We need a sequel to Marley and me , quick!

Most sequels are never as good as the originals, but I have a feeling a sequel to “Marley and Me” could be even bigger and better than the first.  Not only could it be financially lucrative, but it could be both educational and redeeming. 

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the movie as a whole and fully appreciate the underlying theme of how dogs become a part of our lives and full family members just like the humans.  That is my personal mantra and the movie  was heartwarming.  I also have a great sense of humor and love romantic comedies, but as a dog trainer, I can only watch a dog repeatedly destroying property, eating inedible (and potentially dangerous) objects, refusing to come when called, and eliminating in inappropriate places for so long before it starts to get to me.

Marley was lovingly referred to as the world’s “worst” dog, but the truth is, he was very typical of a dog never given any limits, structure or direction from his people. So if we're going to give anyone in this relationship an "F," it would be the humans, the ones who were supposed to be smarter.  In fact, almost everything Marley did that was considered “bad” was reinforced time and time again by his humans. 

When it comes to dog behavior, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  From the start poor Marley was set up for failure when he was given free reign of the entire house.  We'd never dream of giving a toddler who has just learned to walk that much freedom, and yet we do it with untrained dogs and puppies all the time and just expect them to know what to do and what not to do.  Dogs have no moral code.  Like humans did in the 60's, dogs do whatever feels good!  Providing Marley with a safe place without access and opportunity to destroy things and soil around the house could have worked wonders.

This could have been accomplished with a crate, or even a smaller, safer room without furniture, carpeting or other flooring that could be torn up.  Acclimating a young puppy to a crate or safe room is really not a hard task.  Marley could have been given appropriate chew and interactive toys to keep himself busy so he didn’t have to find things to do. 

Labrador Retrievers have boundless energy and were bred to run, swim and retrieve, not lay around the house idle all day. It was clear that Marley needed much more exercise than he received  Unfortunately for dogs like him, an occasional or even daily walk around the block is not going to cut it.  They need to run, play and preferably swim every day.  

Here's the bottom line.  If you don’t have the time, energy or lifestyle to provide this, it’s simple, don’t get a Labrador Retriever, or any sporting breed for that matter.

Marley was the poster dog for doggie daycare!  This could have provided a great outlet for his excess energy, not to mention socialization, mental stimulation and positive interaction with other dogs.   

In the movie we were shown one ridiculously comical, failed attempt at training. Clearly Marley was food and toy motivated, making him a great candidate for positive reinforcement  He needed to be shown and taught proper behavior and that behavior should have been reinforced over and over again with food, praise, and play.  Not only would this have helped him understand what was expected, but it would have provided a sense of purpose.  Most dogs love having a job to do, and if they're not given one that is constructive, they'll usually find one on their own.  The result is usually not what we want! 

The truth is, there are thousands of Marleys out there who will never have forever homes and certainly not books and movies in their honor .  To the contrary, most will be given up, usually between the ages of 9 months and two years, when those undesirable behaviors just aren’t “cute” anymore.  While seeing an entire living room destroyed, expensive jewelry consumed, and dogs jumping out of car windows may be comical on the screen, it doesn’t play nearly as well in real life.

Shelters and rescues are literally filled with young Marleys, and that’s why I want a sequel where we’re shown the humans getting it right.

I think that would be an even better tribute and legacy for the real Marley.