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Sometimes amazing gifts come in small packages, and sometimes they come wrapped in soft white fur. So it was with Woodson.
He came into my life at a most unexpected time — as I stood with my wife and 11-year-old daughter on a movie set outside Philadelphia counting my blessings that the comically mischievous canines lined up to portray Marley, “the world’s worst dog,” were not my headaches to worry about.
After all, I’d already paid my dues on that front. I’m the guy who lived with the real Marley for 13 years and who wrote the book “Marley & Me,” on which the upcoming movie is based.
But as we stood off camera watching Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston prepare to film another scene from our life, in walked Mark Forbes, the movie’s chief animal trainer, and with him was a little white fur ball with a black nose and bright eyes. Woodson was one of several puppies drafted into service to portray the young Marley, and at the ripe age of 15 weeks, his acting career was over.
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
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Therese J. Borchard writes the daily blog, Beyond Blue, on Beliefnet and is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog, World of Psychology, on Psych Central. Therese is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Subscribe to Beyond Blue, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.
posted January 7, 2009 at 12:53 pm
So glad this pooch found a wonderful family like the Grogans. Hip dysplasia is common in many purebred dogs (Most notably Labs, German Shepards) and patellar luxation (floating knee) is common in small/teacup breeds. If you are purchasing a dog from a breeder, make sure the dog comes with a certification from the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals). Unless, of course, you have a BIG heart and a pretty deep pocketbook.
So happy Woodson has a pampered life =)
posted January 7, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I read this story before — and, among other things, it reaffirmed my belief that it’s possible not only to fall in love with individual dogs, but with the endless quirks of particular dog breeds in particular. (Grogan’s being Labs and mine being dachshunds of course.)