Characters / Boy and Dog

Rowan

I'm Rowan

The titular boy. A baby of one year (as of 2019) and Murphy's best friend. His interests include eating, playing with toys (and by extension anything that could double as a toy), and having conversations with Murphy.

• Affectionate Nickname: His father calls him Squishy Bub, Little Squat, Mr. Tiny, Squishy Squisher, Squashy Stumps, Spud, and Saggy Britches.
• Baby Language: Apparently he speaks "Rowan", which Zane seems to understand too.
• Big Eater: According to one strip, he eats eight meals a day and snacks.
• Birthday Episode: In one strip, he turns one and "levels up".
• A Boy and His X: A Boy and His Dog. He and Murphy are best friends; in fact Murphy may have even been his first friend.
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Downplayed. He thinks a few crazy thoughts but is mainly a normal little boy.
• Curious as a Monkey: Like most kids his age, he finds out about things by touching them.
• Extreme Omnivore: He's eaten grass before.
• Friend to Bugs: He's often trying to make friends with insects, even flies.
• Shout-Out: He calls himself Batman in one strip.
• Speaks Fluent Animal: He can understand Murphy and Milo perfectly.
• Sweet Tooth: He gets really excited at the prospect of eating sugar.
• Toilet Humour: He's the source of a decent amount of diaper-related jokes.

Murphy

Hi! Who are you?

Rowan's best friend, and the titular dog. He appears to be a Golden Retriever and while he sometimes claims he's more dignified than Rowan, he openly admits to peeing on everything outdoors. He's very active and playful.

• Affectionate Nickname: Apparently, Rowan's dad calls him Mr. Fuzz, Doggeroo, Fluffy Fluffer, Pooch, and Fuzzy Britches.
• Big Eater: While he does have a habit of pretending not to be hungry, he does like to eat.
• Big Friendly Dog: Several times Rowan's size and very amicable.
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Like Rowan, he downplays this by being slightly eccentric (like when he peed on another dog, for instance).
• Extreme Omnivore: He's eaten bugs and Milo's hairballs.
• Friend to Bugs: Downplayed. He mainly just eats bugs, but he did stop a bee from being mowed over by Rowan's father.
• Genki Boy: He's very active and enthusiastic. One strip reveals that he schedules Rowan's nap time as "crazy play time".
• I Am Not Weasel: He's been mistaken about the species of someone twice: when he meets Rowan, he mistakes him for a dog, and he still thinks Milo is a dog.
• Injured Limb Episode: He once spent a few strips having "stressed his leg".
• Toilet Humour: Like Rowan, there are several jokes about his bathroom habits. Heck, his debut has him defining himself as a dog because he pees on things.
• Urine Trouble: Apparently, he once peed on another dog.

Rowan's Father

Where did he go?^note His first confirmed line; sometimes it's hard to tell if it's Rowan's mother or father speaking.

The owner of Murphy and Milo and father of Rowan and Zane. He's an affectionate father and dog owner with a bunch of nicknames for Rowan and Murphy. He also has a playful side.

• Friend to Bugs: Zigzagged. He's friends with bees, but hates wasps and ants.
• Good Parents: He seems to be a loving and competent father.
• The Nicknamer: He has a list of nicknames for both Rowan and Murphy.
• Panicky Expectant Father: Implied when Murphy says that he (along with Rowan's mother) "ran around all panicky" when she went into labour with Zane.
• Unnamed Parent: Seeing as Rowan was based off the author's son and the author's name is Nate Anderson, this could be the comic strip Rowan's father's name too, but it's never revealed.

Rowan's Mother

He's finally asleep^note Her first confirmed line.

The other owner of Murphy and Milo and mother of Rowan and Zane. She's also pretty affectionate towards Milo and Murphy.

• Good Parents: Just like Rowan's father, she seems to be a devoted parent.
• Sleepyhead: Downplayed. She's not sleepy all the time, but she's seen taking naps in two strips, even though she's an adult.
• Unnamed Parent: We have no clue what her name is. We don't even know her real counterpart's name.

Zane

I'm a taco!

Rowan's little brother. His mother became pregnant with him and eventually he was born. He's a bit like Rowan, only younger and less adventurous.

• Baby Language: Speaks the same "language" as Rowan.
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Well, he did think he was a taco when he was first born.
• The Diaper Change: In one strip, his mother changes his diaper.
• Sibling Rivalry: Downplayed. He and Rowan usually get along fine, but Rowan did try to steal his pacifier once and Zane apparently tried to pee on Rowan.
• Tinkle in the Eye: He once pees on Murphy.

Milo

I'M A CAT

The family cat. He appears to be a bit of a loner, not interacting much with the other family members, but he's not mean.

• Extreme Omnivore: He's implied to eat bugs, just like Murphy.
• Hairball Humor: In one strip, he coughs up a hairball in the background.

Rowan's Grandparents

Hi, Rowan.

— Grandma

The grandparents of Rowan and Zane. The former likes them a lot because they give him candy.

• Ambiguously Related: They're definitely Rowan and Zane's grandparents, but it's unknown whose parents they are.
• Cool Old Guy: Rowan likes Grandpa because he gives him candy.
• Cool Old Lady: Just like Grandpa, Rowan likes Grandma because she gives him candy.
• Unnamed Parent: According to the summary of Grandma's debut strip, her name is Vickie. We don't know Grandpa's name, though.