An interesting statement..

I'm currently reading Martin Clunes: A dogs life.

And towards the end he meets up with the trainer of Lassie (who is actually Laddie) and Bob Weatherwax (trainer) said something I believe is true.

What do you think - do we need another classic?

I do think he has a point, but will it then make dogs more popular and we will have an influx of backyard bred dogs?

What about Hachi? Did that make more people want Akitas?

Perhaps they should have more films where people rescue dogs from kennels?

I think I have become a bit too cynical these days. I would probably go to watch a film with a dog as the "star" but I wonder if people demand something more sophisticated from the films they watch these days. I didn't think very much to Marley and Me. I suppose I am not much into "romantic" idealism about dogs.

But he's not entirely correct. In recent years we've had Marley & Me - the book was amazingly popular and the film also. Result? More people getting Labs and then finding that actually, it's not that amusing when the dog destroys your home and eats anything it can get its paws on - more and more Labs ending up in rescue...


There has also been Hatchi - again a very popular film. Result? Probably more people getting Akitas, some of them then finding they could not cope with such a large, powerful, independent-natured dog. Possibly more Akitas thus ending up in rescue

I think it's always good when there are films showing dogs, yes. But I would like to see more about rescue dogs.


Also, it's not that people are not 'into dogs' - I read the other day that in the UK something like 70% of people have dogs. It's more that far too many people are then happy to get rid of the dog when they start families/change jobs/move abroad etc etc.

I don't think Marley & Me was 'idealism'. The book certainly wasn't. It showed how tough life can be with a big, strong dog who is hellbent on destroying everything

I thought the film of Marley & Me was TERRIBLE.

But the book was well written and I loved it.

I sort of understand what he means, although I think dogs are more popular now than ever (Census data indicates that approx 31 per cent of British households own a dog an that dogs now outnumber children in American households - taken from Victoria Stilwell's article in this month's DT mag ).

I love all those old classics though - Lassie, Old Yeller etc and so would be more than happy to take my children to the cinema to see films like that.

A few years before the author Joyce Stranger died, I remember speaking to her about her books and asking why she had stopped writing about her own dogs etc, and she said that the younger generation were no longer interested in reading animal stories - they all wanted violence, sci-fi and crime. A sad sign of the times?

I don't think Bob Weatherwax was on about a specific breed - dogs in general. As Wryd says - Rescue dogs.

If they did a film about rescue dogs and showed all the aspects of the problems facing dogs in rescues etc and then showed families bringing them home - and like Marley and Me - showing difficulties of having a rescue dog - as well as all the funny things - in fact why don't dogsey make up their own film!

I know all too well that certain movies have provoked a movement into an influx of that breed - but if you have a mongrel - not a crossbreed - an actual dog who's parentage isn't known - then maybe people wouldn't see the breed but the dog and then people will start bringing dogs back into their lives. Not just because it's the latest fashion trend but because of what a dog represents; which the old classics portrayed - family dogs and loyalty.

There is nothing in the book nor quote that says that they should make a specific movie about a specific breed And I'm sure that like us dog lovers, the trainers in previous films didn't like seeing the breed that they had trained for this movie - end up in shelters.

Marley and Me is probably the best educational book about dogs and how some if not most grow up.. the film was tripe though (and that isn't just because I don't like Jennifer Aniston)

What was the recent film with the bullmastiff in ?

Frank?
See Spot run?