My name is Murphy!

MURPHY (Just turned) 11 Year Old Yellow AKC Male Lab Neutered 65 Pounds
(needs to gain 5 - 7 pounds)

My name is Murphy and I am one of the sweetest youngest 11 year olds you will ever meet. My story is that I've had a great life and was with the same owners since 8 weeks old. Mom and Dad took great care of me but sadly for them decided that surrendering me to Lab Rescue was the best thing for me. Because they were moving quite a distance out of state and would be renting (dogs not allowed) and due to the long plane flight, they felt the right thing was to find me another loving home. I was living with my 3 human siblings, two five year old twin boys and an eight year old girl . Boy do I love those kids! They would lay on the floor sprawled all over me and I loved the attention. I'm a very gentle boy and thus good with kids. Don't get me wrong as I have great energy. I love to go to the dog park and yes, I keep up with those youngin' pups running all over the park. Overall my Mom says I'd rather be humans than canines as I'm fine with just sniffing them and running on my way. I love to go on outings with my people and am on my best behavior when I'm out.

What My Foster Parents have to say:

Murphy is an active sweet boy who loves to be with his people, both old and young. He is only 65 lbs and a little on the thin side but easy to handle on leash. He typically walks with a loose leash on a flat collar and will only pull when he wants to sniff the bushes. He appears to be a counter surfer as I caught him up with his paws on the counter. He LOVES going out in the car and settles down nicely for the ride. He would prefer to be the co-pilot in the front seat so if you leave him briefly in the car don't be surprised when you return if you find him sleeping on the front seat. We took our 3 year old Lab with Murphy and hiked to Treasure Island, walked through crowds at Pier 39 and visited Twin Peaks. He's great at going on adventures and excited to be out and about. He's got a lot of spunk and was leading the pack of 20 of our friends on New Year's Day. When we returned to the house all were exhausted, canines and humans alike! Murhpy was happily tired, content and snoozing quietly. Murphy was an only dog at home so not used to having another dog around. He is just starting to play tug-a-war with our dog. The first night Murphy came to us we put him in a crate as our dog sleeps in a crate. He had been watching my dog go in and out of his crate during the day so he decided to try it at bedtime. He slept through the night without a peep. He did that for the first few days often going in there during the day to nap. However, the last couple of nights he has been very vocal and barking so we are not sure why. Sometimes during the day time he can also be vocal letting us know when he has to go out to potty or just wants something. We are working on determining what that is. He definitely is happiest when his people are around and in the same room or close by. When the front door is open he will try to escape although he ends up at the neighbor's front yard sniffing the bushes.

What My Rescue Rep has to say:

Murphy is an AKC dog with papers but was never registered by the previous owners. He is definitely a dog who likes to be with his people as that is what his first eleven years consisted of so Lab Rescue would like someone to be around most of the day. He would be a great dog to take to work (as long as it was an appropriate dog friendly place) and he would also be a great dog for someone who loves taking their dog with them everywhere they go. He's a true companion and buddy to his person. Kids are a plus too (or grandkids!) as long as they are respectful of an older dog. Other than his mature white muzzle, he acts much younger than his age. Murphy is house trained. He will need someone around to continue his daily exercise, something that was lacking when he was surrendered to us. He needs it and loves it. He has been trained on commands and knows sit, down, come, stay and wait. He also knows "stay close" when off leash and they want him to stay by their side but a dog should never be off leash in an area that is not contained unless they have rock solid 100% recall. He is not possessive of his toys or food. We are unsure of cats but he does chase squirrels and birds so a cat free home would be best. He will try to escape out the front door so it is imperative until he is trained that the door not be opened unless Murphy is leashed. He LOVES to swim and is a retriever and loves to play ball. Although he loves his outings, he will settle down nicely when he is home.

Murphy is a great dog and will make a fun easy companion for the right owner. He just wants to love again and receive the same love he did from his previous family.

Murphy is very healthy:

He is neutered, up to date on all of his vaccinations, heartworm negative and microchipped. He has been seen by a vet, his blood work is normal and he has been given a clean bill of health. He has a couple of skin tags on his head and a couple of lipomas (benign cysts commonly seen in older dogs) on his belly that are of no consequence and require no treatment.

MURPHY is located in Los Altos.

If you have the time for wonderful boy and have the desire and ability to make him part of your active lifestyle, please contact Sandy at 650-303-2436 and leave good days/times to reach you.

(Please keep in mind we are all volunteers, most of us work full time and we all have personal lives. I do call everyone back within 2-3 days so please be patient and I will be back in touch with you. When the dogs are in foster homes then it may take longer as we need to touch base with the fosters for updates on the dogs. We work very hard to make the right matches for the dogs and for the new owners. We get 3-5 dogs per week and we do not have a facility that we keep the dogs housed in. They are scattered all over the Bay Area.)