Inside The Mind of a Dog Review and Recap
The Netflix/ Andy Mitchell documentary Inside The Mind of a Dog, highlights the history of the lack of studies available when it comes to understanding dogs. Seems many scientists did not think they were worthy of studying. Considering the impact dogs have on humans and our society, it’s a bit surprising that we’re so behind in understanding more. Lucky for us and our canine friends, Duke University’s Canine Cognition Center and the Hecht Lab at Harvard University are using science to better understand dogs by decoding their actions, sounds and getting in their mind. My favorite line in this documentary..
“There is NO BAD DOG”~ Matt Beisner, founder for The Zen Dog
Two wolves we photographed from Howling Woods Farm in Jackson Township, NJ
There is a great and humorous explanation of how the wild wolf becomes friendly with humans and how dogs went from being solely workers to vanity pups.
Interesting Dog Facts
The documentary Inside The Mind of a Dog reveals dozens of interesting facts scattered throughout the film. Here’s a re-cap of some of them.
We’ve all heard that 1 year in human life equals to 7 years in dog life. It’s not completely false but it is questioned in a sense that dogs mature a lot faster and the benefits of understanding this can assist training efforts.
Classic Puppy Eyes by our Skippy, The Coton de Tulear
Dogs have a unique eye muscle that allows us to see the white sclera of their eyes aka puppy dog eyes. This helps us to notice when they are connecting and interacting with us. Or in my case this is also how they get away with being a bad doggy and getting their way with us! If you’re like me, you just cannot resist the puppy dog eyes.
When you notice your dog making eye contact or focused with a hard stare, on someone or something, most likely means they’re in a hunting mode. They could be hunting prey but most likely a ball or a frisbee too. Dogs have better night vision and have the ability to see more light similar to that of a flashlight in the dark. Dogs only see in hues of yellow, blue and grayish-brown and they are much better at seeing moving objects.
My daughter and I petting a Wolf Mix from Howling Woods Farm
This early part of the documentary did remind me of the time My daughter and I visited Howling Woods Farm, a wolf sanctuary in Jackson Township, NJ. The one thing about these wolves that stood out for me was there was little eye connection made with humans ever. Sure, they were trained enough for us to walk through without feeling fearful but you can see the wild in them. Their noses lead them and their interests were directed to the other wolves. They were not looking up to their handler or to us- at least I didn’t notice this. The difference between domesticated dogs and wolves felt very obvious to me there, when it comes to connection and dependability with humans.
It was a great little tour of their facilities, meeting the wolves was something we’ll never forget and I highly recommend you visiting and supporting your local wolf sanctuary.
Our Skippy, the Coton de Tulear, Dog Nose Close-up
Nose prints are like finger prints and each one is unique. I’ve already marked a DIY day to get my dog’s nose prints on paper and frame them!
Dogs smell in color is how they describe a dog’s scent in this documentary. They give a fantastic explanation of the anatomy of the nose of a dog. They smell In 3 dimensions giving them the ability to make a map of a room with just their nose.
Deciphering those tail wags!
The Loose Tail Wag: Think a big, slower and more relaxed wagging which most likely indicates less stress, more happiness and more curiosity.
The Tight Tail Wag: Think tight and fast wagging or a low tail wag between their legs which can result from stress and anxiety.
The Helicopter Wag: Complete with a butt wiggle results from an emotional experience that is most likely positive.
You’re Home Wag: In the documentary, Inside The Mind of a Dog, they suggested the possibility that when a dog sees someone familiar its tail wags towards the right! I’m going to pay more attention to my dogs and see how true this one is!
Dogs have about 16 different facial expressions some of which include, anger, anxiety, pain, happiness and sadness and many of these facial expressions have been learned by us humans.
Most dogs sleep more than half a day but not all. Some have higher levels of energy or just a stronger curiosity drive.
20% of dogs show ADHD behaviors - more impulsive, hyper active but can still be trainable. This brings me back to the beginning of this blog post and I’d like to re-mention my favorite line the move.. There is NO Bad Dog!
The documentary also offers a humorous look at the fastest and slowest dog breeds.
Dogs bark for human attention and we can thank us humans that dogs are “barkers” and make unusual sounds. How good or bad this fact is, of course depends on why our dogs are barking.
Dogs hear 4 times more than humans do. Something to take into consideration is, even when you think it’s a quiet afternoon in your backyard, your dog is hearing things from places they cannot see and you cannot hear. When your dog shows signs of anxiety or something catches their attention but we see or hear nothing, this may be the reason. Let them process it!
Dedicated Handlers and More Dog Superpowers
Follow the journey from Puppy Kindergarten at Duke University to growing up with Puppy Raisers (fyi both jobs sound completely dreamy to me) where they are trained basic tasks in preparation for becoming a service dog to Service Dog Training School at Canine Companions (created by Charles M. Schulz the creator of Snoopy). I was impressed to learn they will be trained about 40 different very task-oriented commands. Another thing I learned which we should all keep in mind when training our own puppies are the 3 most important steps in training:
Patience
Repetition
Understanding communication between dog and human
Following these service dogs in training to be paired with humans in need is truly special.
We also get a look into the training process and importance for Search and Rescue dogs. It wasn’t only about their sniffer, strength training seemed equally important. Another fact: 20% of dogs in the USA are overweight and this can take up to 2 years from their life. Different breeds require different enrichment and activities to bring out what they are best in. Watch and listen to your dog and expose them to different activities and they will tell you what they’re great at. It was so very interesting to get a view on how dogs are trained to use their noses for search and rescue and even cancer detection training and other illnesses and diseases. The German Shepherd in this segment will impress you!
I had always heard that just sitting and petting a dog can lower one’s blood pressure. I learned in Inside The Mind of a Dog, that having a connection with a dog can help buffer that bump in cortisol, which is elevated or released when stress occurs.
Interactions between dog and human cause a release in oxytocin in both dog and human which helps for an attachment bond with kindness and consistency. The science behind it all is interesting, the studies finally being conducted is very exciting. This documentary is certain to offer you a new and greater appreciation for your canine companion.
If you’re looking to make a real partnership with your dog or just interested in the science and capabilities of a dog, this is the documentary for you.
