Chars Dogs and Dog Info

There has always been a rule for actors and actresses: Never star with an animal or children-they will upstate you. Evidently, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston didn’t listen to that old adage. They are the parents that adopt Marley, the disorderly Labrador retriever that steals the show in this movie. Marley wiggles his way into the couple’s hearts even though he loves to tear up things like chair cushions, home electronics and pillows. They even try obedience training, but Marley flunks out of that too.  

During assorted scenes in the movie, 18 dogs were used to represent Marley during different states of his life. The American Humane Association (AHA) supervises animals while they work on parts in movies and TV so that they aren’t harmed or misused in any way. AHA always has a safety representative on the set to make certain the animals welfare is taken care of. They will even shut down production if they see that an animal has worked too hard in one day. 

Shelters are where most of the dogs used in films are found. Some dogs were found through breeders, trained to do specific jobs and made certain that the dogs who played a certain role look the same. There are a number of times that crew members fall in love with certain dogs who work on the set and end up adopting them once they are done with their job. 

I think it is fantastic that most of the dogs used on the set of Marley and Me were adopted from shelters. That just means more dogs are saved from uncertain death and are brought to a forever home where they can be loved the rest of their life. 

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