I always wanted a Golden Retriever. A big, gentle male, with soft fur, soulful eyes, and a name that would richly mellow with age: Cooper, Sam, or Duke. Most of my dog daydreams were painted in watercolor; the pop of New England fall foliage, with splashes of feathered gold against the dry and dying grass; Polaroids, seconds forever stilled in time: a playful puppy, quiet adult, and ever devoted senior. I imagined the tranquility of a dog slumbering in front of a snapping winter fire and the quiet moments of patient window waiting.
I longed for a Golden Retriever. Instead, I wound up with this:
Part Golden, part Poodle, part wild beast, Murphy is concrete and tar and everything opposite of the blurred edges of soft, halcyon dreams. He's big, with bear paws instead of feet, eyes that are molten and dark, and his fur is incredibly soft and wavy. Golden hues have been drowned beneath a french roast black and streaks of white and gray exaggerate his age. He looks imposing, a shaggy hell hound whose head is often lined with the black straps of a thick-banded black head halter, and is given a wide berth by those who are skittish and dog wary. His breath always smells bad, undoubtedly due, in part, to his atrocious, ungentleman-like habits, and premature neutering has left him perpetually floppy, dopey, and toddler-like. He is high energy and loud, obnoxious and needy. Destructive. Expensive. Frustrating.
And yet, despite all of this, Murphy is an animal that is incredibly easy to love. He is imperfect; flawed in heritage and being; a first-time dog owner's nightmare, and all of it makes him real. It takes work to own a dog, sweat and sometimes tears, and it's not always easy. Ownership isn't lyrical or pretty pastel paintings. It's gritty and gross and when it's done right, very rewarding.
Murphy isn't the dog I always wanted; he's the dog I never knew I needed. This blog is our written journey, full personal narratives, tips, tricks, and information that may be useful to anyone who loves, or is looking to love, man's best friend.
