Selection

The MRCCR is an active, muscular dog, medium in size with a curly coat which can vary from tight curls to marcel (wavy). It is a true dual purpose dog bred to be a companion, to live and work in close quarters, and to track, flush, and retrieve game of all kinds. The typical MRCCR is happy, energetic, and eager to please. While many consider the MRCCR to be a relatively low maintenance breed, there is no doubt that your Murray will require a bit of grooming.

Types: There are 2 distinct types of Murrays – one with shorter legs & longer body (more the spaniel shape) and the other with longer legs & shorter body (more the retriever shape). All are liver in colour with golden eyes and sometimes a white blaze on the chest. There is an historic photograph of a pure white Murray and there has been the odd black colour reported but this may have been due to out-crossing.

Training & Socialisation:

Training & socialisation are imperative for a happy, well behaved dog. As an intelligent breed they take well to training/socialisation. Variety in the training/socialisation process keeps them from becoming bored and makes things a bit more interesting for the owner as well. As a breed that likes to please, the Murray trains quickly but requires constant and consistent reinforcement to hone the skills – repetition, repetition, repetition!!!

Exercise:

The Murrays are active dogs that love to run, swim, fetch, hunt. They will require daily walking as a bare minimum and if there is somewhere they can safely run and play off lead, even better. As is typical of the retriever/spaniel breeds, they are active dogs that will do best when given the opportunity to work off some of their energy. Activities like field or obedience training, runs in the park, swimming, or a good play/fetch session in the backyard are some of the ways to let a young (or old) Murray work off its pent up energy. The dog that is not given the opportunity to work off its excess energy may develop inappropriate behaviours that will lead to frustration for both the owner and the dog.

Care

Grooming: Daily grooming is optimal, or weekly at least. The longer hair of the ears (top & under), chest and legs is prone to matting if not regularly & thoroughly combed. Once the hair is matted it can be impossible to comb out & would need clipping or cutting. Take the time to comb through with a metal comb and your fingers, you will also be able to feel any skin abnormalities. If taught to sit still and not left to become matted, most dogs actually enjoy being groomed. If your dog doesn’t like being groomed, don’t call them to you and just set to with the comb or brush – this is a good way to ruin your recall work! Get them and remember to reward them for patience. Keep grooming sessions short at first.

• BRUSH – A rubber tipped pin brush is great, the rubber tips massage the skinand promote natural oil distribution.
• COMB – Any metal dog comb with rounded teeth is good. A wide tooth is good for working out loose snarls.
• SCISSORS and/or CLIPPERS – make sure they’re sharp and keep them that way by not grooming dirty dogs.

Brushing the hair up on the top of the feet, trim (or shave with clippers) the hair that comes up from between the toes. You can trim/shave between the toes but be careful not to cut into the webs. The hair between the pads on the bottoms of the foot can also be trimmed/shaved. Anything you trim off will mean less dirt etc tracked into the house. If your dog is a hunter, the shorter the hair length the better. Feathering on the front and rear legs, ears & chest can be trimmed or shortened quite a bit to attract less dirt/burrs etc.

Washing:

This is will depend on you and your dog, whether they are inside or outside etc. It is best not to wash dogs too often as they lose their natural oil secretions during washing. A ‘natural’ product is best to prevent excessive oil stripping. Murrays generally love water (although not necessarily being washed). If they are naturally in and out of clean water and receiving regular grooming, they won’t need a lot of washing. For those disgusting “I just rolled in something dead” occasions, glove-up and try the following:

• • Remove as much of solids as possible with paper towel or like.
• • Lather up a bar of plain soap in cold water till you have plenty of suds, then use a sponge to catch the soap suds and work into coat. 
• • Next use dishwashing liquid in warm water and again, work suds into coat. 
• • Now use straight vinegar on a sponge and sponge the coat. This ensures minimal wetness of dog and maximum smell removal!! 
• • Warning – some smells do take a while to “fade” and do “return” on wet dogs!!

