Tail Wagging Tuesday: Special Pup Feature- Muffin

This week's special pup feature is Muffin.  He belongs to a very good family friend, and I have a special connection to this guy because his mom was my very first dog, a Cocker Spaniel named Buffy.  We thought about breeding Buffy because she was such a good little dog, but after checking her out, the vet said she couldn't have babies and there was no need to spay her.  Well.... then my family rescued this adorable little mix breed puppy, who that was smaller than a Coke can, from the side of the road.  We nursed the little guy back to health, and before he was old enough and healthy enough to be neutered, my little brother and sister came in screaming that Buffy and Benji were "stuck together."  Yep, a few months later, there were 9 puppies.

My mom's lifelong friend Marci and her family decided to adopt one of the pups, and I'm pretty sure he was the luckiest pup of all.  Marci agreed to let Muffin be the special pup of the week, so you guys can decide for yourself.  :)

How did Muffin get his name? 
     My daughter Tara wanted to have a dog just like the first dog her Dad and I had together, and his name was Muffin.   Mark gave me a Cocker Spaniel for our first Christmas together, and he already had the name Muffin when I got him.  I would tell her all about my dog and how special he was, so when she got her puppy that was the name she wanted to give him.

He originally was pretty much a black faced dog.  All the the white and gray is from age... He's a little old man.

 
How long have you had Muffin?  
     This coming October we will have had him 14 years.

What are Muffins favorite things to do? 
     He loves to be with his Mama, no matter where I go he will follow.  He has been going to work with me now for over a year, and he loves that.   He is sitting ready to go as soon as he see’s I’m ready for work.   He loves to greet the customers and he can tell the animal lovers from the ones that aren’t.   He won’t even bother getting up for some folks.

Hard day at work-- sleeping at the office.

What makes Muffin such a special guy?  
     He has the sweetest face and the most loving nature.  He grins when he is happy, and I just love to see him grin at me when I’ve had to go somewhere and come in the door.  That unconditional love is the best.

Tell us about one of your best memories with little Muffin.  
     When Tara was still at home before she went off to college, I would get ready for work during the summer, and he knew that Tara was in her room.  He would climb the stairs and scratch on her door so she would let him in, and he could go back to bed with her.   It took him a while when she moved out to go to college to realize she wasn’t in her room anymore.  He would climb the stairs and scratch and scratch, and I would have to go up and tote him back down the stairs because he just didn’t understand she wasn’t there anymore.

From what I understand, Muffin is just a tiny bit spoiled (as he should be!).  What kind of perks does he get as the beloved family friend he is to your family?  

     Well my spoiled rotten boy has never been caged at all so we never leave him for very long.  He goes to the lake, has gone to the beach, and pretty much goes anywhere we do.   He sleeps in the king size bed with me, head on the pillow laying over my arm while I hold his paw, and Mark will fall asleep with his hand on him.   He is so spoiled that if I turn over in the bed and he doesn’t like it, he will sit up and tap me on the shoulder with his paw for me to turn back over the way he likes... and I do.  He's pretty rotten.   

     For years we had toy baskets in every room with toys just running over, and he would bring them to the door every time I came home.   In the last few years as he has gotten older he has lost all interest in the toys.  His new obsession is with his beds that we have in the bedroom or the den.   They have to be exactly where he wants them or he will take his fronts paws and move them to where he wants.   My customers at work will come in my office and get too close to his bed, so he will get up, take his paws to move the bed closer to me, and then lay back down they think it is the funniest thing to watch him jerk that bed around the room.

  He has brought so much joy into all our lives.  Mark, Tara and I will forever be grateful for the chance to be his family.   Some of the bright spots every day are watching him react to his life around him.  I believe he is the sweetest thing God put on four legs and that's what I tell him every single day.

Christmas morning on a new bed from Santa... He liked it so much that he fell asleep.

I hope you guys enjoyed meeting sweet little Muffin.  I wish every dog could be as lucky as this little guy. :)
A big thank you to Marci for sharing the story of her special pup!

 **P.S.  Do you have a super sweet pup?  Think he or she would be a good special feature?  E-mail me at TailstoTell [at] Live [dot] com, and we'll set something up.  :)  I'd love to share your sweet furry pal's story.