Merle's Door

The Girlfriend gives a pretty good telling of our vacation. We both had a great time. What she left out (mostly because I imagine that it frustrates her) is that I like to read while I am on vacation. I bought a couple of books at the airport and "Merle's Door" by Ted Kerasote was the second one that I read.

I've seen this book around for a while but I have resisted reading it. I barely made it through John Grogan's "Marley & Me" without having an emotional breakdown and I knew that any dog book has to basically end the same way. It's like reading something about the Titanic. You know the ending and you know you aren't gonna like it.

Sure enough, by the time I got to the last couple of chapters, I was bawling like a baby. Even now, two days later, when I look at the cover I feel a certain amount of sadness for Merle despite the fact that I never knew him.

If you love your dogs and have ever had to argue with somebody about their intelligence or their ability to emote, read this book. It will justify everything you love about your dog.