Basketballs

Mommy wented to tha store yesterday and looked for another ball for me. Me eated a hole in me big tennis ball after about an hour of playing with it. So mommy, being a really good mommy, wented to Wal-Mart and bought a basket ball for me to play with. (Me thinks her is still trying to make up for having me fixed when me wasn't broken.)

Notice how nice and round this wonderful basket ball is.

Me played and played and played with this new toy. Me chased it all over the back yard trying to get it into me mouth. Daddy was concerned that me wasn't going to be able to pick it up in me little boxer mouth. Me didn't want to disapppoint me Daddy so me worked and worked to get the basket ball in my little mouth. Me is proud to say that with much persistance me succeed in getting the ball in me mouth and it is no longer round.

Murphy 1, basketball 0 at the end of the game.

Me friend Baywee's mommy sented me mommy a link to get a jolly ball for me to play with. Hers is going to look into it. Me wouldn't mind having one of them toys made out of old fire hose and see how quickly me could chew that up.

Murphy (only 3 more days to me birthday)

Aggressive Chewer or me needs some sturdy toys

Mommy is looking to find me some sturdier toys. Every time hers buys me a toy it only last for 1 day at the mostest. Her's bought me a nice new ball made out of tennis ball materials as a coming home from the hospital present. Hers thought for sure that this new toy would last a really long time. NOT!! That new ball was chewed up in no time at all. Me only had it for about an hour when mommy saw me had chewed a big ole hole in it. The only thing me hasn't been able to chew up is me Kong Toys and the really hard rubber bones that Daddy boughted for me.

Mommy says me is an aggressive chewer and me needs toys made special for them kinds of dogs. Her says it's cause of the American Bulldog half of me. Her's even got on the internet and looked for toys for Pitbulls cause them kinds of dogs are REALLY aggressive chewers. Me thinks hers may have solved the problem of toys for me. Hers found a site with toys just for Pitbulls that hers thinks will work for me too. Thems even has squeaky toys for aggressive chewers made out of recycled fire hose. Maybe me will get some of them toys for me birthday next week.
Just in case this doesn't pan out, if anybody knows where Mommy can get me some really sturdy toys please let her know.

One thing for sure, being and aggressive chewer paid off today. Me was able to get that goofy ole medical collar off of me neck and me chewed it right up. Now me doesn't have to wear that collar no more and me feels much better for it.

Murphy who is free from that goofy medical collar

This is embarrassing !!!

This is embarrassing!! Her's just had to go and show everybody what me looked like with this goofy collar on .Mommy took this picture of me hours after me got home from the vet. Isn't this the silliest collar you ever did see?? This is so humiliating. No dog should have to wear one of these let alone have their mommy post pictures of it.

Thems tried to make me feel better by giving me a fresh bone and buying me a new ball but who can gnaw on a bone or play with a ball like this me wants to know??? Besides me really didn't feel to good.

Murphy who is hanging his head in shame.

Who is in my crate

Well this is just not right!!! Me came downstairs from Mommys bedroom and what did I find in me own personal crate??? A black kitty that's what. There in me crate, me very own private escape was Diamond Lil.

Her's was locked into me crate and hers was not a happy kitty either. Who would have done this horrible thing to both of us?? Who could have locked the kitty in and me out of me crate?

Doesn't them know this is where me goes to take a nap? Doesn't them know this is me private home? Doesn't them know me would never share it with a silly ole kitty? Not even Miss Pitty Pat. Here me is a convalescing puppy and needs to have me crate to go rest in and there is a kitty. Okay so they was going to take Lil to the vet and needed to be sure thems could find that silly kitty but did thems have to use me crate???

Murphy

Enough of this foolishness

Me is feeling much better today. That is except for this silly head collar the doctor putted on me to keep me from licking meself. This thing is so big it gets in tha way of everything and me is bouncing off of chairs, tables, walls and even steps. Mommy couldn't leave well enough alone and her had to go take some pictures. Me is sure her is going to post them as soon as hers gets a chance and that will be embarrassing for sure.

Me don't know why the vet don't want me licking meself. Doesn't her know that dogs have very clean tongues and that thems licking themselves when there is cuts makes them heal faster. Mommy says that of all the dogs hers has had fixed this is the first time one has had to wear a color. Hummm it just occurred to me that something must be wrong with the way Mommy takes care of hers puppies if she has to keep taking them to get fixed. Me wonders if thems was like me, not broken but Mommy took them to get fixed anyway. This is something me will have to go think about.


