Merle's door
Subtitle: lessons from a freethinking dog
By: Ted Kerasote
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Orlando
Language: eng
Number of pages: 398
ISBN-13: 9780151012701
Subjects: Dog owners; Human-animal relationships; Dogs; Behavior; Anecdotes
Description: 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. This portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author explores the issues that 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.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: From the wild; title: The first dog; title: The synaptic kiss; title: In the genes; title: Building the door; title: Growing into himself; title: Top dog; title: The gray cat; title: Estrogen clouds; title: At home in the arms of the country; title: The problem of me; title: The mayor of Kelly; title: The alpha pair; title: White muzzle; title: What do dogs want?; title: A looser leash; title: The first passing; title: Through the door.