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Marley & Me

Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog
Nov 07, 2017DBRL_KrisA rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
To say that I have mixed feelings about this book would be an understatement. When I read Cesar Millan's "Be the Pack Leader", he mentioned that he had visited the Grogans in Pennsylvania, well after Marley had died. (Millan visits them in a segment of his show, The Dog Whisperer, to help them get a handle on their new Lab, Gracie.) Anyhow, reading "Marley & Me", I was constantly seeing examples of the behaviors Millan cautions owners against - inconsistent enforcement of rules, allowing the dog to assert dominance, etc. And I was also recognizing things that even I, as an "amateur dog owner", knew were not helping their relationship with Marley. And that was making me feel not very kindly toward the author. But then I read the section of the book that covers Marley's "golden years" and the end of his life. And I made the mistake of reading part of this section in the middle of a Wendy's burger joint, at lunchtime rush hour. And I ugly cried in the middle of Wendy's at rush hour. And yet, I think about the fact that the family never made an honest effort to figure out why Marley behaved the way he did - why he destroyed furniture, or went absolutely neurotic over a thunderstorm. Brogan mentions the thousands of dollars they spent in replacing things and repairing walls that Marley tore up, and the money spent on regular visits to the vet, but they never spent any money on a professional trainer like Millan. One of the worst parts of the book is toward the end. Marley's old, in poor health, and has recently had a health event that lets the Grogans know he's not long for this world. So what do they do? Leave him with the vet, pack up the kids and go to Disney World. If a cherished member of your family is literally at death's door, you don't take a vacation.