A Tribute to Merle’s Door: More than Just a Pet Memorial

Few writers capture the essence of a dog’s purpose in life better than writer Ted Kerasote, owner of his beloved rescued dog Merle, and writer of the national best-selling book, Merle's Door. Lessons from a Freethinking Dog.

The book not only offers readers fascinating facts about the evolution of dogs and human relationships, but it is also one of the highest tributes to a dog ever published; it is a biography of Merle, not just a pet memorial. Kerasote’s story takes place in Kelly, Wyoming, where he and Merle spent time outdoors hunting, fishing and enjoying nature together.

Kerasote tells a heart-warming story of a remarkable dog named Merle who was not only the author’s best friend, but who taught his owner why it’s important to let a dog be a dog. Merle’s Door tells readers about the origins of dogs, the human to dog partnership, and how dogs think.

While many people believe that they should dominate their dogs, Kerasote has proved otherwise. A major theme of the book is that most dog owners don’t let their dogs be dogs, and even today’s popular dog trainers advise owners to be strong alphas to our pets.

The author points out that the problem with this reasoning is that it’s been derived from observing captive wolf packs. Once researchers began watching wild wolf packs at the end of the twentieth century, they discovered so-called alpha wolves, the breeding adults, actually share leadership with their maturing pups, letting them decide whom to hunt, when to hunt, and where to move the pack. Since dogs are wolves—genetically and psychologically—they, too, want some say in conducting their lives as they grow up.

Kerasote said, “When we found each other and I gave him his own dog door so he could come and go as he wished, I simply fostered his innate curiosity and ability to solve problems on his own. The result was a dog who was my peer in many ways—who taught me rather than the other way around.”

One of the biggest lessons of the book is that the more often we replace our dog’s leashes with that of trust, the happier our dog will be.

After living a very happy, full life, Merle passed on at the age of 14. His owner chose to celebrate his death, as many people do with a gathering of friends, telling stories and remembering him. Merle was not cremated and placed in a pet urn, or pet casket, but his life was celebrated in the tradition of Tibet, buried near two Tibetan prayer flags on Kerasote’s property with a golden “kata” around his neck, a silk scarf used by Tibetans as a symbol of good luck upon their departure from earth.

The ultimate obituary in celebration of Merle’s life is the book, Merle’s Door. However, the author has composed this abridged version which he sent out to their friends the day after Merle died.

Merle
Sometime in the spring of 1990—June 10, 2004

Found on the San Juan River in Utah as a pup, came of age in Jackson Hole
Consummate skier, avid peak bagger, tireless elk and antelope hunter, hiker . . .
mountain biker . . . river runner . . . horsepacker . . . dancer
Renowned singer
Occasional ham.

Watcher over of children
Mayor of Kelly
Friend to many
Writing companion
Confidante, Soul mirror
Teacher:
Patience, exuberance, optimism.
Missed from the bottom of my heart,
Which he filled to overflowing:
Merle, Merle, Merle

For more about Ted Kerasote, go to http://www.kerasote.com/.

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