Link to clip on Marley and Me clip (How NOT to train a dog)
Please watch the entire Marley and Me movie. Then answer the following questions on this Blog before class tomorrow at 4 pm.
1) What caused Marley to be 'Marley'?
2) Think about the owners (see clip above), what were their mindsets about Marley?
3) What lessons or observations would you make about what you saw in this movie given your history of training KMODT with me?
I knew I wouldn't have another free evening this week, so I just watched it. I'd not seen it before, so of course I cried my eyes out. Still, a very cute movie. As for your questions...
ReplyDelete1. "Marley" was the result of a combination of breed (working dog), lack of training and lack of challenging exercise. The dog had little choice but to chew and run amok given the lack of healthy outlets. I suspect a real life example of this upbringing would have led to a lot more aggressive encounters and not just really annoying habits.
2. The owners mindsets seemed to be that the dog should have been "naturally" well behaved and because it wasn't, it was a well loved but horrible dog. Beyond the one dismal attempt at group treat training (absolutely useless I can double confirm from experience), they seem to have thought that acceptance was the only course open to them. Maybe that mindset comes with neither of them being raised around dogs and not having a clue how to set standards and boundaries.
3. At six months, Piper showed me two behaviors that changed my interactions with her.... First, a guest opened my front door when the UPS truck was pulling up to the house, she raced out and terrorized the driver while running zoomies all over the street for five minutes before we could corral her. The second time was not long after at the Huntington Beach dog park. She went to playfully engage a chihuahua who bolted on her. She flipped right into prey drive and chased that poor thing with all she had. It was a good quarter mile before she could "hear" me and turned back. It's a good thing that dog outran her because I'm 95% sure she'd have seriously hurt or killed it.
After that, I couldn't risk more of that aggressive and undisciplined behavior so I seriously sought out trainers; but it was COVID days in California and pickings were very slim. Fast forward four years and four trainers, during which she was pretty much coddled to protect her and the world.
That's the long way of saying her behavior prompted me to keep seeking trainers that could teach me how to have a better relationship with her. The KMODT method of training (as you teach it), is the first one that addresses not only aggression control, self-discipline, focus and proper behavior; it also teaches the owner to read the dog and equally important, how to provide healthy challenges and exercise to channel her energy and work with her temperament and genetics. Priceless.
Final observations... those actor dogs had to have been extremely well trained to be able to play act all those bizarre behaviors. I can't imagine encouraging my dog to turn on and off those behaviors just for a camera. It was very cool to watch... and I suspect those dogs and their trainers also use KMODT methods or something very similar.
Kellie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your observations, thanks for getting this HW done so promptly. We will discuss this HW assignment more in depth during our next class on Sunday.
1. What caused Marley to be Marley?
ReplyDeleteI have never seen this movie so I didn’t realize why Marley was named Marley. Come to find out they named him after Bob Marley. Bob Marleys music was lively, energetic and was very spirited, so the name Marley seemed appropriate for a dog with these traits. Marley was a rambunctious and sometimes uncontrollable dog which at first charmed the owners. He was playful and had an energetic nature about him. As Marley’s behaviors came out I couldn’t help but think about why picking the right dog matters.
2. Think about the owners, what were their mindsets about Marley?
This is tough due to the fact that the owners had several mindsets about their dog which shifted throughout the movie.
Their (first mindset) of Marley was when they first picked him out and brought him home. Their mindset was one of excitement and hopefulness. They were looking forward to having a dog be part of the family and helping them prepare for parenting. They were excited and hopeful for a dog to be part of the family. They went into it with high hopes for the future.
(Second mindset) As time passed, Marley became increasingly difficult to manage, which led to a different mindset of frustration and exasperation. His hyperactivity, destructive behavior, and disobedience caused significant stress for both. They struggled to handle his behavior, especially when trying to juggle work and family responsibilities. The situation became so overwhelming that Jenny, at times, wanted to get rid of him because she could no longer tolerate his misbehavior and disruption inside the family.
(Third Mindset) I also seen in the movie that John and Jenny developed a mindset of affection and acceptance for Marley. They recognized that his unruly behavior was part of his unique personality. Over time they accepted him for who he was – a loving, loyal, but wild dog.
(Fourth mindset) Lastly their mindset changed to love and gratitude. As Marley aged, John and Jenny’s mindset shifted to one of deep love and gratitude. They realized how much Marley had taught them about life, love, and family. He was with them through significant moments in their lives, including the birth of their children and other major life changes. By the end of Marley's life, they were profoundly grateful for the joy and unconditional love he had brought into their lives. They reflected on the many years they had spent with him, acknowledging the impact he had on their family. Marley's passing was deeply painful, but it also led them to appreciate the bond they had shared with him even more.
