The Secret Life of the Dog
We have an extraordinary relationship with dogs - closer than with any other animal on the planet. But what makes the bond between us so special?
Research into dogs is gaining momentum, and scientists are investigating them like never before. From the latest fossil evidence, to the sequencing of the canine genome, to cognitive experiments, dogs are fast turning into the new chimps as a window into understanding ourselves.
Where does this relationship come from? In Siberia, a unique breeding experiment reveals the astonishing secret of how dogs evolved from wolves. Swedish scientists demonstrate how the human/dog bond is controlled by a powerful hormone also responsible for bonding mothers to their babies.
Why are dogs so good at reading our emotions? Horizon meets Betsy, reputedly the world's most intelligent dog, and compares her incredible abilities to those of children. Man's best friend has recently gone one step further - helping us identify genes responsible for causing human diseases.
t is a pity that such a video does not have English subtitles so that foreigners have a complete understanding of the content.
tribes in the Amazon take all manner of animals as pets.
please investigate outdoor dog lavatories. please pick up after your dog every time.
Very interesting but I found some of the experiments extremely cruel and infuriating!!! Stealing wolf cubs from their mum and raising them in the house to see if they would behave like dogs?! I could have told they wouldn’t behave like dogs - they are wild animals!!! And that awful farm with all those poor silver foxes locked in tiny cages? Absolutely disgusting! And for absolutely no real useful reason either! Why do we need to know how long it takes to domesticate animals? We don’t! I was quite appalled when I saw this.
Love this show! It's so interesting, & love seeing all the beautiful dogs. I'm new to dog ownership & am learning some great information! Can't wait to see the shows each week
There's a lot of interesting information in this documentary, but some of the conclusions they draw from observations of canine behavior is just baffling. All assertions are backed by the findings of "researchers" without mention of who those researchers are or where they work. An "experiment" you can perform at home where you show your dog two identical opaque cups, put a treat in one, and then let them find it is described as "proving your dog can understand concepts and use process of elimination."
...Yeah, maybe it proves that. Or maybe the dog can smell the treat. Dogs have a really good sense of smell. They can also see, and remember where items are located.
This was an interesting documentary, but the cost of sensationalizing science often manifests as decreased accuracy of information. That's very apparent in some of these sequences.
Lots of good info but...they don't read eye movement in each other? News to me! They do it all the time! what in the world are these people talking about?
It seems I'm fully alone with this feeling but I noticed the same tendency in so many documentaries and this one was no exception: the music and the trailer, etc all sound as if we will be going to find out some incredible new information about dogs when in fact the whole documentary said nothing, but literally nothing new. I understand that studies are important but I didn't pick up any remarkable information than the everyday dog owner does not know. What did this documentary actually reveal? I'm very disappointed. Someone mentioned part 3 so maybe this is just the first part in a series and if that's true, maybe the other parts will reveal more interesting and useful information, but I probably won't be watching more of this. For me it was a complete waste of time.
Dogs are cool and u are training them really good
Perfect comment well made Sharon Smith. Owning a dog is no less responsibility than your first child or even owning another domesticated animal. Don't have one if you aren't prepared to put in the hard work and learn how to look after them, giving them the life they deserve based on thier emotional, physical and environmental needs. That means time, money, love and devotion amongst other things for thier lifetime. Not to mention educating yourself before you have one and constantly learning to improve thier lives once they are with you. There is an overpopulation of unwanted and abused dogs in the world, so let's start there please and put our human intelligence to good use by helping the world's intelligent creatures of all kinds.
Anyone that has never had a dog as missed so very much.
If this program does nothing else apart from help us understand dogs better so we can in turn care for them better then it can only be a good thing. They have nothing else to do other than to study us, it's only fair if we are going to take on the responsibility of a dog in our lives that we do our best to study them so we can make their lives happier. Too many dogs have rotten lives simply because their owners can't be bothered with them once the novalty has worn off or because they're abused. People should never get a dog "for the kids" ... they're not toys - HAVE DOG - BE RESPONSIBLE. Give them the kind and caring training, direction and care they need. That's what pack leaders do!
Humans can't love each other, so we have animals. The science of relations between dogs and people. The genetics and evolution of the dog, and what it says about humans.
I watched this right after 'How Many People Can Fit on Planet Earth?' BBC Horizon. I fear with future water shortages, man's best friend might deplete future numbers of canines as we conserve water for ourselves.
Try to keep them alive!
frumos
i think the dogs are sniffing the treat. under the bowl.
Who is a good boy ,woof.Ha ha.Of course there is no doubt they are clever and intelligent,any animal that can worm there way into a persons bed and have there owners care for there every need is highly intelligent in my book.Or else its just humans are soft in the head ha ha.
It's funny reading some of the comments. You are all agreeing that dogs are intelligent. Yet all in your own way. I don't disagree that dogs are really, really intelligent. I just believe it's not only dogs. Anyway, something i have come to realize. It could have been dogs that became the top of the food chain. Not us. I also know we are closely related to rats. XD
I still love dogs...especially my mutts jorge,louie, and ben :)
Aphex Twin, Moondog, quite the soundtrack! Dogs are the best.
wow, I see a lot of similarities between Betsy's abilities and my dog. She is also (part) border collie (and chow -- weird mix, but she has a polka-dot tongue!). She has an excellent "vocabulary" and I have a few toys that are in multiples - if I hold one and tell her to get the other she does with no problem. I've never tried pictures. I think I'll start training her more in this area, I'm sure she'd love the mental exercise!
each dogs are so different. but each dogs have a true consienceness. they know who they are among us. they really see and feel our emotions and adapt themself on our mood. well I think dogs can see the human aura and they remember our colors patterns when by example someone do a heart attack the electical pattern will change on and in the victim body. and thats is the changing colors in the aura. its only a photon detector that posses dogs
hmmm dogs with a bit of mustard !!!!
My heart belongs to them..infinately
One of the best movies. My heart belongs to them..
What about the agricultural societies that arose in the America's without dogs. It would appear non hunter- gatherer ways of life would arise without our canine friends.