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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 New: $3.86
You Save: $21.14 (85%)
New (57) Used (44) Collectible (4) from $0.74
Avg. Customer Rating:  127 reviews
Sales Rank: 1503
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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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New - Has remainder mark. Fast shipping from trusted wholesaler with many exclusive publisher contracts.
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Product Description
While on a camping trip, Ted Kerasote met a dog—a Labrador mix—who was living on his own in the wild. They became attached to each other, and Kerasote decided to name the dog Merle and bring him home. There, he realized that Merle’s native intelligence would be diminished by living exclusively in the human world. He put a dog door in his house so Merle could live both outside and in.
A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author, Merle’s Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, bringing to bear the latest research into animal consciousness and behavior as well as insights into the origins and evolution of the human-dog partnership. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live if they were allowed to make more of their own decisions, and Kerasote suggests how these lessons can be applied universally.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 122 more reviews...
The best dog book I have ever read. April 24, 2008
Merle's Door is the best book on a dog (or dogs) that I have ever read. Rather than becoming lengthy and told from a professional point-of-view that attempts to make sense of every behavior within accepted standards of dog behavior, Kerasote relates Merle's biography - and all the lessons it contains on both dog and human behavior and relationships - in a way that acknowledges and explains professional viewpoints and then provides insight into what dog owners actually go through with their dogs. This merges both views - the professional doctrine and the human experience with dogs - into a synthesis that is both moving and understandable. In fact, Kerasote's observations are the same kind that I have had with my border collie, Emmy. Both are dogs, but exhibit levels of higher thinking, emotion, and reason that profoundly exhibit traits that are human. I agree with every point Kerasote makes in his observations, and find Merle's tale to be an example for how all dogs should be able to live (within the capabilities of their humans, of course). If you have not read it, read it (with a box of tissues during the last few chapters). And I hope it brings you as much happiness, and an understanding of dogs as more than simply dogs, as it brought me.
 Merle's Life April 20, 2008
Ted Kerasote has written an outstanding book which is a well balanced story of a wonderful dog--Merle--- and some science showing us how Merle's life is a true reflection of his ancestor's development. I found the book to be very entertaining and instructive.
Resounding love. Spiritual connection April 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
One of the best books ever written. It is about living life fully, allowing love to fill your soul, the spirit and mind connection of human and canine in general, and the deep spiritual connection between this particular dog and this particular man. Ted Kerasote is an accomplished outdoorsman, a careful observer, a writer with rare talent. His respect, admiration and love for Merle are so alive on the page that the reader is drawn directly in. Merle will become your dog as well. You will hold him in your arms, look into his eyes, run your fingers through his ruff - and suffer wails of grief when his body lives no longer. But, Merle is immortalized here. And that is a joyful thing.
FANTASTIC! April 2, 2008
All I could say when I finished was - WOW! This was a fantastic book especially for someone like me who is both a biologist and a "dog" person.
A Dog and His Best Friend March 26, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
A fellow dog lover gave me Merle's Door for my birthday. I hesitated at first knowing that eventually Merle would be joining my past dogs waiting for me in Heaven. But, I dove in mostly because of the fetching photo of Merle on the front jacket.
Ted Kerasote is a supremely engaging writer. His powers of observation and ability to get it on the page is an absolute pleasure to read. Ted's love of the canine, and all the natural world is embracing, immense really. How the relationship begins is astounding, as Ted makes it abundantly clear that was the dog who chose the man, not the other way around. Poetic and simply beautiful, Kerasote takes us on their journey of life together.
When I got to the part when inevitably, Merle's health is on the wane, I had to put the book down for a few weeks. I sent an email to Kerasote and expressed my feelings for the book and how many recommendations I had made to all my dog loving friends. Ted wrote back a few days later, thanked me, and I gathered my strength to complete the book, which was difficult I admit.
Merle's life with Ted has stayed with me as if I was physically present for all those years. So, assuming I get to Heaven, I hope to see Merle along with my beloved pooches - Bert, Spike and Pepsi.
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