The bookstore shelves are overflowing with books about dogs, so you might greet the prospect of another one with scant enthusiasm.
That's how we began Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog, the story of a man's love for his dog and vice-versa. But Merle, the dog in question, is no ordinary dog and the man, author Ted Kerasote, turns out to be no ordinary man. And the bond they form is, by any measure, extraordinary.
At first, we were completely resistant to Kerasote's frequent transliterations of what Merle is thinking or saying into fully formed English sentences. But as the book progresses, the connection between these two is so complete that it starts to sound increasingly plausible. Merle is utterly attuned to both nature and to his friend. Together, they spend countless hours hiking, skiing, swimming, among all kinds of wildlife. In addition to being a sports enthusiast, Merle is an arts lover -- a howler who sings along to many kinds of music (Handel's "Messiah" is a particular favorite), and he likes to cut a rug when he has a dancing partner.
Kerasote finds Merle (or the other way around), a stray, on a camping trip in the Utah desert. Instead of trying to constrain the dog in physical and psychological boundaries, Kerasote, who lives in rural Wyoming, allows Merle an amount of freedom that would be impossible in urban or suburban areas -- and the dog is clearly happier for it.
Even if your dog can't enjoy the wilderness in the same way, Kerasote makes a strong case for treating dogs as partners rather than subordinates. The Dog Whisperer technique is well-suited to some dogs, but Kerasote is persuasive that many canines can thrive without the pack-follower mentality and with a freer-ranging approach.
Putting questions aside of how best to raise your dog, this is a love story, full of humor and insight, about a dog that loved to run and ski, sing and dance, and the man who was wise enough to let him.
written on Thursday Aug 16, 2007
man,
best friend,
book.
