MURPHY / PIPPEN
We adopted a dog who was called
"Murphy" from your rescue in June
2009. The attached file is a picture
of him the day we brought him
home. When I get his pictures off
my phone and into my computer I'll
send you some current images, too.
At the time we adopted him he was
41lb, 1-2 years old and was
dubiously listed as a Wire Haired
We adopted a dog who was called
"Murphy" from your rescue in June
2009. The attached file is a picture
of him the day we brought him
home. When I get his pictures off
my phone and into my computer I'll
send you some current images, too.
At the time we adopted him he was
41lb, 1-2 years old and was
dubiously listed as a Wire Haired
Pointing Griffon mix. He had separation anxiety and was jumpy with a lot of fears (trucks, traffic, bridges,
etc). He moved in with our family of six humans and four cats and we renamed him Pippen. He quickly
learned not to worry about traffic on our walks, and he LOVES running alongside me for bike rides (he can
run happily--fast!--for several miles), going to the dog park in Ithaca (he's the fastest dog there, I'm sure!),
traveling with us in the car, chasing squirrels in the fenced yard, and taking hikes in the woods off leash
(he never leaves our sight and RACES back when we call him!). During the winter he loved pulling the kids
(or me, even!) on sleds on our frozen pond.
Today he weighs 56 lb, and he's at a perfect weight, though we couldn't have our bike runs in the extreme
cold this winter. His coat has changed in that it's scruffier and his ear hair was about three inches long
when I recently trimmed it so it would stop weighing down his extremely expressive ears. He's gotten a lot
more grizzled (random white hairs all over) and his mustache is longer and dribbles all over the house
when he drinks. I think he's a standard schnauzer mix with perhaps some border collie in him, but who
knows?
We've be taking him to a positive dog-training class and he's the smartest dog there. Show him
something two times, and he's got it. The kids taught him how to run an obstacle course in the yard
(jumping over, crawling under, leaping off a ramp, and jumping up vertically as if for a treat) in ONE
afternoon after school last week. Once he brought me one of the kids' toys, and I told him to, "take to
Nani!". He trotted right upstairs and pestered her till she took it back from him!
etc). He moved in with our family of six humans and four cats and we renamed him Pippen. He quickly
learned not to worry about traffic on our walks, and he LOVES running alongside me for bike rides (he can
run happily--fast!--for several miles), going to the dog park in Ithaca (he's the fastest dog there, I'm sure!),
traveling with us in the car, chasing squirrels in the fenced yard, and taking hikes in the woods off leash
(he never leaves our sight and RACES back when we call him!). During the winter he loved pulling the kids
(or me, even!) on sleds on our frozen pond.
Today he weighs 56 lb, and he's at a perfect weight, though we couldn't have our bike runs in the extreme
cold this winter. His coat has changed in that it's scruffier and his ear hair was about three inches long
when I recently trimmed it so it would stop weighing down his extremely expressive ears. He's gotten a lot
more grizzled (random white hairs all over) and his mustache is longer and dribbles all over the house
when he drinks. I think he's a standard schnauzer mix with perhaps some border collie in him, but who
knows?
We've be taking him to a positive dog-training class and he's the smartest dog there. Show him
something two times, and he's got it. The kids taught him how to run an obstacle course in the yard
(jumping over, crawling under, leaping off a ramp, and jumping up vertically as if for a treat) in ONE
afternoon after school last week. Once he brought me one of the kids' toys, and I told him to, "take to
Nani!". He trotted right upstairs and pestered her till she took it back from him!
If we have to leave him for a while at home we'll
shut him in the kitchen. As long as he's been
getting a good walk or run at least every other
day, he won't find "interesting" things to do (or
chew up). Although right after we adopted him,
he DID decide that the dishes I'd left IN THE
SINK, would look better piled up (unbroken!) on
the ceramic tile floor in the adjacent sun room.
Truly amazing. He rarely barks inside, but he will
bark at interesting things he sees when he's in
the yard. Not incessantly, just in commentary on
what's going on. In fact he lived with us for two
weeks before we ever heard his voice!
People give giant smiles in their cars when they
see him running next to me & the bike, and they
stop what they're doing to comment on how cute
he is when we walk past. He's my shadow
everywhere I go...unless I look like I'm going to
give him a bath. He sleeps in an open crate next
to my bed, but if I get called away at night to work,
he'll go sleep next to my oldest daughter's bed
for the rest of the night.
We never new it was possible to love a dog this
much. Pippen is the best dog in the whole world.
You do good work. Sincerely, Jennifer Seymour
shut him in the kitchen. As long as he's been
getting a good walk or run at least every other
day, he won't find "interesting" things to do (or
chew up). Although right after we adopted him,
he DID decide that the dishes I'd left IN THE
SINK, would look better piled up (unbroken!) on
the ceramic tile floor in the adjacent sun room.
Truly amazing. He rarely barks inside, but he will
bark at interesting things he sees when he's in
the yard. Not incessantly, just in commentary on
what's going on. In fact he lived with us for two
weeks before we ever heard his voice!
People give giant smiles in their cars when they
see him running next to me & the bike, and they
stop what they're doing to comment on how cute
he is when we walk past. He's my shadow
everywhere I go...unless I look like I'm going to
give him a bath. He sleeps in an open crate next
to my bed, but if I get called away at night to work,
he'll go sleep next to my oldest daughter's bed
for the rest of the night.
We never new it was possible to love a dog this
much. Pippen is the best dog in the whole world.
You do good work. Sincerely, Jennifer Seymour
