Ted Kerasote met and adopted Merle, a Laborador mix, while he was on a camping trip. Merle had been living in the wild, and after taking the dog home with him to Wyoming, Kerasote soon realized that Merle could not adjust to inhabiting exclusively in the human world. So he put a door in his house to let Merle live both outside and in.
A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable animal, Merle's Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, and presents the latest research into animal behavior as well as the origins and evolution of human-dog interaction. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live were they free; Kerasote suggests how they should be allowed to live, and the doors that should always remain open to them.
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"This book was great! I always find dog books to be tear-jerkers, and this one didn't disappoint. However, this book offers a glimpse into an enviable life, for both Merle and his owner. Kerasote is able to weave the story of his and Merle's life in with research about dogs and keep it interesting. This book is a must read for anyone who loves dogs and is interested in connecting with their dogs on a deep level."
— Denelle (5 out of 5 stars)
Lawlor's breezy, energetic reading fits perfectly with this account of the author's relationship with his pet.
— Booklist“Merle is a true character, yet Merle is also everydog. An absolute treasure of a book.”
— Booklist, starred review“Humorous, jubilant and touching.”
— Publishers Weekly" If you love dogs, you will love this book. Merle rocks! The author has a wonderful ability to bring Merle's personality to life through words. "
— Sheila, 2/19/2014" Merle's Door is the best ever written about dogs. "
— Jim, 2/11/2014" I love his philosophy, I loved this story, and I loved Merle! What a great dog, and what a special relationship they had. Unfortunately, it plays into all my guilty feelings about the lack of freedom our dog, and cats, have, but we can't let them run loose in the big bad city! And I don't think we'll be moving to Wyoming anytime in the near future... "
— Khris, 2/6/2014" I'm not a big enough dog person to truly enjoy this book in its entirety, but the combination of animal behavior and memoir was fairly entertaining. "
— Caroline, 2/3/2014" It was pretty good, but I actually decided I couldn't finish it because I knew what was coming and I don't feel like crying this week.......... "
— Sarah, 1/24/2014" Such a fun book, especially if you are a dog-lover. However, please know that you will bawl your eyes out at the inevitable ending that all dog books have. Sniffle. "
— Shaina, 1/20/2014" As much as i enjoy pet stories, this one just was too slow for me in that it talked more about the author and not so much about the dog. It really did not grab my interest at all. "
— Elizabeth, 1/18/2014" Great book for dog owners, especially if you ever had that one dog that seemed to teach you more than you taught him/her. But have a tissue ready. Every great story about a dog has a sad ending. Can't wait to read his next one! "
— Lisa, 12/23/2013" Cried at the end as I do in most dog books! "
— Awoodin1, 12/9/2013" Wonderful book. Very well written, if you liked Life with Marley, you will LOVE this book. I cried like a baby at the end, but it made me love and snuggle and appreciate my dog. "
— Emi, 6/26/2013Ted Kerasote is the author of several books, including the national bestseller Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog and Out There, which won the National Outdoor Book Award. His essays and photographs have appeared in Audubon, Geo, Outside, Science, the New York Times, and more than sixty other periodicals. He lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Patrick Lawlor, an award-winning narrator, is also an accomplished stage actor, director, and combat choreographer. He has worked extensively off Broadway and has been an actor and stuntman in both film and television. He has been an Audie Award finalist multiple times and has garnered several AudioFile Earphones Awards, a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and many starred audio reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.