Overall, John and Jenny's mindset evolved from seeing Marley as a challenge to understanding him as an integral part of their family, full of love and valuable life lessons.
Here is the answer for question #3.
ReplyDelete3. What lessons or observations would you make about what you saw in this movie given your history of training KMODT with me?
One of the key takeaways from Marley & Me is the importance of early and consistent training for dogs. Marley's behavior illustrates what can happen when a dog's training is not made a priority. The story demonstrates that without timely and effective training, a dog’s natural behaviors—such as chewing, digging, and jumping—can become overwhelming and difficult to manage. Despite their best intentions, the owners struggle to provide Marley with the structure and discipline he needs. They wanted a good family dog, but what they got was something quite different. It seemed they understood that Marley needed training but didn’t know how to go about it. Although they took him to a professional dog trainer, Marley’s wild behavior, stubbornness, and high energy got him expelled from the program. This highlights that no single program works for all dogs. You need to assess the dog in front of you and tailor the methods to help them succeed. Sometimes, a different approach is necessary to achieve the desired results.
This is what I appreciate about the KMODT program: while the training structure is consistent from dog to dog, the approach can be adjusted depending on the dog’s specific needs. Through KMODT training, I’ve learned that structure and discipline are essential components of dog training. Dogs need clear boundaries and must understand what behaviors are acceptable and what are not. They also need to know who is in charge; if this is not established, the dog may assume that leadership role.
Buck Mitchell, Marley is Marley because he has never been taught to be anything else but himself. Without training a dog is going to do what dogs do, be unruly, disobey, run wild, tear things up, etc. As far as the owners mindset I think they must have thought that even though he is grown some simple training exercises would teach him to obey. They obviously thought he was fun, but didn’t realize fun turns into pandemonium when there is no respect for the owner. I know the story is supposed to be funny, but in real life this lady couldn’t make a living training dogs. A competent trainer would make all the difference seeing how the owner must be trained as well as the dog. Roxanne asks at the beginning how trainable the owner is. Wow, she is not kidding with this question. It makes all the difference. To earn the respect of the dog the owner must know what they are doing. Thanks Roxanne!
ReplyDelete1) What caused Marley to be 'Marley'?
ReplyDeleteThere is a 'nature vs nurture' aspect to this question. The first factor that makes Marley 'Marley' is his temperament. The breeder obviously had some idea of what his temperament was (an assumption I made with the concept of 'clearance puppy'), but first-time dog owners (who hadn't done any research) would not have any idea about what to look for. This was a major fault of the 'backyard breeder' who didn't care whether the people adopting the puppy and the puppy would be a good match. I believe this kind of irresponsible placement of puppies is a large contributing factor to our overwhelmed shelter system.
The second contributing factor to what made Marley 'Marley' was the nurture aspect, ie his training and home environment. His owners needed training! I believe this is a common misconception among first time dog owners and another contributing factor to the number of dogs without homes- people don't realize how much *they* need to learn *before* they bring a dog home. This is a hard lesson I have had to learn in my young life.
2) Think about the owners (see clip above), what were their mindsets about Marley?
Sometimes, people are stupid. 🤦♀️ The author's whole reason for bringing a dog home was misguided, to say the least. Having said that, I have to give them credit and acknowledge that they assumed Marley as a member of their family. Even though they nearly lost their minds over all the trouble he found, they loved him and tried the best they knew how to give him a well-rounded life.
3) What lessons or observations would you make about what you saw in this movie given your history of training KMODT with me?
No dog is perfect. :)
Investing time and money into training early can save money in the long run (in terms of furniture, electronics, drywall, etc...) AND gives the handler and the dog more freedom, as well as a healthier relationship. Refining what the dog 'chooses,' teaching the dog to 'choose you' first, is valuable to both the handler and the dog. I don't think Marley would have lost any of the things that made him great with KMODT, but I do think he would have spent much less time confused about why everybody was mad all the time, and everybody else could have had a happier, healthier environment to grow in.
One more thought- Marley was naturally a sweet, loving, confident dog. This story would have ended much differently if he had trouble with fear and/or aggression. Training is important! (And if your trainer kicks you out of class without any additional resources or recommendations, that was a pretty crappy trainer...)