Murphy (who is hiding from Mommy and the camera)

Call the Poolice !!!!

Somebody quick call tha poolice, the FBI, the CIA, Interpol, ABC, CNN, NBC, CBS, FOX !!! I've been robbed. They're gone, missing, not there!!! Me's lost them!!! Somebody tooked them!!!! Mommy took me to the vet this morning and me had them and when me came back and them was gone. Somewhere between leaving home this morning to go to the vet and coming home them disappeared. What you may be asking is all the fuss about??? What could a little puppy have possibly lost that is so important??? Hims family jewels is what hims has lost!!! This is awful, where did thems get too??

This is what happened. Last night for no reason at all, Mommy took up my food bowl. Me doesn't know why here did this cause there was still food in that bowl. Then to make matters worse her took up the water bowl too and even closed the lids on the porcelain watering bowls. This was very strange indeed and had me worried that maybe Mommy wasn't feeling very good. Then to make things worse, when Mommy and me went to bed for the night hers shutted the bedroom door so me couldn't get out and roam the house. This is not a good thing cause a burglar could get in the house. Me thinks this might be what happened last night.

When we got up this morning Mommy forgot to feed me and hers didn't give me any water either. Me thinks hers might have been distracted by the kitties and forgotted. Mommy did take me for a ride though. We went to see my vet this morning and Mommy lefted me there. The last time hers lefted me at the vet was to go away for the weekend and me was worried that her was going away again and forgotted to tell me.

The next thing me remembers is waking up with this funny looking thing around me head and feeling really sleepy and confused. Mommy and Daddy camed to get me and the vet said me did really good there today but me don't remember being there at all. Mommy took me to the car and me was all woobly on me legs like when me was a little puppy. Her and Daddy helped me into the truck but that thing on me head kept bumping into things. Daddy got in the back with me and we headed for home. It hurted to sit on me behind and me wanted to go lick but that ole head thingy kepted me from it. Mommy putted me in me crate so me could go back to sleep for awhile. Me don't ever remember being this sleepy for this long. The worst thing is me gets the feeling me lefted something at me vet's office that me needed to keep. That's where to poolice comes in. Me was robbed at the vets office. Somebody call the poolice..........and wake me up when thems gets here so me can fill out tha report.

Murphy, who is still very confused and sleepy

Clipped?

Okay this is really becoming a puzzle for a little boxer puppy. Mommy and Daddy are talking about me getting clipped. Does any body know what them is talking about?? Me already knows thems likes me little boxer ears to be floppy so it can't be that them is wanting to clip me ears. Maybe it's me toenails. Me friend Baywee goes and gets her nails clipped regularly and me knows that is something me hasn't had done yet. Maybe that is what them silly peoples is talking about, although me nails isn't that long. Walking on the sidewalks helps keep them short enough.

We wented outside this afternoon so Mommy and Daddy could sit in the hot tub. Doesn't them know it's really, really, really cold out there?? It only got to 15 degrees today and that is not very warm at all. Here are these silly humans sitting in a big ole tub of steaming hot water and liking it. Me will never, ever understand what makes Mommy and Daddy tick or if thems even does tick. Me thinks thems is a little bit goofy. Me stayed out ther with thems just in case me was needed to rescue them but it was against me better boxer judgement. Me will have to check the Boxer Union Box to see if there isn't some out clause for human goofiness when it's really cold outside. Right now a nice warm blanket on the couch is about the only place this boxer puppy wants to be.

Oh yeah, Mommy boughted me a new toy today. Me guesses it's the beginning of hers and Daddy getting ready for me birthday on March 1. It's only 10 days away. Me really wants a nice fleece dog pad to put in me crate to sleep on. Oh yeah and a birthday cake.

Murphy

IT'S COLD!!!

Brrrr it is really to cold for a boxer puppy to go outside today. Mommy said that there should be an indoor dog park so hers could take me there to go play. Mommy said it was a 3 dog night last night. Me is for sure her is nutty now. Can't be no 3 dog night. There is only one dog here and hims is here every night.

