Start of a new two-part documentary series in which actor Martin Clunes explores the canine world. He begins his quest by looking at his own three dogs. Can these seemingly almost human companions sometimes also reveal glimpses of something much wilder, much more ancient? Where do they come from?
Clunes's first port of call is Scruffts at London's Earl's Court, to remind us of how dogs have ended up. There are 400 different breeds officially recognised in the world today. All of them have been moulded and shaped by humans through selective breeding, but under the skin, every one of them is genetically the same. In fact, whether it's a Great Dane or a Chihuahua, the creature is 99.8 per cent wolf.
Yet while dogs clearly adore being in the company of humans, wolves are famously elusive. To see for himself what kind of link this wild, much maligned creature could possibly have with our domestic dogs, Clunes heads off to the wilds of Yellowstone Park in the coldest depths of winter. The actor teams up with ranger Doug Smith in the hope of spotting a wolf. A lucky break means Clunes is able to watch a wolf pack feeding off an elk carcass - from a distance, of course.
Clunes still needs to find out what binds wolves to his own pets. Back in Devon he meets expert wolf behaviourist Shaun Ellis, who reveals that a lot of dog behaviour which we interpret as human, is inherited from the wolf's hierarchical pack instincts.
So how did we get from the wild, untamed wolf, to the hundreds of human-friendly, domesticated dog breeds we have today? To find out what the earliest primitive dog looked like, Clunes jets off to Australia. Fraser Island, off Queensland, is one of the best places to see pure-bred dingoes in the wild, unsullied by interbreeding with domestic dogs. Though they look like ordinary dogs, Martin learns from ranger Colin Lawton that you shouldn't make the mistake of trying to be friendly to them: wild dingoes are still wild, and potentially dangerous.
In the heart of the Outback, Clunes learns more about the human-friendly side of the dingo. Because its pack instinct doesn't exclude humans, a dingo pup can be trained to accept and respect humans.
Native Australians see the dingo as a sacred animal, a symbolic creature that played an important part in the Dreamtime formation of Australia's spectacular landscape. They also see the dingo as a wild creature that deigned to join their families, rather than one that was domesticated by man. It's a vivid clue of what first brought dogs and men together - food and warmth for the dog, company and help with the hunting for man.
That's how man and dog first got together. But how did we turn one animal into so many hundreds of wildly different breeds in such a short evolutionary time? Clunes visits a dog museum in Tring to find out.
Dear Martin, Your programme and presentation was delightful and I was impressed by the humility in which you participated in this show. I much relate to many of the things you discuss as I live in the pack. There is no greater joy than to discover the remarkable intelligence behind the evolution of having raised 6 generations of the same lineage. The intelligence from the first dog to the 6th is very different. I dearly wish to discuss this with yourself, as I am sure you will find my discoveries most interesting. Kind regards and affection from a fellow dog lover. Mercia
September 14th - 12:57pmMR LES PRESCOT said...
Hi Martin I dont know if you will see this message but a help out at a pet- rescue due to the cridit crunch we have seen dontions stop but at the same time more pets need our help due to evictions. we are a registed charity please if you can take alook at our website and if you can help in any way or know any one who can offer any think we are greatfull for any think pet food ,dontions any think from £2.00 amonth our site is www.pet-rescuecharity.co.uk thank you for reading this
September 8th - 12:59pmLynn Thompson said...
Hi Martin
I so very much enjoyed your programme, watching you with your dogs tells me you care as much as my husband and i do about ours,which is quite exceptional, all six are rescued, they are our life and we love them very much, thank you for your wonderful programme and thank you for letting us share in your lovely family.
Kind Regards
Lynn Thompson
September 7th - 9:48amBarry Bowman said...
Hi Martin, Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed your programme one man and his dogs, brilliant, we have submitted a picture of our little dog Molly, who is a rescue dog, don't you think she looks like the dingo on the Australian beach.
Kind regards
Barry Bowman
September 7th - 9:17amBarry Bowman said...
Hi Martin, Really enjoyed your programme, thought you would like to see photos of our dog Molly, we thought she was the image of the dingo on the Australian beach
i love that show and i love dogs(my border collies 4 certain!!!!)
September 3rd - 7:46pmE. Jane McDougall said...
Brilliant programme, Martin, and what enthusiasm!! However, well said Ray Johnson re- deformities of the modern day bull-dog, dogs used for bull-baiting were a totally different type than that which we see today. Incidentally, bull-baiting was outlawed during the 19th century and the type used to bait bulls became extinct. The modern day bull-dog is, in my opinion, a human genetically engineered breed.
September 2nd - 4:12pmbev grubb said...
we loved one man and his dogs but were disapointed not to have any explanation as to how over the years that wild dogs ended up lookig as they do in our homes today, how did they enginier a poodle or a bull dog? would love to know?
September 2nd - 2:43pmKay Grainger said...
Re: Martin and his dogs. I have never met a man who showed so much love for dogs, but all through both programmes I could'nt help but compare him to my friend Eileen, who has spent many many moons taking in rescue dogs and the love she has for them. I just wish they could meet so I could listen to their conversation.
Hi martin, after watching you fantastic programme a man and his dogs, it really hit home hw much you love your dogs and how you could make a difference to the charity i work for, we are a small animal charity in North wales and we rehome over 1000 domestic animals per year, mainly being dogs and cats. i would really appriciate any support that you can give us, if its a prize for our auction of promises in October, or for you to visit us and support our charity. Please take a look on our website for more details, I look forward to hearing from you soon
All the best and i think your documentary was fantastic.
many thanks
Nicky Owen
Fundraiser
North Clwyd Animal Rescue (reg. Charity No 515195)
September 1st - 11:43amRay Johnson said...
I think Martin allowed himself to be conned by a bulldog breeder. All this nonsense about why the dogs are undershot, why the facial wrinkles, and so on is regularly trotted out by bulldog breeders to explain why they are producing monstrosities. It does not require a great deal of research to discover that bulldogs of old, and in the days when they were fighting dogs, were quite a different shape to the deformed poor creatures of today.
September 1st - 11:39amRay Johnson said...
His dogs are described as pampered pets. If so why does he feed them on a handful of dry biscuit as we saw in the second programme? Do they get the same thing every day? They can not possibly get a well balanced diet this way. There are cheap meats available at the supermarket (especially when the sell-by date has just been reached)Just boil up chicken legs, turkey thighs, liver, shin beef or other cheap meats, remove from the bone and add to an equal quantity of fusili,or all-in-one meal soaked in the liquor, and carrot or greens. It doesn't take a lot of effort and gives the dogs variety.
August 31st - 11:09pmPam Archer said...
A much needed dogumentary,the list would be endless to say why, top of the list for me would be to educate some members of the human race that we are not the only speices to have basic survivle needs but unfortunatly for some its not even basic. The documentary could have so much more scope for what Martin obviously is so passionatlty about.
August 29th - 4:49pmroger said...
martin clunes programme was great
August 27th - 12:17pmFrom Poppy the Dog said...
Following your interesting programme on Sunday evening, I would like to comment about my owner/companion: "no matter how much she paid, no matter how long her pedigree, I am living with a monkey"
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