Murph at Tuck’s Birthday Party. (Tucker’s the rust colored dog to the right of Murph.)
In honor of Best Friends Day, I thought it’d be fun to profile Murph’s all time bestest bud in the whole wide world: Tucker Joseph. (Or, as I like to call him, Tuck Tuck Toodle Bottoms.)
How They Met
When we adopted Murphy, he was about the friendliest little pup around. He was always eager to meet other dogs. (Kind of reminds me of Aimee’s thoughts on being a dog and how the world would be a better place if we were all a little more like them.)
Anyway…so here’s Murph, maybe just a bit over 50 pounds at that point, and here comes Tucker, maybe only 75 pounds at that time. Murph doesn’t greet him with the customary rear sniff. Oh no, he goes right up and French kisses him!
I froze, thinking, “My dog’s about to lose his face in the jaws of this tiger’s mouth!”
But Tucker wasn’t aggressive at all. Instead, he got the biggest kick out of Murph’s affection. They became fast friends right then. Play dates, sleepovers, and daily walks became the norm and strengthened not only their friendship, but also the one between me and Tuck’s mom.
Reunited and It’s Going to Feel So Good!
Murph and Tucker were high-energy spit fires in their youth who delighted in running and romping at full speed with each other. This included racing around and wrestling with each other inside and out.
Tucker even developed a patent move on Murphy: the wheelbarrow. He’d nudge his head under Murph’s back legs and try to take him down by then grabbing his front legs. It’s a wonder neither of them got hurt playing together. (Well, Murph would sometimes aggravate his hip dysplasia and limp for a day or two after, but he’d always bounce back.)
Murph’s six now so he’s not the spry pup he once was, and Tucker got hit by a car a little over two years ago that messed up his back legs so he can’t sprint around like he used to either. However, if you mention the T-Man’s name to Murph, his ears perk and his eyes brighten up. We’re looking forward to moving back so “the boys” (as Karen and I call them) can at least be reunited again –even if their playtime won’t be as carefree as it once was. They have that kind of friendship where it doesn’t matter what they do together. Just so long as they’re together, that makes them happy.