Training was way more fun this week. Thems had another boxer there that looked just like me only me is bigger and much more handsome not to mention friendlier. That other boxer growled at me and wanted to get into a fight. Me just wanted to go sniff some butt and be friends. Mr Trainer Man said that me was hard to train but that ole boxer was even tougher to train. ***big boxer grin*** Of course me is not as hard to train cause me is smarter. The trainer man teached me how to "place" this time. This is really the silliest of all the commands me is having to learn. See to "place" means to go to this place and stay there. Now why in this big world would a boxer want to stay in one place???? There is way to much to see in this world to have to stay in one place until them releases me. Sometimes peoples can come up with the silliest commands for dogs. Mommy and Daddy are making me practice "placing" on me ottoman in front of the picture window at home. From a boxer point of view this makes a tiny bit more sense. Me can get up on me ottoman and sit there all day long and look out the window. Silly mommy, hers thinks me is learning to "place".

There is something strange going on here today. Mommy and Daddy are talking about taking me somewhere on Monday and getting me fixed. Me isn't sure what is wrong with me that needs fixing. Besides, isn't that what all this training is for??? Thems is acting odd that's for sure. Me will have to keep a close eye on thems to make sure them don't do something really dumb.

Murphy

Happy Valentines Day

Mommy says that today is the day of love. And that it's when you let those who are very special to you know you love them. So here goes

Me loves you Mommy and Daddy and Miss Pitty and Lil and Smoke. Me loves all my puppy friends Me's made here and on Dogster. (That also means there's only 15 more days til me birthday)

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Murphy

Greeting Company

We have company and mommy said me was very, very good. Her didn't even have to keep me on tha leash til me settled down. Mommy says the best part is that the company knows that me can't be petted until me sits down and waits to be told me can get pets. This isn't really very fair cause it's exciting to have company come visit. Me knows they come just to see me and give me lots of pets so why me has to sit and wait to be told that me can have pets dosen't make any sense. But if that's the way Mommy want's to play this silly training game then this is what me will do.

Right now the company is downstairs in Daddy's office and thems has shut the door so me can't get down there. Thems is bottling the stuff daddy makes. Hims calls it mead. Me has licked some up off the flooe when it got spilled and it's sweet and sticky like honey. Anyway, me needs to get downstairs so thems would have the proper supervision. If this being upstairs with Mommy will Daddy and company is downstairs is part of this training stuff me doesn't like it.

We had company on the weekend too. Mommy and Daddy had a party and our friends came over for dinner and then to go outside and sit in the hot water place. Me was good then too even though Mommy kept me on the leash til me got over being so excited. Then me went politely, well as politely as me possibly could, and greeted everybody. When it came time for dinner Mommy thought it was best if me stayed in me crate while everybody ate. Hers thought that having a great big puppy wondering around the table might not be a good idea. Me could at least see and hear what was going on so it wasn't so bad and when it was time to go out to the hot water place me got to go and make sure nobody drowned in the water. That was pretty neat cause me could walk up the steps and lick who ever was close.

Me thinks me is starting to get the hang of how to behave with company.

Murphy

Drill Master Sargent Mommy

Me made a startling discovery today. Me Mommy is a Drill Master and her is a tough drill master to boot. Today Mommy and Daddy tooked me for a walk but instead of letting me go where ever me wanted to and sniff at anything me wanted, Mommy made me walk right beside her! Now what fun is this me wants to know????? Me walks right beside Mommy all the times inside tha house so why should me have to do this when we is outside walking?? Outside there is lots of things to see and hear and smell. On top of everything else, Mommy would be walking me and all of a sudden her would say "sit Murpy" and me would have to stop walking (just when me was doing it right) and sit and look at her. Doesn't this sound like a Boxer Boot Camp to you?? It does to me. Me was expecting her to say "drop and give me 20 boxer" Me isn't a Boxer Marine me is just a plain little boxer puppy. We was walking past some little kids and thems looked like thems needed a nice boxer kiss but nooooooo me had to sit there and look at mommy and pretend me didn't see them little kids. Doesn't her knows how hard it is for me to ignore them little kids when thems need boxer kisses so badly??

Going for a walk with Mommy is becoming quite a chore. What fun is this walking going to be if me has to walk right beside her?? Me has to figger out how to get around this. Mommy says that her can be as stubborn as me and that cause her is the more stubborn than me, that her will get her way. Hummmm we'll just see about that. Me can be a pretty hard headed little boxer puppy.

