Why Dogs Smile and Chimpanzees Cry [VHS]

Are we the only species that feel our hearts sing or cry with grief or run with fear?No to all these things and this dvd clearly tells the tale of animal reality including human animals. Narrated by Sigourney Weaver it is truly beautiful.Emotions are the safety valve for all animals including us not just us. A herd of buffalo run from fear. A monkey mourns her babies death so much she carries the body til it is not recognisable.A beautiful tale from one soul to another. All need to see this!

Sometime around 1999-2001, I saw this documentary on discovery channel and just fell in love with it. I TiVo'd it, and watched it over and over without getting tired of it. And it would make me cry every time!!! I moved in 2001 and no longer had it recorded to watch. Recently I thought about how much I missed watching it, so I was very happy to find it here on Amazon. Every human should watch this documentary! So touching and educational.

this documentary is a fascinating look at animal emotions. It is pretty undeniable that we are not alone in feelings.... affection, grief, joy, anger, frustration... all of it. Get ready for a touching journey.

great, thank you.

Excellent documentary.

This is a fascinating, and often quite moving documentary showing the emotional kinship between man and his fellow mammals. The film footage is remarkable, starting with the basic emotions that pertain to survival, "fear, aggression, and the urge to procreate", and then moves on to the more subtle feelings of joy, compassion, grief, loyalty, and even depression.The caring of one another in animal societies is extraordinary, and shows the bonds of friendship between species of primates, meerkats, wolves, and many more.The section on maternal love is wonderful, with one exceptional segment by wildlife photographer Martyn Colbeck who follows a herd of elephants, and captures the tremendous patience and devotion exhibited towards a recently born calf as he struggles to walk. There are many instances of incredible sacrifice, including the story of a dog who saves a young boy.It shows how rescue dogs can show signs of depression, and rats who laugh when they are tickled. I love the chimp who is looking at Gourmet Magazine, and points to pictures of pastries and signs "sweet".As Dr. Roger Fouts of the Chimpanzee Human Communication Institute says, the difference between us and other animals is "one of degree, and not of kind".Produced, written and directed by Carol Fleisher, and calmly and carefully narrated by Sigourney Weaver, viewing this documentary is time well spent; it is informative as well as entertaining, but parents of young children should realize that though there is plenty of fun and frolic, it is far from being a cute animal film, and there are scenes of violence and tragedy. Total running time is 95 minutes.

Despite the fact that I think it's ridiculous to structure a film around the question of whether non-human beings experience emotions (only a species as arrogant and detached from nature as ours could even conceive of such a question), this film was extremely worthwhile. There were some interesting points, for instance: human anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications probably work on dogs because their brains are reasonably similar to ours; and fear is probably "the" universal emotion because it leads to survival-enhancing behavior. The footage on octopi, dogs, sea lions, rhesus monkeys, dolphins, elephants, and wolves, among other species, was beautiful to watch and often incredibly moving. While I'm glad that there is now a body of scientific work on this subject, many of us don't need science to understand that many species experience emotions as we do. Konrad Lorenz, though he was a fine scientist, was probably not relying on research when he said: "The fidelity of a dog is a precious gift demanding no less binding moral responsibilities than the friendship of a human being. The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be."

I first saw this documentary on the Discovery Channel. I bought it thinking it would be good to have, being as though I'm preparing for veterinary school. As a student of veterinary science, I am proud to say this is one of the greatest pieces in my collection. The subject of animal behavior has always fascinated me, and this documentary was a delicious helping for my always eager appetite. If you love animals, you will love this. Once you watch it, you will see how closely related humans and animals really are, and you'll understand some of their behaviors better. This documentary has proven helpful in research reports and papers, and is an excellent resource for any project. Go get it!