Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

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Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Bethers » Sat Sep 06, 2008 5:36 pm

The book we'll discuss in October is:
Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
by Ted Kerasote

No, I haven't read it yet, either, but I have already purchased it and will be starting it shortly. It's been recommended, I believe, by someone on this forum and is a 5 star book on Amazon. Hopefully we'll all agree. :)
Beth
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Sunseeker » Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:57 pm

Yippeee, my local library will have a copy available next Tuesday. I can't wait to get started on this one!
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Sunseeker » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:35 pm

Wow, ladies, I'm only a couple of chapters into this one and it's a goodie. I keep looking at Molly quizzically and she wonders what's up. :)
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby retiredhappy » Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:51 pm

I've ordered my copy.
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Paulette » Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:17 pm

I'm going to the library sometime in the near future to see if I can find a copy. I hope I can.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Bethers » Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:46 pm

I've been carrying this book around the park with me - have 3 people that I can remember that want to borrow it (might be more).

Without talking too much about the book yet, yep, I keep looking at Peaches and watching some things differently. I've always wished I could give her a tad more freedom - but not saying more till we are discussing this book.
Beth
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby AlmostThere » Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:38 am

I got a late start in getting this book. It should be arriving this week as it is only coming from Portland, OR, 20 miles from me! I ordered again thru Amazon, little more expensive than my .01 but, got it for .79!
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby retiredhappy » Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:07 pm

Got my copy and just finished it today. Can hardly wait to start discussing. I now walk my dogs differently.
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Echo » Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:26 pm

Arrrrgggghhhh!

It's all ya'lls fault! I had to order the dang book. Gads I simply couldn't stand it with ya'll talking about it. sheesh :oops:

So it will be on it's way and I will be adding in my two cents worth. ;)
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby retiredhappy » Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:40 am

When are we going to start talking about this great book?
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Bethers » Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:16 pm

Lenora, Echo? Where you at with this book? We can wait a tad longer if you're reading - or get started now - let us know.
Beth
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby AlmostThere » Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:40 pm

I'm a couple chapters in so go ahead!
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby Bethers » Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:35 am

OK - let's start talking about this book. This discussion will be more free-wheeling - throw in whatever you want about the book and we'll talk about our thoughts and feelings - see where we agree and disagree.

One thing I wondered how everyone would feel - is this book doesn't hold to the human as the leader - to the extent many dog experts today do. I happen to agree with this book, but also sometimes agree with the experts LOL -- I hate when a dog is so well trained that he loses some of his "dogginess" - I like seeing them with a bit of their own spirit. When I had Moxie and Tips, both of them had their times they could run and roam off leash. It's something I really regret that I haven't been able to do with Peaches at all. I know how much she'd love to run on the beach. She wouldn't hurt anyone, but I'm afraid that she also wouldn't come when called, or pay attention to the vehicles. So, unless I find a large field or somewhere to work with her, I feel like I'm sometimes confining a part of her that really needs to open up and be free. I don't force her to heel when walking - unless there is a situation that calls for it - but it's not nearly the same thing as her being able to swim into the ocean, or chase that bird, or run exuberantly without reaching the end of her "rope". As much as I know she loves me, I know that she would love to do all those things. Ah, how I which more dogs could have the freedom that Merle and the dogs in that town were allowed to have. And how I loved the same about that town in Europe where the dogs would come down and visit on the square. How neat.

Ok - what do you all feel about this type of dog training? Allowing the dog to be more in charge of his life - with restrictions, of course, for both his safety and the safety of others? Do you think Merle was an unusual dog in that he could do this, or that many of our dogs would have been the same given those same opportunities? (Me, I can say for a fact, that TIps would have been in dog heaven living as Merle did. Tips used to make the rounds of one place we lived. And when we moved too near a highway and I couldn't let him do that - I hurt for him - and occasionally let him lose to go visit the guys on the next block working at the Goodyear place. He'd walk right over, head right in and get rubs from each of them, then come home grinning from ear to ear.)
Beth
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby AlmostThere » Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:46 pm

I feel a dog growing up in the country will probably be trained in a more relaxed fashion, unless it was bought to perform a specific duty. We constantly had dogs on our farm where I grew up, a lot of them were strays. We figured people from Chicago would drive down and dump them when they could no longer care for them in the city. How did we know that? Because most farmers owned mutts and the strays were mostly purebreeds. Some strays stayed for a few years and then disappeared and others only for a few days. The only dogs that stayed until they grew old were the ones we got ourselves as puppies and raised. Those were never actually trained. We sort of left them to learn as they went and they always turned into great watch dogs and friends. Tears flowed at their passing.
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Re: Oct Book - Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Postby retiredhappy » Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:25 pm

First, I had to get by the guy letting his dog kill things. I can't bear to see anything hurt. I have no problem with people hunting for food - NOT JUST FOR FUN. I couldn't shoot anything myself but am okay with others except for the way they hunt here in Texas. As for running free, when I grew up we lived sort of in the country and my dogs ran loose. I lost two of them to being hit by cars so I have a really hard time letting my babies off leash particularly since they don't "come" real well. I do keep them close to me around other dogs or people as Sassy likes to jump on people. Haven't been able to break her in the nine years I've had her. After reading this book however, I now am much more patient with them wanting to stop and sniff every other step. I do try to keep her out of the bushes because we have skunks around here. If I want to walk for my health, I go alone now. I just don't think its practical in our overcrowded neighborhoods to let dogs roam free. Neighbors do not understand your dog using their yard as a bathroom. I think Merle's behavior had a lot to do with how he grew up BEFORE he became a pet.
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