<Note:  The following assumes you’ve seen the movie or read the book!>

Launching at last!  With the spate of flicks about dogs, this is the opportune time to let the pups loose.  Starting with Marley and Me, I love all the attention canines are commanding this season, especially the emphasis from the producers and theaters on promoting adoption.  

marley_made_a_messOK, so John Grogan didn’t adopt Marley the ideal way.  His journalist colleague was clueless about everything that caring for an animal involves.  The breeder wasn’t what I’d call responsible, i.e., she didn’t screen the Grogans as prospective owners in terms of their knowledge of the breed’s characteristics, the extra work raising a puppy entails, and the couple’s capability to adapt their lifestyle while getting the right kind of training for that particular doggone-ality.

And the Grogans completely missed that training boat.  Let this be a lesson to all you first-time dog owners!  Want to know a secret?  Positive is the magic word!  Positive trainers show you how to get your furry friend to do what you want because the animal wants to, not because of fear of what might happen otherwise.  Don’t be misled by TV program wizards who are more about entertainment and short-term results.  If you want a pet you can live with for the animal’s entire life — and this is what is meant by responsible animal caregiving — plan to put in a little extra time, love and affection to get optimal results.  Your pet will thank you, and you’ll thank yourself for making that kind of commitment!

Despite these flaws, Marley is a fun flick for all ages.  The best thing is that we get to experience the family’s emotional growth and intuitively rewarding the human-animal bond.  In the end, they do the right things for Marley for the right reasons, love chief among them.  World’s worst dog?  Not this guy.

Our rating:  8.5 kongs

Tie-ins with the American Humane Association to promote adoption!  Yessss!

Check out these other must-know resources for info on positive training and animal behavior:

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Next up:  Hotel for Dogs, opening soon!