If you missed this PBS special, Dogs Decoded in November, it is now available for streaming or rental on Netflix. We usually look forward to programming focusing on canine science but sometimes feel shortchanged on the entertainment value of the shows. Not so, with Dogs Decoded.
The program delves in to how dogs have mastered understanding human expressions and moods by focusing on the right side of our faces which ultimately are more telling of our thoughts.
In another section of the program, a split screen depicts dogs barking in various circumstances on one side and human “interpretors” in the adjacent frame. More often than not, the people listening to the barks were able to guess accurately the specific situation that the dog was in.
In Austria, a young border collie demonstrates her 300 word vocabulary by choosing toys as requested by her owner. An overview of the evolution of wolves and our similiarities as hunters who work in daylight reinforces how dogs and man have come to be inseparable.
Check it out on Netflix or you can buy the DVD at www.PBS.org, it is amazing and fun!