Book Review: Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote

How happy are our dogs? Do they enjoy the lives they live with us? Are we doing our best by them? I know I've often looked at the lives of the pampered pooches I know, and I've longed to trade places with them even for just one day. How awesome would that be?--(except for that whole outside bathroom routine). So are our daily lives in sync with what makes dogs happy? That's a question I've been mulling over since reading Ted Kerasote's book, "Merle's Door."

Before I go further, let me make the distinction between pets and working dogs. I'm talking about our companion pets and not active, working dogs. I would say those dogs with a specific job, whether it be herding sheep or fighting crime, usually love doing what they were bred to do. Those are not the dogs I'm referring to here. The focus here is on those dogs whose primary purpose is companionship, which is the vast majority of our dogs. 

At first glance, "Merle's Door" might seem like another one of those "man and his dog" books, and to some extent, it is, but it's also so much more. When they first meet and Merle makes himself at home at Ted's campsite and in his truck, it is apparent that Merle has adopted Ted before Ted has a chance to object. That proves to be the beginning of a beautifully unusual relationship that I believe most readers will envy. This human-canine friendship plays out in part because of the geographic location, but primarily because of who Kerasote is and the freedom he allows Merle.

From all indications, Merle has spent a lot of his life in the semi-wild and Kerasote's career as a freelance writer and outdoorsman make them a perfect match...or at least a really good one. Calling a little town in the midst of the Grand Tetons home, they enjoy a slower pace of life while experiencing nature and the advantage of relationships that comes with living in small-town America. It's a place where one knows his neighbors and a place where a dog can roam off-leash and not worry about being killed in heavy traffic or abducted by dog-thieving thugs. In other words, it's an idyllic world where man and dog can live in a very natural state, at one with the land and as an integral part of their environment. Merle even earns the nickname "the Mayor" as his daily routine takes him around town to greet his human and canine friends alike. 
What marks Ted's and Merle's friendship as different from most is the freedom Merle enjoys. Like most close friendships, it incorporates a great deal of trust and the allowance of giving each other space so that the moments together are even more special. It involves a keen sense of give and take that requires some learning on each of their parts, but they eventually settle into a rhythm that works for both of them. Without sounding too self or "dog-actualizing," they allow one another to be who they were created to be. But do most of our dogs experience that kind of freedom? Or are their lives often dictated by our schedules and our plans? Is that lack of restrictions practical (or even legal) given the confines of our structured, suburban lives? I remember the days as a young boy when we would have complete run of the neighborhood and there was usually a dog or two roaming along with us or at least nearby. With leash laws and other statutes, you don't see that anymore. Life has changed. We didn't have arranged play dates back then. Our idea of a play date was to run out of the house, calling back to mom that we were leaving, and then hopping on our bikes and disappearing until dinner. If that happens today, an APB will be issued for a missing child. All of that to say that the environment where Ted and Merle live allows them a certain amount of liberty to enjoy a more relaxed and unfettered life. 

One element of Kerasote's book that I so enjoyed was his ability to weave together his stories of life with Merle alongside the historical and scientific context of what makes a dog a dog. At times, some might accuse him of anthropomorphism (projecting human characteristics onto animals), but he actually does a good job of trying not to do this. Given his understanding of scientific principles along with the ability to read his dog, I think he strikes a keen balance between cold, sterile observation and a warmer, more emotional exposition of his friendship with an intelligent, furry, loveable being; and really, it's the relationship side that makes this book such a joy to read. I believe Kerasote's approach will find its mark with those looking for a warm but realistic, thought-provoking narrative.   

I rather envy the relationship between Ted and Merle. They learn things from one another that can only come from that kind of free living in each other's presence. That's what made me wonder if many of our dogs are missing out on something. I often feel I am, especially when life begins feeling like a rat race crammed full of too much living and not enough time. Perhaps in the rawest sense, the canine spirit would best thrive in a roam-the-prairie-chasing-squirrels-explore-at-my-own-leisure kind of lifestyle. Maybe mine would, too, for that matter. But that's not a reality for most, and thankfully dogs are extremely adaptable, as are humans. Are dogs happy living the pampered life? I think that depends on whether or not we remember that dogs and people have different needs, and I would speculate it's taken part of the evolutionary process for us to live together so successfully thus far.

Other key factors are the breed and the individual canine's personality. The defining life of pleasure for a Bichon Frise is likely to be very different from that of a Border Collie. And as with most things, perhaps it's much about striking a healthy balance -- one that we and our dogs can both live with in relative comfort and enjoyment. Perhaps some of us have tipped the scale one way or the other in that balancing act, but I think as long as we remain dedicated and vigilant to our dogs' needs as a canine species (and not mistakenly as furry humans), there will be enough contentment to go around. Humans and canines are well suited for one another, and while some environments might be more ideally suited for one or the other, it's the bond of love that makes any house a home, whether it's a doghouse, a mountain retreat, or a sprawling estate.