Murphy's Newsletter, October 17, 2000

Murphy's Newsletter

Oct 17, 2000

Hi Allie!

Here are some of the photos we have of Muphy so far. I need to take some of him looking up at the camera (rather than straight out) so that he looks more like the spaniel he is. When I get him back to behaving like a good dog, maybe I'll feel like fawning over him and taking pictures of him again.

These first two pictures are at 7 weeks old.

He's gotten much darker over the last 5 weeks, his bum is now darker than the darkest area on his front leg.

These next two were taken in Adam's apartment in the days after we got back from Cleveland. Murphy is 10 weeks old here. You can see the changes in his colouring already.

Notice the white patch on the top of his head, in the photo of me with him. It's just like the one Otis has on his back.

And here he is drinking from the bowl I painted for him. He quite likes it.

Check out the size of his feet! The vet in Toronto said that "He's gonna be a good size". As in, he's going to be BIG.

I spoke to Ann Jackson, the trainer, and she's coming to our house on Monday for a 2-3 hour visit. She agreed with me that Murphy's biting is his idea of playing. I'm supposed to keep him busy with toys that move, then, if he bites, to NOT pull my hand away and then yelp like a puppy. If he bites again, I'm to hold his head still and say "No bite!". If he bites AGAIN then I crate him.

I spoke to Ann at just after 8 this morning. By the time I left at 8:45 I'd already crated him twice. But I feel SO much better just having a plan of action from an expert. I just realised that that might have sounded like sarcasm. It's not. Now there's light at the end of the tunnel.

E-mail me if you have any questions, comments etc. If you want me to, I can post more up to date photos as he grows so you won't miss out completely on his early weeks. Though, you should count yourself lucky that you aren't here to be his chew toy at the moment.

Here's a link forward to the next (newer) update: Oct 18, 2000 Update

Meg.