Private Murphy who's thinking of going AWOL

Homework for Murphy

Who ever heard of a puppy having homework?? This is what me wants to know. Dave the trainer man said that Mommy, Daddy and me had homework and it was for me to sit and look at Mommy or Daddy when thems asks me to sit. Now this is silly don’t you think? Me knows what thems looks like already. Why would me need to look at them when me is sitting??? There is so many other things to look at that if me is looking at them me might miss other things. But nooooooooo, the homework is to look at them when me is asked to sit. Me can’t just give them a quick glance and then look away. Nope me has to be focused totally on them.

On top of this silliness, there is new words me has to learn and what actions are involved when them words is spoken. Come, Sit, Wait, Look, Up, Down, Off, Free. Now them is a lot of words with a lot of actions involved with them and me is supposed to concentrate on what it is that me needs to do when me hears them. Now me knows that when Mommy and Daddy say “Murphy, come” that me is supposed to come to them right away. Well this is all very nice but what if me is busy doing something much more interesting than coming to them???? Shouldn’t a boxer puppy be allowed to continue doing what it is hims is doing and then come?? Nope the action for the command is “come” is come right this minute and look at me.

Then there is “sit”. Well of course me knows what sit means. It means sit down and wait for a treat. That was the very first thing me learned when Mommy brought me home. Not anymore. Now “sit” means that me has to sit down in front of Mommy or Daddy and look up at them until them tells me “free”. And what does “free” mean? It means me can relax for a moment or two until them decides to give me some other silly voice command like up, or down or off. This is like being in doggie boot camp. This is an outrage and me thinks me needs to get me Boxer Union Representative to help out here. Next thing you know me is going to be this really well behaved puppy!!!!

Murphy who doesn't like to do homework

Mind hims own business

Me was worrying Mommy this morning cause me was whining and hers was getting a tiny bit upset with me. So Daddy decided it might be a good idea to take me for a walk, which was what me was whining about to begin with. Sometimes Mommy can be a little slow when it comes to figuring out what it is me wants. Anyway, Daddy tooked me for a walk and hims was doing leash corrections just like trainer Dave and the man with a dog name, Duke said to do cause me is a "hard case". Me knows how to walks on a leash, me just gets excited and forgets everything me knows and needs corrections sometimes. Well this is what happened while we was walking and this strange man gave Daddy what for. Hims thought Daddy was being mean to me. Grrrrr.....that man doesn't know me Daddy. Hims wouldn't be mean to me, hims loves his little boxer puppy. Just cause me was misbehaving and him corrected me doesn't mean hims was being mean. That man needs to mind hims own business. If hims hadn't said that me was a handsome dog me might have growled at him.

Mommy says that dogs can be like children and need to know thems boundaries and what is expected of thems. And when you have a puppy like me, who wants to be in charge, sometimes you have to use tough love to let them know who is in charge. Hers says that a well behaved, well mannered dog is going to welcomed and loved by everybody. Me wants to be a well mannered, well behaved dog when me grows up so everybody will love me. Not that thems don't love me already but there is always them new people me is going to meet.

Murphy

Geeses

Yesterday Mommy had this really brilliant idea that it would be a good training opportunity if hers tooked me to tha park next to our house and work on walking calmly on the leash. When we got to tha park there was all of them geeses all over tha place. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, this was exciting!!!!! Thems things makes all kinds of noise and thems poop all over tha place. Mommy wanted me to walk right beside her and pretend me didn't see them noisey geeses or smell their smelly poop on tha ground.

This little boxer puppy is here to tell you that pretending all of that fuss is not going on is hard work. Them geeses was all over tha place. Mommy would walk me right towards them and if me pulled on tha leash at all to go investigate hers gave a quick yank, a buzz and said come and turned in the other direction and walked away. Then, can you believe it, hers would do it all over again and walk back towards them geeses. This silly Mommy of mine could not make up her mind what direction hers wanted to walk in. Me knew what direction me wanted to go and that was to them geeses to chase them. This went on until all of them geeses had flown away. Mommy kept saying "good Murphy" and patting me head every time her said sit and me sitted there beside her. Well of course me did that, what else could me do?? Me was on this leash and couldn't go anywhere. Not even chase tha geese.

