the use of this off camera flash. But for a new piece of equipment, I thought this pic of Murray lounging turned out ok. As you can see he once again is on his favorite furniture. He still is a lucky dog.

Dog Pillow

Murray has sure made himself at home. I hope he has forgotten about his evil, rotten past (so I don't know exactly where he came from, but I am positive he was not a spoiled inside dog like he is now)

So this is Murray's idea of lounging. Getting really comfy in the couch, getting the pillows in just the right spot and napping. If he works himself just right, he is pretty camouflaged and won't be noticed on the couch for hours....or until someone wants to sit there.

PS- I must give credit where credit is due. These pictures were taken with my camera by my 13 yr old son (my photographer in training)

The dog park

Murray had his first adventure at the dog park. The official reason for the trip was a Boston Terrier meetup. We had 8 Boston Terriers, 1 chihuahua and 1 baby Dalmation. It was alot of fun. Murray I think was more amazed with the huge yard and that he could run around all by himself. I would turn around and find him on the other side of the park from me...just checking stuff out. I called him and he looked right at me- ears perked--and then would slowly lope towards me. I am sure he had a great day.

Of course I had a little fun in photoshop with these too...not much adjustment to the actual photo's though.

Murray is progressing nicely

Murray fully recovered from his red mange and his infection at his neuter incision site. I am still paying the vet for all this. But the good news is that we haven't had to go back to the vet.

Murray's personality is starting to come out. He is a sweet dog, very nosey, but interested in everything. He is still a little shy and has the worst habit of eating poop (and still likes to poo and pee in the house), but we are working on him.

I am looking forward to taking him on walks. I am sure it will be a challenge at first. And I have NO idea how I am going to walk the 3 of them together. But as all things do, it will work itself out.

In the meantime, we will just keep loving on our boy and reminding him how lucky he is to have us now :)

Not so "Furry Murray"

I don't know why- but one day I just started calling Murray "Furry Murray". It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Well, how ironic that I should call him that. Because now it should be "Not So Furry Murray".

A few weeks back I noticed this dry spot on his arm and then one morning I noticed the fur was missing and his skin was red. I had a sneaking suspicion...did my internet search and announced myself as an armchair vet. I called the vet tech and described it and he agreed--sounds like demodetic mange (aka red mange). It is not contagious to the other dogs.

So Murray got to go to the vet for the 4th time in January. They did a dip on him and gave him some antibiotics. The worst part is he wanted to keep him overnight. Poor Murray is never going to trust going to the vet again. So within the first 30 days of adopting Murray he had to spend 3 of them at the vet.

He always seems so grateful to come home. I know he likes our house. He insists upon sleeping on me or next to me on the couch and everynight in our bed he has his spot--all curled up next to me. I know he is grateful. And we are lucky too!

A couple of nights at the vet

So Murray has been with us for exactly one week and on Thursday morning his neuter incision site was bleeding. It required a trip to the vet. It had become infected and Doc kept him overnight for 2 nights. I felt so bad for Murray--I am sure he was confused. He lived at a place where I am sure they were not nice to him for the first year of his life, and then at the rescue for less than 2 weeks, neutered, our house for 1 week, and then the vet for 2 nights. He was probably wondering what the heck was going on. I am sure he was missing us...and his new doggie siblings...the couch...the chair...and the nice warm bed with the humans.

We were able to pick Murray up on Saturday morning, and he has had no problems adjusting back to life at our house. Of course, we are still working on some of the rules...like NO going potty/poop in the house...I can't expect to cure him overnight.

He is going to recover fine from his infection. We have some medicine to put on it 2x daily. And I was instructed to call the vet next week and let him know how it looks. Then comes the vet bill...yuck!

Welcome to your "furever" home

Meet Murray.
He is the new addition to our family. Murray is only about 1 1/2 yrs old--but he has already had a hard life. He was a "breeder" dog and was turned over to Pawspals rescue Pawpals rescue has taken several dogs from this same breeder (I think a puppy mill) in the past. Previously before introduction to rescue they would just kill the breeder dogs when they were done with them. How insane and inhumane...but I won't get on that soapbox.

Murray (by the way his original name was Soloman) is a very kind yet timid dog. When you pick him up his whole body just stiffens up and you can darn near do anything to him and he won't move. He is literally scared stiff. Which I am sure comes from his past treatment.

We met Murray on December 27 and decided he would be a good fit for our home, since we already own 1 female Boston Terrier and 1 male Labradoodle. (Yes, I may be crazy for keeping 3 dogs). Murray was neutered on December 31 and we got to pick him up and bring him home on January 1. What a great way to start the new year.

We told him he just hit the doggie jackpot--Welcome to our family Murray!!