Horizon Last Night: The Secret Life of the Dog

I know that Horizon is guilty of dumbing down science these days, but did anyone else see this last night? It was a look into how dogs may have been done a disservice on how intelligent we believe them to be, and how they came to be mans best friend.

I found it utterly fascinating that two separate species (dogs / wolves & humans) have has such a profound impact on one another's development.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00pssgh/Horizon_20092010_The_Secret_Life_of_the_Dog/

The bits with the Austrian Collie & the Russian experiments with silver foxes where just amazing. And the behavioural 'evolution' of domesticated dogs vs wolves was pretty cool as well - the fact that it's now in their genetic makeup to be devoted to us whereas wolves couldn't care less.

Well worth a watch, even if you're not a 'dog' person.

(I'm technically a cat person, but once I have enough time and money, I want a wolfhound like the chap in the pub... or maybe a husky or two. )

 

I saw it, and was fascinated, especially by the sheepdog that could recognise 300 words and understand abstract representations of objects.

The BBC have done something like it before, because I've definitely heard about the Russian silver fox experiment before - it might have been from the days when Horizon was good?

 

It was very interesting, although nothing that I didn't know or suspect before.

There is nothing unusual about the symbiotic relationship between two species, and how this relationship influences the evolutionary development of both. The dogs/humans symbiosis is just a nice example.

 

Lovely Goo! Watching it now!!

 

A fascinating program for sure, one point I don't agree with... Horizon isn't dumbing down science, they've been forced to dumb down because they have to justify spending money on a program with viewer numbers.

Having said that there have been a couple recently which are a little too sciency for non-scientists.

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

This was a great documentary. The domesticated Silver Foxes were particularly incredible.

 

^^ Mhmm... I want one sooo bad. How cool would it be when some asks what sort of dog is that to say 'sorry, its a fox'.

 

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh UK only noessss

 

Can't you see it via a proxy server?

 

yeah was really good one actually probably the best one thats been for a while.

P.S. I always knew it was down to my dogs that we've come this far lol

 

That is probably an exaggeration. More likely it was one of multiple factors. In the end, it is to do with human creativity in modifying and exploiting the environment, not dogs specifically.

 

there's an american version that came out a few years back.. had the whole thing on the russian foxes and the evolution of bulldogs, was on pbs for quite awhile- interesting how breeders can breed traits they want

there's alot of inbreeding with the pure breeds and they do end up with some really retarded ones.. but to the dog show people, if they can hit that one out of 3 that's money in the bank

like how certain breeds like the terriers were bred just to catch rats and mice on farms.. the weimaraner is a classic example of selective breeding- those dogs think they are human XD

 

It's probably the original British version that I remember from awhile back with an American voiceover. The BBC used to make a lot of its documentaries in conjunction with Discovery or WGBH Boston.

 

I really want one.

 

yeah could have been- lemme see if I can find it- pretty interesting stuff

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/dogs-that-changed-the-world/introduction/1273/

 

The fox has been done a much bigger disservice!

http://www.youtube.com/user/kittymcpherson