Marley is an adorable service dog who has captivated people worldwide with his funny antics, smart personality, and great palate.
The 6-year-old American golden retriever resides in New York City with his owners, Gary Alsakar, a 34-year-old marketing professional, his wife, and their two children.
The Alsakars first met Marley, along with his seven brothers and one sister, when the puppies were just one month old. At that time, the couple was hoping to welcome a female pup but was told that the only one in the litter wasn’t available. So, they decided to adopt Marley instead.
However, a few weeks later, when the Alsakars went to pick up Marley, the breeder changed his mind and asked the Alsakars if they would like to take in the female pup.
“At that point, I was like, ‘There’s something special about this one. I’m not giving up this one,’” Mr. Alsakar told The Epoch Times.
‘The Biggest Eater of All Time’
Since Marley is a service dog, he has “always had the capacity to learn things quickly.”
Over time, Marley got very good at controlling his mouth. Despite being “the biggest eater of all time,” he can hold food in his mouth and drop it when asked. This allows him to “review” food and choose the ones he enjoys most.
Needless to say, Marley’s “taste tests” have gone viral, amassing hundreds of thousands of views. Netizens can’t get enough of Marley choosing his favorite options.
For Mr. Alsakar, Marley’s tasting sessions are quite predictable, as he “takes what you expect.”
“You know, steak beats chicken, chicken beats fish, fish beats vegetables, and so on,” the proud owner said.
Although Marley is a fan of many different foods, there’s one vegetable that he clearly hates: broccoli.
“He would probably still eat it at the end of the day,” Mr. Alsakar said. “He’s a golden retriever, they eat nearly everything.”
Apart from broccoli, Marley is also picky about dog treats. When visiting the pet store, he often “puts his nose up” at employees when they offer him a treat he doesn’t like.
“He’s a spoiled boy,” Mr. Alsakar said.
Beyond triggering Marley’s inner food reviewer, there’s a reason he’s been trained to exercise self-control while eating.
“The reason why we trained [him] to do that was because 99 percent of dogs ... go to the vet with eating the wrong thing at one point in their lives,” Mr. Alsakar said, adding that these unfortunate events can range from stomach issues to emergencies.
Since the family lives in New York City, Mr. Alsakar has had to go “above and beyond'' to train Marley in self-control so he doesn’t grab anything lying on street corners.
Mr. Alsakar advocates putting all dogs through this training.
‘The Best Looking Dog in the World’
Although Marley’s tasting videos have taken the internet by storm, Mr. Alsakar insists the adorable pup isn’t just known for that.
“Honestly, his main forte is the fact that he’s the best-looking dog in the world,” Mr. Alsakar said, adding, Marley hails from the best show dog line in the world, bred in New Jersey.
Back when Marley was first welcomed by the Alsakars, Mr. Alsakar’s wife created a social media account for him. It was only weeks before Mr. Alsakar became a self-described “annoying husband,” constantly offering suggestions to his wife to post Marley’s different antics online.
“So instead of getting a divorce, she gave me the account to run,” he said.
According to Mr. Alsakar, 99 percent of social media users have reacted positively to Marley and his adventures. In sharing his videos with the world, Mr. Alsakar wants to show the world the special bond he and Marley share.
Mr. Alsakar, who grew up with a golden retriever in Wales, UK, loves to watch his children enjoy the same bond. The kids adore Marley—they play with him and even build Lego towers on his back.
Meanwhile, Marley loves to hang around the children’s chairs, since they are the ones most likely to drop food.
“He’s a genius. He plays the probabilities.” Mr. Alsakar said.
To the kids, life with a large golden retriever is nothing special.
