Why Dogs Smile & Chimpanzees Cry

Spellbinding! Be forewarned: it is occasionally harsh but the compassion and empathy displayed are undeniable.

Although I eschew network presentations, this captured me totally from beginning to end. As a matter of fact, I wished it were longer, almost endless. Network is apt to pander to those less informed, perhaps somewhat shallow, to people who go "Whoo" upon seeing a kiss or suggestive situation. Well, you can rise above that level here.

We are treated to family life among those who cannot vocalize in our tongue(s) but whose actions speak volumes. The caring, compassion, dedication and love evidenced by creatures we sometimes categorize as beneath us is overwhelming. Mothers grieve for stillborn infants or, surprisingly, patiently wait for a healing process rather than choosing abandonment. Their senses are keen, untarnished by cynicism or ennui. They recognize and act upon instincts we have lost. They are playful, sincerely enjoying spontaneous fun. They grieve, they laugh, they pout, they appreciate joy when given a special consideration, they enjoy whatever good life gives without question or judgment. Meercats (delightfully quick, thin creatures I've never seen) endure harsh lives in arid surroundings. but care enough for an ill member to sacrifice vital necessities when what that member needs most is companionship. They protect us, sometimes sacrificing their own lives to protect us, simply because that is what love is about.

The scientific community may dismiss these 'human' attributes -- I cannot. If you've had a pet with whom you've established a valid bond, you will relish this film. If you consider the 'lower' life forms as selfish, concerned solely with survival, somewhat apart from us, I hope you would be open-minded enough to give this inspiring film a look, an opportunity to weave its spell on you. My soul was touched deeply; I hope you allow it to impact your life.

I just read the other review for this documentary and I am compelled to respond. The review implied that the chimpanzees (they are not monkeys, they are apes - get your facts straight before you complain) are all kept in cages and have "horrible psychological testing" done on them. The review further suggests that Washoe, the first non-human to acquire a human language, has been housed in a concrete and wire cage since 1966. I need to correct this information on behalf of Washoe and her chimp group. The images in the documentary of young chimps were taken when they lived with the Gardeners as a foster children. They were being cross-fostered which means that they were being treated as if they were a human child. They slept in a bed in the house, they ate meals at the table with their "parents", the Gardeners. They took baths on a daily basis. They were toilet trained and played outside in the yard just like other children. They went on outings just like other children. You see Washoe (or it might be Dar, I can't remember now) in the film dressed because she was in this cross-fostering environment. She chose her outfit every day. The "Hurry. Go out" moment was asking to go out and play. She was excited. It was the cross-fostering study that allowed the young chimps to learn sign language because they were being exposed to it the same way a deaf human child would be exposed to it - in every day life situations. The same way hearing children learn to speak by hearing the words spoken during everyday events.

Further, and this is very important, Washoe and her family did spend a few years in a not-so-great housing environment. Washoe was adopted by Dr. Roger Fouts (one of the graduate students she'd known since infancy)and he took her to the college where he was working at the time. For several years there was limited housing available for the non-humans and it broke the hearts of those working with the chimpanzees in this group (there were 5 chimps). But funds were raised and since 1993 Washoe and her family have been housed in a 1500 sq. foot 2-room indoor enclosure with separate sleeping quarters behind the 2 rooms and which is attached to an amazing 3000 sq. foot outdoor enclosure where they can hang out, climb 3 stories high and generally just play whenever they wish. You can view their living space and watch live web-cams at

http://tinyurl.com/2jbqrh

There were attempts to keep them inside when it was snowing out, but one of the chimps kept requesting to go out, and it was discovered that (at least this group) rather enjoys going out in the snow.

My point in all of this is that the other reviewer implies that there was no regard taken for the emotional well-being of the chimpanzees looked at in this documentary. Chimps in the wild are hard to follow and hard to study. Chimps in captivity can be followed quite easily. The "horrible psychological testing" consists of teaching them sign language, refusing to respond the first time a chimp makes a request, thus requiring the chimpanzee to find a different way of asking (showing they have a sense of your world being different from their own), looking to see if they play more with toys that are new to them vs. toys that have been in their enclosure for several days, etc. These chimpanzees are loved by their care givers as if they were members of the family. I had the honor of spending 2 weeks with them several years ago and I can say from a first-hand experience that the chimps are respected as individuals and as the amazing creatures that they are.

I've seen many docs and this one is truly the best. I feel it's the first movie to really show how similar all species calling this place home really are. From the elephants turning instantly into a well organized army to attend to a baby stuck in the mud to the family dog that throws herself under a car to save a fallen human child, this film will evoke emotions from you that may surprise you. I can't imagine this movie not being put into schools to show our kids that we're not actually alone on this planet. Reasoning, wonder, and even logic are not our exclusive domain. When you see the wolves mourning the lowest member of the pack weeks and even months after her passing, you may just feel a little closer to all members of the "food chain". Seriously, I didn't want it to end.

First of all, yes, animals have emotions. If you didn't know that already, then I believe you are a moron. But let's assume that none of us are morons. We all know that animals have emotions, and we now want to see how these emotions are manifest in nature, correct?

What we get instead is a tedious and ridiculously simplistic documentary that attempts to show how animals are "human". The filmmakers search high & low for footage of animals engaged in human-like behaviour, and when it happens they say, "That monkey is almost human!" (that's actually a direct quote).

Everything is in human terms. They waste time theorizing about what makes dogs "smile", but not once do they mention what a wagging tail means. The arrogance of these researchers is disgusting. They even go so far as to show chimpanzees dressed in human clothing and wearing a cowboy hat.

I had been expecting an insightful documentary of animals on their own terms. I wanted to learn how animals emote in their OWN languages. But instead, researchers keep falling back on pedantic, anthropomorphic observations and assumptions. Add a cheezy soundtrack and images of chimps "celebrating Christmas", and this was enough to turn my stomach.

But it doesn't end there. Half of this documentary is filmed not in the wild but in laboratories and experimental facilities. All the camera shots of chimps are through steel bars, and we see how these monkeys are crowded together in their sterile concrete cages. One particularly sobering moment happens near the beginning (though you have to be quick to notice it) where a captive monkey says in sign language, "Want out. Hurry go."

Obscure references are made to "stress tests" and psychological experiments which I shudder to imagine. Baby monkeys are separated from their mothers at birth and are given wireframe dolls in order to prove that baby monkeys crave a "mother figure". And after 40 years of experiments, the smug researchers pat themselves on the back for reaching their brilliant conclusion: monkeys have emotions.

One chimp named "Washoe" has been in a concrete cage since 1966 for that purpose, and to this day she remains thus. We get a brief glimpse (again through bars) of her leaning against a concrete wall with a rather lackluster expression. Personally, I don't need to see any further experimental data. Washoe, I apologize for our entire species.

Although I am coming late to the party, I would like to add another reply to the first posting.

It's true that ordinary people, most of us, do know without a doubt that animals have emotions. But surely you know that science was long hampered, and still is in many quarters, by the denial of emotions (and of any mental life at all, in fact) to nonhuman animals--and by the refusal to discuss or publicly acknowledge this fact. Hence the video is still plenty useful. Its measured tone, exceptional footage of compassionate and other behavior by a myriad of species, and revelations of a variety of emotions (and their evolutionary basis) is, in fact, priceless to those of us who would like to counter that trend. At least I've found it so for college students who find themselves unsure and confused about what's going on with animals other than the ones they're most familiar with.

That said, I do appreciate your objection to referring to emotions shared by many species as "human." Someday I hope that many will see the arrogance and inaccuracy of that usage. But one must consider one's audience--and that usage often gets a point across to a popular audience.