Me has to admit (and me really don't want Mommy to see this) walking beside Mommy on the leash and not pulling her along is really kind of nice. That choke collar isn't choking me tha whole time we is walking and Mommy is a lot happier about taking me out. Hers even had Daddy come out later to show him how good me was being on tha leash and have him works with me some. All this working to be a good dog is really hard on a puppy. Me has to think really hard what it is that Mommy and Daddy wants it makes me tired. Me was so tired that when Mommy when to take this picture me didn't even get up to look at the camera up close.

Murphy

New Top Dog

There is a new top dog at me house and it isn't yours truly. This is how it happened.

We went to the Training Man's place for some more private training. This was the owner of the training place and hims name is Dave. Him also had another man there from a far away place in Canada. Hims name is Buck (sounds like a dogs name to me) and hims trains police dogs. Thems both said me was a lot of dog. Well of course me is a lot of dog! Me is a Boxer and an American Bulldog too. Don't let this sweet Boxer disposition full you. Me can be just as hard headed and stubborn as a bulldog when me wants to be. And me wants to be when it comes to training. Me is proud to say that them mens said me was going to be a special case. And to train me, thems was going to have to make it personal? Whatever that means.

Thems worked with me walking on tha leash without pulling in all directions and sitting down when told to. Thems also wanted me to sit when there was distractions like this Buck man running by me and coming to pet me. Well for goodness sakes, a dog is suppose to show interest in them kinds of things and it's only polite to get up and go greet the person who wants to pet you isn't it? NOPE, this is not what a "good" dog is supposed to do. Me found out that me is suppose to sit there and pretend that nothing of interest is happening around me. Now how silly is this??? After awhile me got tired of Dave yanking on me leash and me went along with tha program. Unfortunately Dave is really smart and him said me had this attitude of "bring it on" and again him said me is a lot of dog. Me is very proud of that. Go ahead trainer man, make it personal.

After a while thems had Mommy and Daddy leading me around and making me sit and all that polite doggie stuff. Me went along and figured when we gots home me would just go back to being in charge of everything, just like a dog's suppose to be. NOPE this is not what happenend and this is where tha new top dog comes into tha story.

While Dave was working with Daddy, the man with tha dog name Buck was talking to Mommy and this was not a good thing. Hims told her that her and Daddy had to reestablish who was the alpha dogs in the pack at thems house. To do this Buck said thems had to make me wait to go up/down stairs, in/out doors until after thems did, thems was to put me in me crate while thems ated their dinner and then feed me, not let me up on tha couch with them. Hims didn't even want them to let me sleep on me little bed by Mommy's side of tha bed on tha floor for awhile.
Hims said me was getting to bossy and pushy and that was a dominance sign. Well guess what? Mommy and Daddy took me home and started doing what this man with tha dog name suggested. That is everything but not letting me sleep beside Mommy on tha floor. Her said that as the Alpha dogs in tha house thems already has the best place to sleep and it's up higher than mine. Mommy is now making me wait at tha top or bottom of tha stairs and at doors for hers to go first. Hers making me sit in tha crate while thems eats first and her;s making me lay on tha floor and not on tha couch while hers is there. HUMP!!! Me went and sat in me crate and gave her me best "sad dog" face and it didn't even work. Me is now being a gentledog and letting her go first, but only cause her insists.

Daddy isn't so strict so me thinks me likes him better right now.

Murphy the newly polite and gentle dog

Driver's Licenses

Mommy found a web site that gives dogs drivers licenses and thems doesn't even have to be 16 years old, read, pass a test or nothing. Hers says if me is really good and learns how to be trained then her will get me a drivers licenses.

This is the problem. Me tries really hard to be a good puppy and be trained to not jump on peoples but me gets so excited that me forgets to be a trained puppy. Like when we have company. It's the puppy's job to go meet and greet everybody. Me has to jump up to see who it is cause otherwise all me see is a row of knees. When that happens me has to go sniffing all them knees to figure out who tha company is. Then once me knows who tha company is me has to give them all big wet puppy kisses. This is the only polite thing to do.

The other thing Mommy wants me to be trained not to do is jump on her when we is outside playing. Mommy doesn't understand that part of being a boxer is running and jumping as high as me can in tha air. Me can't help it if her happens to be standing right there when me runs by and jumps up in tha air.

Getting this drivers licenses is going to be complicated. Me is going to be a year old a month from today. Me better get busy and be trained. We is going to training class tomorrow night so me will find out what else this training is all about and see if me can do it. Mommy and Daddy both say thems see some improvement in me behavior.

Murphy who wants a drivers licenses for hims birthday.