BBC Two Northern Ireland

The Wonder of Dogs

Kate Humble

Steve Leonard

Leesa Rumley

Jamie Lochead

Ruth Goodman

The Wonder of Dogs: Episode 2

Documentaries

Factual: Pets & Animals

Factual: Science & Nature

Episode 2

BBC Two - The Wonder of Dogs, Episode 2

Discover how - and why - different breeds of dogs have such different senses and abilities

A team of canine experts reveal the innermost secrets of man's best friend. In this episode they explore how senses and abilities differ across the huge range of modern dog breeds.

Kate, Steve and the team of canine experts explore how the huge range of dog breeds differ in their senses and abilities. Does a short nose impede a sense of smell? Do floppy ears mean subdued hearing? And what effect does the shape of a skull have on peripheral vision? 

The team examines how humans have harnessed these inherent skills and discovers how this has shaped these breeds into the hunters, herders and guard dogs of today. They also see the senses develop in a litter of newborn puppies, and follow Kate's Welsh Sheepdog puppy Teg getting her first lesson in sheep herding.

Ruth Goodman is joined by a pembrokeshire welsh corgi as she traces the breed's history to their humble origins as cattle herders. The team also finds out how hunting breeds such as springers, pointers and retrievers evolved with the development of gun technology.

Over the centuries dogs have demonstrated that they are highly intelligent animals capable of helping humans with many different tasks. But just how intelligent are they? Can a dog be taught to read? The team finds out when they put three dogs to the test.

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Revealing the inner most secrets of man's best friend.

A team of canine experts reveal the secrets of man's best friend, investigating the differences between different breeds and exploring the genetic history of the dogs of a small English village

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