Murphy

You do have to be careful which dog you choose, or chooses you. They are like cars. Some are like sports cars and want to go 100 miles an hour all the time. Some are like RVs; they like to park and watch the sights.

I got a dog once from a lady who bred purebred Australian Shepherds. She agreed to keep it until it was 8 or 9 months old and train the wag. Unfortunately for me, she brought it up from where she lived hours away one weekend for me to see. Her car broke down, and it was a very hot day, and by the time she got to my house, the pup was nearly dead. So when she left, I had to keep it.

After several trips to the vet, it pulled through, but instead of a 9-month-old trained dog, I got a psycho pup who was 4 weeks old and should still have been with its mom to learn a few rules.

So I heard of this lady everyone talked about—the “dog whisperer” Jane. When I called her, she asked what kind of dog I had. When I said, “Australian Shepherd,” her immediate response was: “Why did you get that? They aren’t pets; they’re work dogs.”

I knew I was in trouble. I got a Ferrari when I wanted a VW.