Quotes from John Grogan

I was keenly aware that everybody would have loved for me to do a close sequel or a spin-off to 'Marley and Me.'

Before moving to Pennsylvania in 1999, I played bass in a newsroom rock band in South Florida for several years.

Dogs are a really amazing eye opener for us humans because their lives are compressed into such a short period, so we can see them go from puppyhood to adolescence to strong adulthood and then into their sunset years in 10 to 12 years. It really drives home the point of how finite all our lives are.

Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.

A dog is the greatest gift a parent can give a child. OK, a good education, then a dog.

Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.

I confess to being a CNN junkie. And when I'm driving, it's all NPR all the time.

When I wrote 'Marley & Me,' I had a clear audience in mind. And it did not include children. I wrote my book for adults and assumed only adults, and possibly teenagers, would be drawn to it.

I'm pathologically incapable of making decisions. Just ask my wife how long it took me to propose - on second thought, best not to bring it up.

A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart.

. . . owning a dog always ended with this sadness because dogs just don't live as long as people do.

Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.

Animal lovers are a special breed of humans, generous of spirit, full of empathy, perhaps a little prone to sentimentality, and with hearts as big as a cloudless sky

It's just the most amazing thing to love a dog, isn't it? It makes our relationships with people seem as boring as a bowl of oatmeal.

owning a dog always ended with this sadness because dogs just don't live as long as people do.

A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.

Dogs are great. Bad dogs, if you can really call them that, are perhaps the greatest of them all.

A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water logged stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?

There's no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner.

In a dog's life, some plaster would fall, some cushions would open, some rugs would shred. Like any relationship, this one had its costs. They were costs we came to accept and balance against the joy and amusement and protection and companionship he gave us.

He taught us the art of unqualified love. How to give it, how to accept it. Where there is that, most other pieces fall into place.

In the English language, it all comes down to this: Twenty-six letters, when combined correctly, can create magic. Twenty -six letters form the foundation of a free, informed society.

I had never thought of Marley as any kind of model, but sitting there sipping my beer, I was aware that maybe he held the secret for a good life. Never slow down, never look back, live each day w/ adolescent verve and spunk and curiosity and playfulness.

Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.