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Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog Audiobook
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(4.00) - 7,689 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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)
Quotes
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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
Merle's Door Listener Reviews
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david kooiker, 11/9/2018
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" 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, 6/26/2013 -
" My recommendation - read everything but the last chapter. "
— Devon, 6/10/2013 -
" My favorite of the dog books. A touching story with amazing insight into the mind of dogs. "
— Paula, 1/25/2013 -
" This is book 15 in my 52 books in 52 weeks "
— Linda, 5/12/2012 -
" This is a great dog lover's book! It will pull on your heart strings & feed your intelligence from the beginning to the very end. "
— Kim, 2/18/2012 -
" Wonderful, touching story of a man that becomes best friends with a homeless dog named Merle, a mix golden retiever in the utah dessert. Their relationship between man and dog deeply increase as they communicate through gestures and tale -wagging. It was very touching. Check this book out. "
— Alize, 1/5/2012 -
" Excellent book! Nature and skiing, and Ted's analyses into what makes dogs who they are is great. And it was so sad that Merle finally crossed over. "
— Merceda, 10/21/2011 -
" A must read for dog owners about life, loves and loss with pets. Comes with a lot of references to animal behavior research. Enjoy. "
— Dean, 6/28/2011 -
" I agree, this book was the best! "
— Candy, 5/31/2011 -
" A once in a long time Wonderful Read. Anyone who has ever owned and loved a dog will find something to relate to in this book. Lots of "science" which may bog down the average reader, but very informative if you are interested in how dogs think. Have the Kleenex handy at the end. "
— Cass, 5/11/2011 -
" One of my all time favorite ever books! Beautifully written. "
— Cathy, 5/6/2011 -
" Loved this book and the stories. Although it's not to realistic that someone could stay at home and do nothing but hike, camp and travel (this guy's a writer) but it's still pretty cool. Merle led a pretty awesome life for a human let alone a dog!!! "
— Tiffany, 5/5/2011 -
" Though I found this book a little off-putting at the beginning, I could not help but be sucked in. The relationship between Ted and Merle was wonderful and beautiful to read about. <br/> <br/>Be warned. This book made me sob in to my pillow at 3 am so it definitely takes an emotional toll. "
— Devin, 4/23/2011 -
" friggin cute as hell. if you have a dog you need to read this. "
— Fuzz, 4/15/2011 -
" Excellent book! Nature and skiing, and Ted's analyses into what makes dogs who they are is great. And it was so sad that Merle finally crossed over. "
— Merceda, 4/7/2011 -
" Awesome book --- your relationship with your dog will be enchanced by this book. So wonderful -- Just like our dogs. :) "
— Georgina, 3/30/2011 -
" I'm a couple chapters into this. I love Merle and all the lesson dogs teach us. "
— Lauren, 3/23/2011 -
" Alright, I admit that I did not finish this book. Filled with lots of good info interspersed with the story of a great dog. But I guess I just wanted more story about Merle and less on the scientific reasons why dogs are the way they are. "
— Bethany, 3/13/2011 -
" Whoa - way to re-think our relationships with our pets... Merle is inspiring. "
— Pamela, 3/10/2011 -
" I talk to my dogs differently now. Very sweet story. "
— Carolyn, 3/8/2011 -
" Read this if you want to understand your dog better! "
— Natasha, 3/7/2011
About Ted Kerasote
Ted 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.
About Patrick Lawlor
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.