Meet our Murphy: a true Love Underdogs success story!
Murphy's journey has been a rollercoaster, as he's journeyed from Romania to a rescue, narrowly escaping euthanasia, to a boarding kennel, and finally to us. Despite his traumatic past, we've discovered the gentle giant, the cuddle-monster, and the hilarious goofball within him, yearning for the support of his people. However, Murphy has not been without his fair share of challenges... but we are so proud of how far he has come, and these challenges have mostly been left in the past!
Murphy has been on a reactivity journey. From reacting to almost every dog he saw, to now going out in groups of dogs and even passing off lead dogs! It took a team effort, exploring various reasons why the behaviour was occurring, and how we could work with this within a kennel environment. Being where we are now, it was worth every second. Although we have significantly reduced Murphy's reactivity outside, we do still find him to be reactive to unknown visitors and dogs inside the kennels (who's perfect eh?). Thankfully, we have a solid introduction plan for Murphy to new people that has never failed; beneath that bark there is a dog that is simply just unsure and unsafe, and when we can accommodate Murphy's needs, he grows to love people intensely and unconditionally.
Murphy has displayed guarding tendencies around food and toys and has a bite history, although not causing severe injury. We use simple management protocols around his guarding behaviour, which has been incredibly successful at preventing this behaviour from happening.
The amazing part – we've made these incredible strides with Murphy whilst in a kennel environment! We've identified ways to address and
minimise his challenges. Now, imagine how amazing Murphy would be in a home where he can having a loving family supporting him around the clock!
Murphy has formed strong bonds with every staff member during his time with us, successfully introducing him to numerous "unknown visitors." He adores playing with other dogs and often benefits from their support on walks. We've developed a safe strategy to introduce him to other dogs. Yes, even this dog-reactive pup can live with another dog! His leash skills, play skills, and interactions with people are improving daily, showcasing his untapped potential.
Murphy's ideal home:
• Adult-only environment
• Rural/Semi-rural location
• With or without another dog of similar size and a confident temperament
• An experienced owner, preferably with larger breeds and reactivity experience
• Street dog experience is preferred
• A strong commitment to working with our certified trainer and following our customised plan, tailored to your lifestyle.
Murphy's journey has been tough, but he's ready for a fresh start and a loving home. He has impressed us beyond words with his training progress even in a kennel setting. He deserves a real chance at a loving home, and we're committed to working with you to make it happen.
Murphy is eager to find a forever family that understands and supports him.
NOTE:
All our dogs go on home trial for four weeks before an adoption. We offer post adoption support and access to a certified behaviourist and trainer for the lifetime of our dogs.
All our dogs are trained with force free, positive reinforcement based training methods. If you want to adopt Murphy, you agree to continue using only these methods and training with kindness.