I know a dog and his name is Merle

With a $40+ billion pet industry, it's clear we are a nation of animal lovers. As such, there is a huge market for books about animals. Jon Katz is well known for his books about dogs, and John Grogan's Marley and Me has been a huge hit. Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote, just out this summer, has been described as a Marley-like memoir, and since I'm a sucker for those four-legged people with fur, I immediately put it on hold at the library. Now, don't get me wrong-I enjoyed reading Marley and Me, but I loved, loved, loved this book. Not just a memoir of a man and his dog, Kerasote also provides a fascinating and well researched discussion of canine evolution, psychology and behavior. Merle is the exact opposite of Marley. Extremely intelligent and well-mannered, you'd think this dog is too good to be true. While Marley's antics made us laugh, Merle's ability to learn and think for himself shocked me.

Kerasote takes an uncommon, although interesting, approach to "raising" Merle. He believes that domestic dogs are responsible and show good behavior when they are not confined but given their freedom. Whereas dogs that are crated, leashed and kept in fenced yards to not mature, are permanently halted in the puppy stage and need direction from humans their entire lives. On page 257, he makes an interesting, although strange, point that most dogs are suffering from a version of Stockholm Syndrome.

"our control of...food, water, elimination and fun-we reduce dogs to a state of quiet capitulation, a softened version of the Stockholm Syndrome...virtually all dogs remain captives. Indeed, the activities they enjoy-roaming, seeing other dogs, and exploring interesting odors-are constantly thwarted by the demands of modern civilization and training methods that have been designed to bring about what one dog trainer...has called 'the reversal of millions of years of evolution and genetic propensity.' Is the loyalty people then receive from their dogs true devotion, or the numbed reaction of captives to captors?"

This is an interesting concept that I had never considered before, but now I feel like a terrible dog-mom. Kerasote rarely leashes Merle and installs a dog door so he can come and go as he pleases. Merle makes the rounds of their small town in Wyoming, and has lots of dog friends. He is very independent, but also very devoted to Kerasote and very well-behaved. Some critics have complained that Kerasote anthropomorphized too much with Merle, interpreting what Merle must be thinking. It is a little strange at first, but I think it helps us get to know Merle's personality. My only criticism is the practicality in this. Yes, I would love it if my dog could live this way, but for people that live in a city with traffic, dogs cannot roam free. Kerasote mentions that many animal organizations are proponents for looser leash laws and designated off-leash areas. According to the San Francisco SPCA: "limiting dog play results in under-socialized, under-exercised, under-stimulated dogs and often leads to behavior problems." So maybe that's a place to start.

WARNING: The last 100 or so pages of this book is a sob-fest. Obviously with a dog book, we know what's coming. It's inevitable. But that doesn't make it any easier to read. Kerasote journals Merle's aging and his declining health. When Merle can no longer make the rounds of their town, it is heartbreaking. Kerasote considers the idea of euthanizing Merle, but decides to let Merle die on his own time. He mentions how humans are sometimes too quick to euthanize animals because we are uncomfortable with watching them die. Kerasote is by Merle's side the entire time, caring for him and calming him. (Oh, I'm getting a little weepy just thinking about it.) Dog lovers will have a hard time with the last 100 pages. Although the end is extremely sad, it is a funny and touching story of the relationship between a man and his dog, as well as a fascinating look at canine behavior and a different way to think about raising dogs. Highly, highly recommended.