aussielover Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I am with you on this one Poodlefan. Yes, he loved his dog. Yes, I blubbered at the end of the movie (I saw it before I read the book so didnt know what was coming!). Tried to read the book, but it drove me nuts. IMO this was not an untrainable 'stupid' dog but a dog that was not given what it needed (and possibly an owner who was not given what they were needed by that one trainer either) Maybe we're coloured by our hander training experience Espinay. I've seen plenty of instructors come off the paddock shaking their heads and saying something to the effect of "nice dog, shame about the handler" Some see an owner who'll stick by their dog through thick and thin (and I commend that). Others see what might have been... vive la difference. Obviously most dogs would do much better if they lived with an experienced trainer. I'm sure my dog would be much better behaved and more successful in competition if she lived with an experienced trainer. But I am happy with the way she is (most of the time ) and we have lots of fun together, which I think is the most important thing. I agree Marley would have been better off in a working or dog sports home that understood the needs of a field labrador but at least they didn't dump him at the pound like many people would have... I've never had a really destructive dog but I can imagine how exasperating it would be for the owner. I am suprised the author chose to get another labrador after Marley though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Obviously most dogs would do much better if they lived with an experienced trainer. That wasn't my point. Marley didn't necessarily need a different, more experienced owner. He needed one that didn't write him off as stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rastus_froggy Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 The thing that really sh!t me was that when the movie first came out everyone kept talking about how funny it was when he was running along side the car and they were holding his back legs up... :rolleyes: no not funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSDowner Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 There are several issues here: Perhaps Marley's owners were not experienced dog owners (John says he never owned a dog before). Maybe Marley DID have some mental issues, the same as some children are a handful and their parents try everything to no avail. But Marley's owners did their best and stuck by the dog and loved it to the very end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 There are several issues here: Perhaps Marley's owners were not experienced dog owners (John says he never owned a dog before). Maybe Marley DID have some mental issues, the same as some children are a handful and their parents try everything to no avail. But Marley's owners did their best and stuck by the dog and loved it to the very end. You know those massively obese dogs you see on the news sometimes. They're usually loved too. Love is not a substitute for meeting a dog's needs. Most understimulated dogs have mental health issues of some sort or another IMO. As I said initally, it was great that John Grogan hung in there. I'm only sorry that all the tolerance didn't translate into a better result for dog and family in the early days. One positive thing I suppose is that anyone who's seen the film will know what a young, bored and untrained Lab can be like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redangel Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Personally yes the dog could have been trained better. Yes some dogs have the perfect life, the perfect owner. But in the real world not all people are perfect, nor are dogs. Thankfully love is there for all of them. I was the proud owner of a terrier cross who despite holding obedience titles and being much loved ate through a car interior, died of old age with anxiety issues which included being left alone. He was not perfect. He came to me damaged from an unknown past, but was loved and would have died protecting me. Perfection is impossible to find, let procure. The pounds are full of people who didnt endure or love enough: John Grogan loved Marley. How typical is it of people is some forums to voice the opinion on something they havent researched or read. John never made excuses for his dogs skills. Read his column collection. "Please don't leave me to wallow in my own superiority complex, I was hoping for constructive dialogue." - drmcpike : Dedicated to those who think they are are the sum of "whats right". OP: I think the eulogy was beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsrawesome Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I read the book and watched the movie and loved them both made me cry my eyes out though . They were first time dog owners and maybe they did try other trainers after all it was based on a true story doesnt mean they could fit every bit into the book maybe they got banned from several obedience schools you dont know the full story. I know heaps of people that call their dog stupid but dont actually mean it? Some people just overreact i think it would have been worse if they just dumped him somewhere but no they stuck by him and atleast they tried. I dont think i could read the eulogy as im pretty sure i would cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 somehow I was made to sit through that movie ... as a trainer you want to scream at the TV I also saw the Cesar Milan episode where they had ANOTHER labrador that was just untrained and out of control. They didn't learn anything from the first one but to write off the dogs as just 'how they are' in excuse of their bad behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 The last line of the Eulogy link posted in the OP sums it up... “Marley, you are a great dog.” Anyone who has had a slightly incorrigible dog can identify with the book... I laughed so hard in parts I nearly peed myself, and then a few pages later I would be in tears. John Grogan truly loved Marley and that shines through in his writing. Probably one of the best books I've read ever. The movie really didn't do it for me the same way as the book did in that sense... Oh - and Marley ain't the only dog that has been expelled from group training... I've had 2 of those myself... but both settled as they got older and learned the basics perfectly. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I agree with Poodlefan and the others, it annoyed me. Yes it was sweet how much he loved his dog and yes I cried at the end of the movie (then going home and hugging my Lab) but it was painful to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kritta Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I thought John had a dog growing up as a kid? Or am I thinking of another book? The dog he had was a x breed and trained well, him and his father picked it out together. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I think we were all novice dog owners at one point and did not know any better. I had 2 dogs who were very big and i had no idea how to train them. I also got asked to leave obedience class like they did, i tried to train them myself but in those days clicker training etc had not been discovered and the 2 dogs got the better of me. They were feral until the day they died at age 11,5. I did not love them any less than my well trained lab and so i donf judge John Grogen, loved the book and the movie. Think what i love most about John Grogen is his ability to see the funny side of things and i think a lot of people are far too serious about things - i had a sense of humour failure with my 2 so i applaud him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlingdog Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I think we were all novice dog owners at one point and did not know any better. I had 2 dogs who were very big and i had no idea how to train them. I also got asked to leave obedience class like they did, i tried to train them myself but in those days clicker training etc had not been discovered and the 2 dogs got the better of me. They were feral until the day they died at age 11,5. I did not love them any less than my well trained lab and so i donf judge John Grogen, loved the book and the movie. Think what i love most about John Grogen is his ability to see the funny side of things and i think a lot of people are far too serious about things - i had a sense of humour failure with my 2 so i applaud him Well put...totally agree ! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsrawesome Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I think we were all novice dog owners at one point and did not know any better. I had 2 dogs who were very big and i had no idea how to train them. I also got asked to leave obedience class like they did, i tried to train them myself but in those days clicker training etc had not been discovered and the 2 dogs got the better of me. They were feral until the day they died at age 11,5. I did not love them any less than my well trained lab and so i donf judge John Grogen, loved the book and the movie. Think what i love most about John Grogen is his ability to see the funny side of things and i think a lot of people are far too serious about things - i had a sense of humour failure with my 2 so i applaud him Well put...totally agree ! :D I agree also :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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