Murphy is my angel... the puppy who was waiting for me at the time in my life when I most needed her.

Murphy is not a dog. She would agree with us there.

Murphy is a child, age 3 going on 30, in a black and white fur coat.  She won’t play with doggie toys, doesn’t take an interest in doggie things, and would rather hang out with the people.

She has as large a vocabulary as we do, and talks frequently.  She hates being outdoors, winter or summer and if we dare to suggest she go out in the rain, she glances at us with a most disgusted look on her face that says loud and clear “are you crazy? YOU go out there!”

Murphy has a tendency to stare at her food.  We don’t know if a piece of it once attacked her and she is now wary of it, but after about 2/3 of her bowl of supper is nibbled (not devoured, that would be Hannah - Murphy nibbles daintily), she stands back from it, and watches it carefully. Someday, when she feels like it, she’ll tell us why.  We’re sure she will fall asleep in that position sometime!

In addition to watching her food, Murphy also watches TV faithfully.  Her favourite programs include the Westminster Dog Show, Channel 31 cartoons, and the little black and white dog in the commercial for ‘Sex in the City’.  She is also quite fond of the black and white Gateway Cow, who might, given its complexion, might be a distant cousin!

Murphy does turn into a dog now and then when she is allowed a treat of a pigs-ear. Which reminds me: my son recently said to me, “mom, what are pigs-ears?”.  I replied (sure that this was a setup), “umm. ..they’re .....ummmmm.... pigs-ears.”  The boy is 21.  Amazes me sometimes!  But I digress....

Murphy knows that when food starts to cook, she should start waiting for daddy and brother to arrive home from work.  But that would be any ordinary dog thing.  Murphy, not being any ordinary dog, also knows that she can see the driveway by sitting on the top stair and watching in the hall mirror!

Murphy also protects our house from air-space invasions by crows.

She is ultimately trustworthy, and so person-like that we sometimes forget that she is a dog.

Murphy is moody and somewhat offish by times, but by other times, she loves to be cuddled, and hits us with her paws for scratches and foot rubs! Murphy is my angel!