The Murray is not overwhelmed by health problems nor is it immune from them. As with any breed, the majority of Murrays will live long and healthy lives when they are cared for properly and given good medical care. Sadly, there will be some that experience health issues. The causes of such issues can be varied and may be brought on by anything from viral infections, traumatic injury, or inherited conditions. Essentially the Murray is no different than any human and any of us can experience an unexpected health problem that comes out of the blue. It is important to get your dog used to being touched all over – eyes, ears, nose, mouth, paws, tail, everywhere. This not only builds trust and a loving bond between you and your dog but is essential for examining your dog and noticing problems in the early stages. It also makes it easier for a veterinarian to examine a dog that is used to being touched.

• • Ears – Careful attention to the ears can avoid unnecessary discomfort/infections. Check regularly (weekly) and clean as necessary. After swimming or bathing – ensure the ears are dry inside. The ears can be trimmed short in front of the ear canal toward the cheek and eye to allow air to get at the inner ear and helps you see wax and any nasty things. A good monthly cleaning prevents most ear problems. Get acquainted with the healthy, ‘musty’ smell of your dogs ears, so you’ll recognise the smell of an unhealthy ear.
• • Skin – some dogs have suffered from itchy skin and/or red blotching. This can be from allergy whether to grass, shampoo, food etc etc. As always, get checked by a Vet but also try eliminating the cause eg different shampoo or food. A great supplement for healthy skin, coat, breath, joints, bones and cartilage is organic coconut oil – see Pets Corner at www.kokonutpacific.com.au/OilSales/OilIndex.html for details – you can buy it at any Health Food shop.
• • Hip Dysplasia – 2 reported cases out of approx. 400 dogs from Yahoo Group.
• • Addisons Disease – 1 reported case out of approx. 400 dogs from Yahoo Group.
• • Shedding – this varies throughout the breed, depending on the coat. Some don’t shed at all and some don’t stop!! You may think you’re in an old Western movie with the tumbleweeds of hair rolling around your house, despite daily grooming. A good vacuum cleaner is worth its weight in gold if your Murray is a shedder. On the plus side, people with allergies to animals have reported no (or less) problems with a Murray.
• • Grass Seeds – if you live in an area where there are grass seeds be vigilant. Grass seeds love the Murray (and other breeds) but not vice versa. These little suckers can cause all manner of problems and get into ears, eyes, mouths and noses as well as getting stuck in coats and between toes. Grass seeds can travel internally through the dog and end up in vital organs. You will know if your dog gets one in the ear as they will walk around with their head tilted to one side – at the very least!!! Rub one along your skin and then imagine the irritation it would cause inside your ear drum!! It can be VERY distressing for the dog and getting them to the vet ASAP is imperative.  Uncontrollable sneezing is a giveaway for grass seeds in the nose and any weeping or redness in the eye should be taken seriously. Less obvious are the ones in the coat and between toes which may only become apparent as purulent sores. Trimming (or better yet shaving) the coat and between the toes in summer can save a lot of grief, as can daily checking between toes and using your hands to feel through the coat. I find that cotton wool balls in the ears every morning which are only removed after coming in at night can be helpful but not foolproof. Look carefully as you are removing cotton wool for any seeds sneaking past, you might inadvertently drop one straight into the ear as you pull the ball out. You can be amazed at the number of grass seeds sticking in the cotton wool ball and some will get past anyway, despite your best efforts, resulting in a trip to the vet. If you feel confident to attempt, a pair of plastic, round-ended tweezers and a torch kept close at hand have saved a trip to the vet on occasion. If you notice your dog shaking its head, pick it up and, holding its head still, go to your tools. If you can see the grass seed and your dog is holding still, you can try and remove it. If you can’t see it clearly, or the dog won’t hold still, don’t attempt this, but get the dog to the vet ASAP.

    Linda Simpson

Long time Murray owner