Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

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Kerasote wasn't looking for a dog when he was traveling with friends in southwestern Utah. When a large, panting dog emerged from a grove of cottonwoods and trotted toward their campsite, he wasn't prepared for the deep brown eyes that looked into his own and said, "You need a dog and I'm it." Unable to refuse, he named the the Labrador mix Merle and took him home to Wyoming.

Mindful of the freedom he suspects that Merle has enjoyed, Kerasote installs a dog door in his house, allowing Merle to come and go as he pleases, rather than making him a prisoner of his schedule. As the days, seasons, and years pass, Kerasote grows to believe that allowing Merle such liberty to make his own decisions provides a window into the dog's innate intelligence and curiosity -- which Kerasote begins to see as compromised when we constrain animals to live on our terms. Time and again, Merle proves that altering this dynamic is not about control but about trust.

Touching, sad, humorous, and heartfelt, Merle's Door challenges readers to rethink old attitudes and advocates a change in the attitude that has us continually seeking to "train" our pets. An unforgettable look at the enigmatic terrain of our most cherished companions, Merle's Door is a tribute not just to Kerasote's own faithful friend but to dogs everywhere. (Fall 2007 Selection)

Publishers Weekly

Kerasote, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award, draws on inspirational experiences with his beloved canine companion, Merle, and extensive research in animal behavior to advance the notion that living in harmony with our dogs requires us to embrace-rather than suppress-their natural instincts. Patrick Lawlor delivers an animated performance, both literally and figuratively. His renderings of Merle's incessant pants of enthusiasm evoke the essence of canine loyalty. Lawlor successfully navigates the potentially tricky terrain of the book's anthropomorphism. He gives voice to Kerasote's human interpretations of Merle's expressions and behaviors in a manner that manages to preserve a healthy measure of mystery and wonder. Lawlor does slightly over-reach with regard to his performance of relatively extraneous human dialogue, especially some of the ethnic accents of experts that Kerasote quotes in the text. While not all pet owners may be able to grant the degree of freedom that Kerasote afforded Merle, this heartwarming story will still manage to enlighten and entertain fans of four-legged memoirs. Simultaneous release with the Harcourt hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 9). (Aug.)

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Booklist (starred review)

"In telling Merle''s story, Kerasote also explores the science behind canine behavior and evolution, weaving in research on the human-canine bond and musing on the way dogs see the world. Merle is a true character, yet Merle is also Everydog. An absolute treasure of a book."

Library Journal

When Kerasote and his friends geared up for a boat trip down the San Juan River, he had no idea that a golden-red dog would wander in from the desert and become such an important part of his life. Merle happily joined Kerasote back in Wyoming and became his partner. The dog door that allowed Merle more freedom helped the author learn and understand the complex social life of dogs. Filled with interesting data, this book answers many questions about the domestication of dogs, but the heart of the work is the story of Merle's life in Wyoming. The animal led an idyllic life-with the Grand Tetons as his backyard, he enjoyed the outdoors with Kerasote, and at night he went to sleep to the twilight serenade of coyotes. Patrick Lawlor's narration adds more tail-wagging enthusiasm to this book. This audio version of the successful 2007 hardcover is sure to be popular with all the canine crew and is highly recommended for all public libraries. [Kerasote's Out There: In the Wild in a Wired Age won the National Outdoor Book Award in 2004; Merle's Door is also available as downloadable audio from Audible.-Ed.]
—Theresa Connors

Kirkus Reviews

Wilderness writer Kerasote finds his place in the pack with the help of a sociable dog. While camping with friends along the San Juan River, the author was approached by an emaciated Labrador retriever-mix. Merle, as the stray would come to be named, "looked back to the shore, and let out a resigned sigh-I was to learn that he was a great sigher." Then he boarded Kerasote's raft. At journey's end, the author took Merle home to Kelly, Wyo., a half-mile square of private land nestled among Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk Refuge and the Gros Ventre Wilderness. In this rural setting, Merle's obvious desire for independence led Kerasote to install a dog door: "Why should I treat Merle-who had become the best of friends-like an indentured servant, at my beck and call in return for food and lodging simply because he didn't have an opposable thumb with which to manipulate the knob on the front door?" Each day, Merle (soon nicknamed "the Mayor" by neighbors) would exit through the dog door and into the heart of the village, eagerly making his rounds. A careful observer with far-reaching interests, Kerasote reflects on everything from canine decision-making to the possible origins of dog domestication to animal consciousness. In this idyllic corner of the West, the two find love (both human and canine) and friendship, forging a remarkable bond that endures until Merle's death. His passing-and the author's bereavement-are recorded with Kerasote's customary discernment. A thoughtful look at animal intelligence and the human-dog connection. Agent: Russell Galen/Scovil Chichak Galen Literary Agency

Booklist

"In telling Merle's story, Kerasote also explores the science behind canine behavior and evolution, weaving in research on the human-canine bond and musing on the way dogs see the world. Merle is a true character, yet Merle is also Everydog. An absolute treasure of a book."

People Magazine Summer Reading Round-Up

"[T]his summer's Marley? In his memoir cum training manual, Kerasote waxes poetic about his mutt Merle and provides tips for deepening the dog/human bond."

Author of Dogs Never Lie About Love

"Kerasote has created a whole new work of art. Merle's Door is the best, the most utterly compelling translation of dog to human I have ever seen. A terrific book, a superb book, I can't think of a single other book that conveys the love of a human for a dog so well."

Author of The Dog's Mind

"Merle’s Door is a love story for grown-ups—an intense reciprocal relationship between a dog and his man, and how we and our dogs genuinely share feelings and emotions."

Author of The Hidden Life of Dogs

"It is no exaggeration to say that Merle's Door could be the best book ever written about a dog or dogs—one dog in particular, the magnificent Merle of the title, but also about dogs in general.... It is beautifully written, a real page turner, often funny, always fascinating, and very moving. It's a book you will never forget."

Author of A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals

"Beginning with Jock of the Bushveld in 1907, many biographies have been written about wonderful dogs whose lives have crossed the borders between the wild and the tame, but none surpasses Merle's Door. It is a joyous, sad, gripping, and deeply moving testament to the fulfilling relationship that can grow between human and dog."

Author of For the Love of a Dog

"This exquisitely written book is sure to be controversial, but it raises important questions that every thoughtful dog owner should consider."

People Magazine

"[T]his summer's Marley? In his memoir cum training manual, Kerasote waxes poetic about his mutt Merle and provides tips for deepening the dog/human bond."

Author of How Dogs Think

"Reading Merle's Door involves more than just sailing through an engaging biography of a man sharing his life with a rare and free-spirited dog since it contains islands of useful and scientifically sound information about dog behavior as well. To be entertained and educated at the same time time is rare in dog books, which makes this one definitely worth reading."

Author of Animals in Translation

"Merle’s Door is a window into the mind of a dog. You will experience his loyalty, fears, and joys and his true inner self. Everybody who loves dogs must read this book."

From the Publisher

"Lawlor's breezy, energetic reading fits perfectly with this account of the author's relationship with his pet." —-Booklist