Reggae Inspired Dog Names

While Bob Marley is certainly the most famous reggae musician, his name is also attached to one of the most famous dog stories ever told, that being the story of Marley, also known as the “World’s Worst Dog” as playfully titled by his owner. 

Marley belonged to American journalist, non-fiction writer, and columnist John Grogan, who happened to write a column in The Philadelphia Inquirer after his dog passed in an effort to honor him. To his astonishment, he received more than 800 responses to the piece, and in turn was inspired to write a book about his relationship and experience with the often polarizing dog. 

Marley’s story started as many do, with Grogan and his new wife Jenny falling in love with the idea of getting a dog, then taking the next step in getting one. Of course, they were still a bit naive, as they not only wanted a puppy, which was enough responsibility with the future promise of children running in tandem, but also failed to check out the puppy’s parents, instead leaning on the dog’s purebred heritage, one that was apparently half-influenced by a rambunctious and notoriously messy father who would often terrorize the breeder’s yard. 

But while they did seem to have at least some foresight in making sure they had enough time to dedicate to a dog which they quickly learned was troublesome, a pregnancy quickly turned things on their head — including finding out Marley had eaten part of the pregnancy test kit, among other things. 

And truly, these acts were only the mere beginning. Throughout the book (and later, the movie based on it) Grogan details the intensity of Marley’s destructive behavior, including the amount of furniture, walls, doors, door frames, decor, and just about everything else under the sun that was destroyed if left unattended, plus a few incidents involving mud, drool, and just about every other dog-made or carried substance you wouldn’t want to have to wash out of your clothing and upholstery. 

But at its heart, the story itself is about patience, love, loyalty, and faith, all things that Grogan and his entire family (and Marley) held onto throughout their thirteen years together. Despite the damages, along with the hair-pulling and frustrations of the trouble he got himself into, he was still an incredibly loving dog, one that Grogan grew to know so well he learned exactly how his dog thought, many of which were detailed between the book and the notes left for Marley’s caretakers when the family had to take leave — by example, a note left for the dog sitter while the family was on vacation said to drop his vitamins on the floor and pretend he shouldn’t have them, just to get Marley to take them willingly. 

While the book did a fantastic job memorializing the relationship Grogan had with his dog, it also did one step better, helping many other past, present, and future dog owners come to grips with the ups and downs of dog ownership, love, frustration, and all.