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Will Femia is a Weblog enthusiast who, through good fortune and dumb luck, was introduced to the form as his position as chat producer for MSNBC.com careered into obsolescence. On any given day, Will can be found having already spent an unhealthy amount of time squinting at a computer screen.

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Voices in my Head: Ted Kerasote on lessons from a freethinking dog

Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 12:57 PM by Will Femia
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With this chat with Ted Kerasote about his dog Merle the video solution makes more sense because he was able to give me a bunch of photos to show against the audio.

You may have heard of this book already because it's already a bestseller.  If you're a dog person at all you'll appreciate it.  I admit, I don't always think smiling dogs are actually smiling, so I had a hard time with some of the anthropomorphization. But he also did a lot of research into the science and history of dogs, which I found very interesting. The interview has a mix of the two perspectives.

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I Just finish your book Merle's Door. I loved that book so much. I never cryed so much reading a book in my life. I have a dog, his mane is Brownie and he is 15 years old. I worry about How I will Handle him leaving me. He gets around very well most of the time, but I can see him also not hearing and not seeing so well. I see dogs so different now that I read your book. Thank-you for sharing that part of your life. I hope you can write back.

Eileen Infantino Leola Pa (Sent Monday, March 31, 2008 8:03 PM)

I've only gotten half way through your book and I want to thank you for your message.  Dylan is a Border collie/corgi mix.  I have a weakness for Border Collies.   It feels like I spend so much mental time making sure that Dylan is happy ie. making sure that he's not left alone for long periods or stuck in the house, or whether I can take him with me and how long he'll be left in the car.  Now I know that I'm not crazy because of all my caring, and my dog is so much better off because of it.

Your story really came through to me because we live very similarly.  We live in NM on 38.5 acres and we have no real fences.  Dylan doesn't have a door because of the coyotes.  He's a smallish dog, although he doesn't think so.

So after reading your story I know that I'm really not doing a bad job and he's got it pretty good.

Also speaking from experience on ending a friend's life, knowing that you gave your dog the best life he could have and that you did everything possible for him really helps (us humans) when he's gone.

Thanks again for such a wonderful book.

Gael Fishel, Edgewood, NM (Sent Thursday, May 22, 2008 5:53 PM)

...ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE BOOK AND LOVE STORY ABOUT YOU AND MERLE.  I, TOO, HAVE LOVED BEYOND WORDS MY CANINE COMPANIONS.  MY FIRST I GOT AT 10 YRS.; SHE LIVED TO BE 15 YRS.; MY WHOLE FAMILY WAS DEVASTATED WHEN SHE DIED.  I HAVE MY 7TH NOW AT AGE 65--A GOLDEN RETRIEVER; AT THE SAME TIME I RESCUED HIM, I RESCUED A BULL MASTIFF, AND YOUR MERLE REMINDED ME OF MY RIO. ALL LOSSES ARE HORRENDOUS, BUT WHEN I LOST MY RIO, THE BULL MASTIFF, I LOST MY SOUL MATE; YOU HAVE MY SINCERE AND DEEPEST SYMPATHY AND EMPATHY.  KNOW YOU'LL MEET AGAIN AT RAINBOW BRIDGE.  I LOVED AND MISS ALL MY DOGGIES; AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THEM ALL IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SUCH A WONDERFUL JOURNEY WITH YOU AND MERLE.  SINCERELY, MARY L. HEADLEY

MARY HEADLEY (Sent Sunday, June 08, 2008 11:56 AM)

Sent a message a few days ago but I cannot get Merle out of my mind.  He reminds me so much of Willie who came to live with me while living in Jackson. I have 3 other dogs and have had canine companions my entire life----never without one----Willie is Newfie/Irish Wolfhound and is the love of my life.
  Side note===I am friends with MaryLynn Callahan who owns The Herb Store

Sandy Ely Ballwin MO (Sent Friday, July 04, 2008 9:01 PM)



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