Now since Marley and Me the movie came out, I was hooked. I’ll also be honest and say I had no idea that there was a book. My lovely friend Karine gave me the book last weekend, I finished it today, sobbing my heart out even more than I did when I watched the movie. I think, as all dog owners, lovers and anyone who has a heart can relate to it.
Some of you may not know I have a dog, Charlie. Or ‘Big Man’ as I like to call him these days.
Here he is
Charlie was our first dog since our amazing Sookie and our crap Sandy (who had a trip to the ‘farm’ after biting me) And he is a a blooming marvelous dog. He was one of three puppies, my brother’s-friend’s-gran’s elderly dog somehow managed to get ‘up ra duff’ and we got stuck with this one. 
Charlie is a labrador X staffordshire bull terrier. I personally can only see the Staffie in his face shape.
And he is a amazing dog, and when reading Marley and Me, it reminded me so much about Charlie.
I could write a book about mine and Charlie’s adventures. He is 10 years old now, and still as mental and puppy like the day we picked him up, and I still see that white little bundle of fluff with puppy breath and pink pads looking at me whenever I see him.
He lives with my mum, as she has a perfect back garden, and perfect neighbours, who do not mind Charlies visits into their homes.
Let me fill you in a little about Charlie, he is a nutcase. He licks, he barks, he jumps on you, he pulls on the lead, he’s far too friendly and he’s very loyal. But he’s smart, too smart infact. His obedience class, he scored 97%. He doesn’t judge , he knows when you’re upset and nuzzles into you, and he knows when it’s time to play. When I was pregnant, he was amazing and protective, although I didn’t know that then. He was never far from me during those days, and when I brought Jack home he couldn’t have been more perfect.
We used to live in a flat, 4 floors up. Charlie tried to jump out the window. In this flat, he raided the freezer one day when we were out, ate everything that he could, but had left the frozen peas, and a huge lump of lamb and some bacon… I like to think he was leaving it to defrost.
We promptly put a childlock on the freezer, he promptly learned how to open the childlock. We decided to put the fridge/freezer in a cupboard, yep he learned to open those too. Which proved to give us some hilarious storys later in his life. We eventually put a lock on the kitchen door.
When he learned how to open doors, the world and the dalmation (who was at one point a Crufts dog) across the road were his oyster. Then we met Sam, who had two boxers. Until this day, I still say that those two dogs were Charlies best friends.
He used to open the front door and make a run for it, or we’d be out on a walk, and the smart arse would back out of his harness,We tried to rectify this by getting him a choke chain. Charlie also managed to get out of this, and I still have no idea how he managed it. He’d look at you as if to say ‘Nothing can hold me’.
I’d get a phonecall off Sam, saying he was out her back looking for Meeshka and Denzul soon after his escape.
But of course, butter wouldn’t melt in this pooches mouth
We moved away from the flat, and Charlie came into himself that summer. He got a big back garden, and a huge dog friendly fenced park, in which he could roam and sniff other dogs butts. We used to go walks down by the river Leven, and despite tempting him, Charlie was never a water dog. He’d only paddle to his ankles, then chicken out.
But of course, who could forget Splash, that lovely dalmation across the road? Not Charlie, he would open the door and run off. And there was no way in hell i’d catch him, and no way in hell he’d listen to me yelling at him to stop.
He’d have to cross a dual carriage way to get there, and how he never died at this, still amazes me for the amount of times he would escape. It was on one of these trips, that he caused chaos.
Barloan roundabout in Dumbarton is a busy road, and there was Charlie, trying to make his trip to see Splash, almost getting hit by cars trying to dodge him. Charlie had caused a traffic jam. A man, who subsequently had a van stopped and shoved Charlie in the back of it. And there was Charlie, on a road trip to the SSPCA in Milton.
He didn’t return, we got worried. I walked up to visit Splash, nothing. we phoned the police, we phoned and left a message at the SSPCA as noone had answered. About half a hour later, we got a phonecall back, and the lady explained to us what had happened, and we wouldn’t be able to get Charlie back until the next day, but only if we agreed to having him nutered (for free might I add). We agreed, and the next morning my mum picked him up, paid a boarding fee and got a date for his return.
The day came, and like any man/dog. He was obviously shitting himself, I swear he knew what was about to happen. I got on the bus, and we arrived at the center. The vet got me to sign some documents, and Charlie started pacing, panting, drooling. The vet asked me to lead him in, to get sedated. Charlie was having none of it, and tried to open the door we had just came in. I yanked him back, and left him in the hands of the vet. I figured me being there would just add more to his distress.
I got home, put the kettle on, the phone rang…
Hello Miss Winch, Your dog has escaped, we have some men trying to catch him up Overtoun right now.
My Charlie, had escaped from the Milton Animal home. He had been given his shot for his sedation, a volunteer had taken him to a kennel to wait for it to kick in, he spun around, opened two doors, jumped over the main counter and opened the front door to the center. Ran off, over the dual carriage way and up to Overtoun, and had 3 men trying to catch him.
I just could not picture it. The lady said she would let me know how the were getting on soon
The phone rang again.
Miss Winch, Charlie ran into a area which our men couldn’t follow him. We will keep a eye out for him, but hopefully he’ll make his way back to you.
None the less, about 2 hours later, a very very shakey Charlie arrived in the street. Not only had he escaped from somewhere dogs should just not be able to evade, but had also managed to defeat 3 SSPCA men, and get home from a area where he had never been in his puff. All while this sedation was making him more ‘drunk’ than the men who sit down at the quay with their cider.
We decided next time, someone would stay with him, but also he’d be popping a pill before we went.
He returned ball-less.
Charlie loves people. He visits my mums neighbours often. In one house, he even gets fed. Which is why he is now called ‘Big Man’ and why he is on a diet. He used to visit my friend Andy alot, his mother always loved his visits. She was disabled, in a wheel chair, and had suffered many strokes, and so had lost the power of speech.
Charlie was something that cheered her up, she always had a smile when she saw Charlie. Andy’s sister told me, she used to insist on going to the pet store to get him toys and treats.
At one of her birthdays, it was a glorious day. Her family were all sat outside, and Charlie managed to sneak into Andys. He proceeded to eat the birthday cake.
Charlie the friendly neighbourhood dog, as the street know him.
Charlie is a right character, and he is so like Marley, as i’m sure many many people over the world say about their own dogs. Charlie may have his faults, but these faults are minor glitches that every family have. And that is what Charlie is, he is family.
But I see him now, and he is older, he is going more white around the muzzle. And I know that day is soon coming, where we may need to decide his fate. And that is one thing I don’t think I’m stong enough to handle.
And so, I give you Charlie. My mental mutt.
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