The New Addition

We certainly weren’t looking for a dog. We’ve got two dogs. Big, old cranky dogs. So the last thing we were planning on adding to the family was a little Dachshund that weighed about what one of our dog’s meals does.
But sometimes, life plays by weird rules, and this was one of those times. His owner passed away, and I was trying to find homes for his two dogs. The first I found a home for in a matter of minutes. The second was Buddy, a sweet and gentle little dog that just loved being loved.
We had a couple of possibilities lined up, and for various reasons the chips never fell in place. We brought Buddy back to the house, certain that the next day we could easily find him a good home. That night, it became evident that my wife had found him a very good home.
“You know,” she said, “if we DID decide to keep him, we should probably give him a new name. We could keep Buddy as his middle name, but I think Murphy would be a good name for him.”
My wife maintains that this pronouncement did occur, but insists that I was the one who was really convinced to keep him, and that she was trying to offer up her approval. We decided that we would offer one final test to see if Buddy/Murphy would fit into our household. Enter the gauntlet of big cranky dogs.
Montgomery and Maggie have lived together for the past decade, and have very set rules and routines. Any time something throws off the balance, things get a little dicey. So I was curious to see what would happen when this dog smaller than our cat would finally meet the resident canines. Montgomery, the purebred Alabama Dumpster Hound, gave one sniff, and then went to the water bowl. That would pretty much sum up how much he cared. Maggie, our Basset hound, was a little more interested. But only a little. It took only one growling snort to send the message that romantic interludes were not welcome in her world, a message that rang loud and clear. It seemed clear that the resident dogs really did not care whether or not we added a Murphy to the mix. And so we did.
Murphy did not take long to get acclimated to his new home. He pretty much operated on this premise: Wherever someone was, he would like to be there, quietly curled up and just hanging out. He is the most unobtrusive creature I have seen. On numerous occasions, I will realize I have not seen him for while, and set off to find him. I usually get about two steps when I hear him stand up under my chair, where he has been sitting, just enjoying being there.
I’ve never had a small dog before, and up until Murphy never thought I wanted one. I always assumed small = yappy. Boy, was I wrong. Murphy hardly ever barks, and when he does, it’s at least at something. Montgomery is prone to barking at the air, which, by my count, is not something.
We were also wondering how the kids would get along with him. Turns out, a little too well. A few nights into his residency, I was reading my daughter a bedtime story. Murphy had hopped up on the bed and was enjoying Angelina Ballerina. (Or, at least pretending to. He’s polite that way.)
My wife and Parker stopped in to say goodnight, at which point Parker decided it was woefully unfair for Murphy to get to read bedtime stories with Allie, demanding that Murphy get a Bob the Builder bedtime story. Murphy is now a time-share bedtime story dog, which he finds to be quite acceptable.
And while I consider myself a manly man, I have found that I really like having a dog that likes to hop in your lap and just hang out there. However, I cannot in good conscience have a lapdog. So, I was fortunate to discover during a recent baseball game that, if I doze off, he will hop up on me on the couch and fall asleep, thereby qualifying as a napdog, which is certainly acceptable.
While I wish I never had to be in the situation to take Murphy, I am glad I have been able to give him a good home. He was obviously cared for and treated well, and giving him a good home is something that is important to me. He has acclimated well, and has even started to have the occasional conversation with the other dogs. I think he’s content with his new home, and I know we’re content having him here. Plus, he’s great for excuses. “Honey, I HAVE To take a nap. Murphy needs to rest.”