Murphy runs downstairs, still hot, as I grab a shoe. One thing I've learned over the years is to trust this guy when he acts strange. My porch light is out because I'm replacing it and my DIY skills aren't up to par, so I step outside to investigate, grabbing up a handy Surefire-equipped Glock on the way and tucking it into my waistband.
I don't see anything, but like I said: I trust Murphy even when I don't see anything.
Quietly walking down to the end of my driveway in the dark, I damn near walk into two guys standing on the road just past the end of my driveway. I think that I startled them as much as they did me, and fortunately it was just two of the rednecks from down the street out for a walk with their beer bottles in hand.
In the end, it was nothing. No harm, no foul, and "have a nice night, guys". But had they been bad guys, I'd have never known that they were there. But Murphy knew, even though he was up on the top level of the house. Pitch black outside and 100 yards away and he knew. And he let me know. And with that bark, he let them know that he was aware of them and prepared to contest them. This is why I have dogs, and Murphy just proved once again that he's the right dog for the job.
Good on Him!
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling, our herd of ankle biters went off at 4ish (areyou frellingkiddingmeoclock.), grab the necessary gear and headed out back to find the neighbors mastiff had jumped the fence and was patrolling around the cars.
ReplyDeleteHe's a good dog and I figured he had the yard pretty much under control so I left it to him and went back to bed. I didn't find any blood trails this morning so he musta scared off whatever got him over here.
Barkley had a bark that sounded like 200 pound Mastiff, not wiggly black lab. The first time the UPS guy, carrying a box from Missouri Bullet Company up the walk heard he, he actually stopped, hesitating to come further. I opened the window and said "black lab", and he smiled and came to the door. I introduced them, and he got pats, but he always barked at him, no matter what.
ReplyDeleteGood boy, Murph! Earned an extra treat, I'm thinking.
ReplyDeleteAnd he got one.
DeleteI'm up in the air here Murph. Can't decide which I like best, the stories about Murphy and Belle or the flying stories.
ReplyDeleteAnother good one.
Nah, I'm good with it. Much like someone who can make lawn mowing interesting, I find the variety interesting.
DeleteI'm with OldAFSarge can't decide which stories I like best and add the gun stories to the list. That said, good gun control on your part .... that Glock didn't jump out and go off all by it's self. Time for more security lights though?
ReplyDeleteGood for him, and the question is, did you light them up?
ReplyDeleteNo, didn't need to. They were where they were legally allowed to be I didn't get the impression that their presence there was in any way detrimental to my interests, so the pistol just remained out of sight under my shirt.
DeleteBravo Murphy "Give Em Hell!"
ReplyDeleteso, Rip's a puppy, right? next week she'll be 10 months of wiggly puppy, to be exact. hasn't met a person she doesn't like, and she'll lick the face off of anyone who gets too close to that raspy little tongue of hers.
ReplyDeleteexcept her protective instincts have kicked in hardcore...and specifically for me. when Chris is around, she relaxes a bit because she knows Daddy's home and i'll be okay if something happens.
one night, a little while ago, she and i were home alone. Chris was off at the range with his buddies for the evening. we'd gone to training class, and we were both wiped. around 10pm, i started our just-before-bed routine, and i hadn't heard the truck pull up (usually i gasp and ask Rip who's here when i hear him pull up). she hadn't, either, so we both got a surprise when the back door opened. she looked straight at me, then every hair on her back stood up and she tore off to the back door, roaring the whole way. when she saw it was Chris she went back to wigglepup mode, but i was thrilled to see that response.
good pup. good Murph.
Do you think this might be a reason for Belle's reconnoitering. She and Murph have got a strategy going. Murph freezes them in place, while Belle circles around behind them to cut off their retreat. Very Clever!
ReplyDeleteDogs are great, whatever the size.
ReplyDeleteGood on Murph!
gfa
Murphy knows what his job is, it's tough but someone has to do it.
ReplyDeleteGood boy! And since he doesn't just bark and bark you don't tune him or his tones out.
ReplyDeleteWhich is good - there have been a lot of reports up here recently of houses getting cased and people who were probably up to no good getting run off properties or bolting when someone came home.
Actually he does just bark and bark. He's the barkingest dog I've ever had and he's always sounding off at or about something or another, be it cats, cars, pedestrians, other animals, etc., Lot of the time, I do tune him out or yell at him to quit. But I also know what his different barks mean and I know the difference between "there's a kitten on the drive way" and "INTRUDER!" or "Something's wrong". I take the latter barks very seriously and always check those out.
Delete