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| Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog | 
 enlarge | Author: Ted Kerasote
Publisher: Harcourt
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy Used: $0.25
You Save: $24.75 (99%)
New (61) Used (66) Collectible (7) from $0.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  187 reviews
Sales Rank: 5406
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.6
ISBN: 0151012709
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.7092
EAN: 9780151012701
ASIN: 0151012709
Publication Date: July 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
CHARMING September 19, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this in audio book so I could listen to and from work in the car. Its a long ride and traffic is sometimes heavy. While listening to Merle's story I am mesmerized (but still paying attention to the road) - its a very interesting story not only about Merle, but about nature and filled with facts about dog's origins and history. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!Merle's Door Lessons From a Freethinking Dog Kerasote Ted
An amazing book -- profound and touching... September 16, 2007
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
I work with dogs every day as part of my business, and this is the best book on dogs I've read. It not only includes touching (and funny!) anecdotes of the author's life with Merle -- but also provides fascinating commentary on studies and research done on dogs and wolves. I immediately bought copies for all my dog-loving friends (and several clients!) after reading it. I highly recommend it to any one who loves dogs.
Eye Opening! September 16, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Don't miss out on what I consider the best dog read published in a long time. Ted Kerasote combines meticulously a sweet, amusing, thoughtful testimony of his life with Merle, along with a mountain of research on wolf and dog behavior. The result is both heartwarming and insightful...a difficult task for any writer. While I can't even begin to give my dog "the life of Merle" due to our geographical location, I do (and after reading this book feel validated that I do) give him the space needed to be his "own dog"...to make some decisions...to be free thinking! Upon completion, I've no doubt, that you, like I will come to love Merle as well as Ted for sharing this combination biography/research with us.
 Raising each other September 15, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
There are a LOT of dog books out there; seems everybody and their brother has written one. Does this book add anything new or different to the Gosh-I-Have-The-Most-Amazing-Dog genre?
I think it does. Ted is willing to take the risk of letting Merle be fully a dog, with very little interference. To such an extent that some readers won't help but to be able to pass judgment on the potential (and at times life-threatening) danger Ted allows Merle to work out for himself. I can't say that I agree with a lot of what Ted thinks passes for responsible dog ownership and training, but I understand his desire to let his dog have a true "outdoor life" experience.
Because Ted had the constitution, along with the remote setting, as well as observation skills honed from years of outdoor and natural wildlife exposure, he was able to give Merle the inch he needed to show Ted that it was safe to let him take the mile. That Ted took the time to really watch and think about what Merle was doing and why gave him entree into, if not all dogs' minds, at least into Merle's mind. And it appears Merle watched and learned about Ted's ways as well. Together, they forged a love, trust, and understanding of each other.
There are mixed opinions as to whether the scientific studies Ted liberally sprinkles throughout add or detract from the story-telling. I felt they did both. At times, they seemed like nothing more than justifications or supporting evidence for Ted's views and feelings toward Merle. And while it does give the impression that Ted has read all the research out there, some of his references are outdated -- especially some notes pertaining to old-fashioned training methods.
In the end, is the message of this book "Let your dogs run free and be dogs, and all will be right with the world?" The fact that Ted lived in the extreme of a rural setting allowed him to do so with relative impunity. (I say 'relative' because other dogs allowed to live the same free lifestyle in the story are not so lucky. One is shot by a rancher and one is hit by a car.) I don't believe that's the key, not to mention not practical or safe for most dogs. Rather, I believe the heart of the story is "Take the time to watch, observe, learn, and trust, and you will build a mutual relationship with your dog that astounds."
Merle: We can all learn life-lessons from a Freethinking dog September 15, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Any dog lover will laugh, cry, but most of all be intellectually challenged by the great research and counter-intuitive learnings from this wonderful dog and his very sensitive/in-touch "mate". Can't really say "owner" or "master", more like team-mate. Both my wife and I found that we were staying up till 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning because we couldn't put the book down; even on a work night. I can't imagine any dog lover not absolutely loving this book; and I bet a lot of non-dog-lovers will also really like this real life story.
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