'Marley & Me' Author Talks About Spirited Dog

May 17, 2006 — -- John Grogan realized he had struck a chord with readers when he wrote a column about the death of his beloved golden Labrador retriever Marley for The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2003.

By the end of the day the story ran, Grogan had received 800 responses. Grogan then began to write a book, "Marley & Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog," which he finished in just eight months.

"He lived life in such a big, joyous way," Grogan said of his dog. "He just crashed through life with joy, and he went right through the screens and right through the wall."

Marley's joyous style of living meant that nothing in the house was safe, not even Grogan's paychecks -- this was in the days before direct deposit. The dog even managed to chew the leg off an antique stool belonging to Grogan's wife, Jenny Vogt. The leg was never found.

The worst thing that Marley ate was Vogt's 24-karat gold necklace. For a week, Grogan had to dig through Marley's poop until the necklace finally passed through his system.

"It was shinier than ever," Grogan said.

Grogan and his wife did everything they could to stop Marley's bad behavior, including sending him to obedience school. But Marley, who "marched to his own drum," as Grogan said, got kicked out.

Despite Marley's rambunctious nature, he had a gentle side. He comforted Vogt when she was distraught over her miscarriage.

"He just went perfectly still and put his head in her lap and just really empathized with her."

But "Marley & Me," which has spent 29 weeks on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list -- 13 of which in the No. 1 spot -- is about more than the dog's antics. It shows the evolution of a family over 13 years and offers lessons about accepting the people (or dogs) we love, flaws and all.

"[When] this book opens, we're newlyweds and we just got our first house and we got it all fixed up and we were starting our life together and we brought in this little puppy who quickly grew into this big, crazy dog," Grogan said. "But it's really the story of a couple figuring out what they're going to be -- something we all go through where two individuals blend into a relationship. It is the making of a family."