Golden Retriever knows how to tame mischievous little brother

• Murphy, a Golden Retriever, is the boss at Sara Morrow’s home.
• Sara’s house has 21 chicken, two pigs, one rabbit, and a newly added high-spirited dog, Archie.
• Murphy, the “gentle protector,” knows how to lovingly keep Archie under control with his “soft mouth!”

Imagine having five cats, 21 chickens, two pigs, one rabbit, one Golden Retriever, and a newly added playful dog in a house.

This seems to be a huge mess, but not when Murphy, the Golden Retriever, is around.

At Sara Morrow’s house, Murphy is the chief commander who keeps peace in place. He is very mild-mannered, gentle, and dependable.

“Murphy loves to chase the birds, he loves to swim, he loves when we have baby chicks, to snuggle with our cat Toodles and go hiking,” Sara told The Dodo. “He and our rabbit, Delilah, love each other so much that they each dug a hole on either side of the fence to get to each other. He’s a gentle giant who loves all.”

When a new puppy was brought home — Archie, an English Setter — Murphy’s job has become more challenging, especially with all the energy Archie has, always wanting to play and goof around. But Murphy sure knows how to keep his little rowdy brother under control, still full of love and gentleness.

“Murphy and Archie hit it off right away,” their mom said. “Archie follows him everywhere, and Murphy plays hall monitor.  If Archie is playing too rough with one of the cats … [Murphy] steps in the middle, lays down and lets Archie have at him.”

At times, when Archie gets a little too unruly, Murphy needs to carry on with stricter rules. And his “soft mouth,” which can even pick up and carry raw eggs without any damage, is the conclusive answer to calm Archie down.

Knowing how gentle Murphy always is, Sara wasn’t worried at all the first time she saw Murphy swallow the puppy’s head. “Murphy is gentle with every animal we have,” she said. “He’s never shown any aggression.”

Though Archie has grown up now, and his head couldn’t fit in Murphy’s mouth anymore, the house boss still has his way to make sure Archie keeps his best behavior.

“Murphy is the gentle protector of all,” Sara said, “and Archie is definitely the little brother that tries to get away with everything.”

Despite these differences, clearly, Murphy loves his little brother, gently ensuring Archie grows learning one important value: discipline.

Source: The Dodo