Marley & Me

If you have ever loved a dog you need to read this book. It will bring back fond memories, you will laugh and you will cry. A book about a 97 pound bright yellow Labrador which grows from a fur ball to a force of nature. The book follows the ups, downs, heels and "incomings!" of life through the eyes and mostly tongue of a happy go lucky Labrador and the family that grows up around it.

Everyone that has every owned their own dog will find something in this book and everyone that thinks about owning a dog will find out what they have been missing.

I laughed and cried in this book, and one of my favourite snippets which just typifies a dog who just does what they want to, regardless, is when the dog features in a film. The whole scene is about a dog getting out the car with its family.

"Take one: The Van pulls to the curb. The instant the daughter slides open the side door, a yellow streak shoots out like a giant fur ball being fired from a cannon and blurs past the cameras trailing a red lead...
Take two: The Van pulls to the curb. The door slides open. The daughter is just beginning to exit when Marley huffs into view and leaps out past her this time dragging the white-knuckled and white-faced boy behind him...
Take three: The Van pulls up. The door slides open. The daughter exits. The boy exits, holding the leash. As he steps away from the van the leash pulls taut, stretching back inside, but no dog follows...
Take four ...The Van pulls to the curb. The door slides open. The daughter steps out. The boy steps out but with a bewildered look on his face. He peers directly into the camera and holds up his hand. Dangling from it is half the leash, its end jagged and wet with saliva."

- Extract from "Marley & Me" by John Grogan

I guess the one thing that everyone can see is their own dog in that. I remember Nobby the mad springer spaniel who would follow commands only if he felt like it, would get out of the car always first even if it meant jumping over everyone else in the car and who would always pull at his lead even if it was sometimes dragging you home when he was bored of walking.

I am so glad I finally got round to reading the book, I had been putting it off for ages, if you are doing the same then I urge you not to delay and pick it up now, you wont put it down.

To dogs and dog lovers the world over, cheers to best friends.