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Merle's door Lessons from a freethinking dog. Cover Image E-book E-book

Merle's door [electronic resource] : Lessons from a freethinking dog. Ted Kerasote.

Kerasote, Ted. (Author).

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780547415987 (electronic bk)
  • Physical Description: 1 online resource

Content descriptions

Summary, etc.:
While on a camping trip, Ted Kerasote met a dog—a Labrador mix—who was living on his own in the wild. They became attached to each other, and Kerasote decided to name the dog Merle and bring him home. There, he realized that Merle's native intelligence would be diminished by living exclusively in the human world. He put a dog door in his house so Merle could live both outside and in. A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author, Merle's Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, bringing to bear the latest research into animal consciousness and behavior as well as insights into the origins and evolution of the human-dog partnership. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live if they were allowed to make more of their own decisions, and Kerasote suggests how these lessons can be applied universally.
Target Audience Note:
Text Difficulty 7 - Text Difficulty 9
1120 Lexile.
Reproduction Note:
Electronic reproduction. New York : Mariner Books, 2024. Requires the Libby app or a modern web browser.
Subject: Nonfiction.
Biography & Autobiography.
Pets.
Sports & Recreations.
Genre: Electronic books.

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0 current holds with 0 total copies.

Electronic resources


Syndetic Solutions - BookList Review for ISBN Number 9780547415987
Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
by Kerasote, Ted
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BookList Review

Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Booklist


From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

"*Starred Review* Merle showed up at the San Juan River at the same time Kerasote and his river-rafting friends arrived. Merle looked at Kerasote as if to say, You need a dog, and I'm it. He accompanied the group down the river and then went home to Wyoming with Kerasote. A dog who was eager to please and almost trained himself, Merle learned the ways of bison, ground squirrels, and coyotes. Merle then taught Kerasote the fullness of the hunt, leading Kerasote to his favorite prey. But, after Kerasote installed a dog door, the main thing Merle taught him is that a dog develops to his full potential, becoming the dog he was meant to be, when allowed to make his own decisions. Merle developed a life of his own, patrolling the small settlement where they lived with his dog companions, and yet was always very aware of Kerasote and his schedule. 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."--"Bent, Nancy" Copyright 2007 Booklist

Syndetic Solutions - Library Journal Review for ISBN Number 9780547415987
Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
by Kerasote, Ted
Rate this title:
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Library Journal Review

Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Library Journal


(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Syndetic Solutions - Publishers Weekly Review for ISBN Number 9780547415987
Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
by Kerasote, Ted
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Publishers Weekly Review

Merle's Door : Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Publishers Weekly


(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved


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