Merle's Door

[SableCollie]

I just finished reading Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote. It's a true story about a dog named Merle, who was found as a stray and rescued by the author. The author lived in a very small rural community and decided to install a doggie door to give Merle his freedom, hence the title.

While I don't agree with everything in the book (letting dogs roam, 1 instance of shock collar use, 1 of choke collar) I found it an enjoyable read, and you could tell the author really cared for Merle. For anyone who enjoys books about real dogs, this one is probably worth a look.

[birddish]

i love reading biography... this would be a first for me.. dog biography!! seems nice!!

[Raumas]

I just finished reading this book. As biographies go, it was a great read.

While reading this book, my mind kept reliving the life of my last dog, Miko. (Miko was an extremely free-thinking dog.) The final chapter, which dealt with Merle's end, had me in tears.

The authors opinions about on-leash vs. off-leash have to be taken into context of where he lived. Even the author played by more traditional rules when he left his home village.

Mostly, the book exempifies the kind of releationship that's possible if you able to be less of an alpha, and more of an ally with your dog.

Raumas

[Zloca19]

i'm in the middle of reading this book now and i'm loving it!

i particularly love how he intermingles facts about dogs, or research on dogs/animals in general... like how he explained that autistic people and animals see extreme details in the world (using examples he saw from merle) and how this can be put to good use (examples of an autistic woman who does work to make animals less stressed, i.e. walking through a corral or something like it and mentioning that the light reflecting off of a chain would scare a skittish animal)

as for the on leash/off leash, i agree that it depends on the area, and where the animal grew up/was trained. i know my dog would love to be able to run as far as he can, but at 8 years old and growing up in nyc, he wouldnt have the know-how to deal with things safely. he knows enough to stay away from moving cars, but to think of my dog in merles shoes, facing off against a buffalo or another large wild animal... the thought makes me laugh because i know he would have the most perplexed look on his face once he realized the giant mass was alive, but if it were a reality i'd be horrified, because i know he'd most likely get trampled to death.

great book so far =]

[BeagleMum]

I have started this book but have not made it through it yet, I hear it's a great book.

[mollywog]

I am reading this book right now and am really enjoying it. As a new dog owner living in a very rural area, I can relate. Just yesterday, Molly saw her first Whitetail Deer and chased it into the bush for quite a distance, even though I told her NO. I was worried at first but then thought about this book and how it is just a dog's natural instinct to do stuff like this. She eventually came back to me, tail wagging, saying "did you see that!? how cool was that!? "
I like the approach that the author takes- dog and human as partners, and he sure knows his stuff. He seems to approach it from a background of canine behaviour and basic instincts. However, there's no way he could have lived such a life with Merle in a city or similar setting.
I went to Ted Kerasote's website today and watched a slideshow of Merle's life. It was really neat to see pictures of them after reading about all their adventures

[TMac]

I just bought this book but haven't had a minute to open it up yet, so I'm really glad to hear that its a good one! Raumas, I'm glad you mentioned the sad ending. When I read the end of Marley and Me, I was beside myself in tears I could hardly bear it. Now at least I can prepare myself!! :sad: