Murphy is one of those dogs who teaches us the meaning of the word "resilience." When he greets you, he will put his paw into the palm of your hand to say hello followed by quick tiny kisses.

Murphy can be very enthusiastic in his desire to play with new friends, which can be too much for some dogs. His foster has been taking him to doggie daycare, where he has been learning good socialization skills from his doggie friends and human teachers. He would do best in a home that can help him continue working on polite introductions with other dogs, and we think he would love a doggie sibling for a playmate. He is not a fan of cats and would prefer a home without them.

We have observed Murphy become overstimulated when interacting with other animals, and become protective over a nice warm lap, so he needs to be monitored carefully and handled with caution in certain situations. He has nipped when handled if he doesn't want to be, so we are looking for an adult only home that is dog savvy and can help work on Murphy's behavioral challenges.

Murphy came to us from Hitchcock Road Animal Services. He had arrived at the shelter as a stray in sad shape. He had such thick, embedded mats that the shelter vet guessed he had likely been matted for years. Once the giant ropes of hair were shaved away, a petite, spunky dog emerged.