It was supposed to stay a secret.
No one was supposed to know that Murphy had a huge crush on the neighbor next door.
But, no… She had to notice that Murphy has been enjoying someone else’s praises.
SHE had to see him getting belly rubs from the person over the fence.
Of course, she had to ruin that wonderful, secret relationship.
Of course, Murphy had to be busted.
It was simply too good to be true and too sweet while it lasted.
The Secret Admirer
Back during the lockdown period, when we were all trapped inside our homes, facing one of the biggest pandemics ever, a lot of things changed. Somehow, we got to appreciate the little things more, unlike we did before.
A lot of us switched to working from home, and it was a kinda good arrangement. We were in the comfort of our own home, enjoying the reduced work time and trying to make our lives interesting again.
I know many pooches that loved the fact that their owners stayed at home the entire time. However, I also know a few puppers that suffered from a chronic lack of attention. Their owners were there, but they had no time to pet or play with them all the time.
A dog doesn’t understand why you’re sitting in one place for hours while you’re home, instead of playing with him.
A dog named Murphy belonged to the other category of dogs. His hooman was home, but she was just too busy to pay a lot of attention to poor Murphy.
He needed new friends, socialization, and more attention that he could ever take, ASAP.
Since the doggy park was no longer an option, Murphy had to find some other ways to make friends. Fortunately, he didn’t have to go too far from his home. The lockdown measures were still very much respected.
On one occasion, when he was enjoying himself in the back yard, Murphy realized he had a secret admirer. His neighbor reached through a hole in the fence and offered him a belly rub. Murphy instantly fell in love with this man, making him his new best friend.
But, Murphy played it wisely: he never told his hooman, Jo-Hannah, about his secret relationship.
Days rolled by slowly during the lockdown period, and Murphy’s relationship stayed a secret for a while.
However, one day, when his hooman left him outside to do his business, she noticed that Murphy went straight to the back as if he knew someone was expecting him.
And, there he was: the hand of Murphy’s neighbor friend was waiting, showering Murphy with cuddles.
It’s sweet moments like this one that helped us get through COVID-19 and overcome it completely. Both Murphy and his neighbor found comfort in each other through rough times.
“With lockdown and ‘work from home,’ I’m the only person he speaks to. So, I think he likes getting pets from someone else for a change,” Jo.Hannah said back then. “But I’m happy he gets a bit of socialization. He definitely loves company. It’s nice to know that Murphy has neighbors who like him.”
Jo-Hannah wasn’t really mad that her dog was having a secret relationship with their owner. She was glad that Murphy, the dog that was such a social butterfly, was getting plenty of socialization and attention in those terrible times.
The Golden Retriever-Labrador mix was blessed with the attention from his neighbor back when people didn’t socialize much, and when we were all about getting our lives back on track.
Today, the pandemic seems long gone. We have no more info on Murphy and whether he finally met his next door neighbor. But, we do have this sweet story to remind us that even in the darkest times, dogs are the beams of light that help us think pawsitively.
