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RED DOG: The Pilbara Wanderer
This article seeks to provide an overview and analysis of the 2011 Australian film, Red Dog as a popular cultural product from Western Australia. Set in a working class mining community in the 1970s, I argue that it provides a new outback legend in the form of Red Dog. This article stems from a review of Red Dog as Film of the Year written for the forthcoming Directory of World Cinema: Australian and New Zealand Second Edition from Intellect Books.
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National cinemas are generally contrasted with a universal cinema which refers largely to US/Hollywood films. National identities are reflected on film through the use of distinctive symbols and narratives which convey hegemonic meanings underpinning a sense of collectivity and mutual recognition. The national cinema approach is useful in some ways, but in the case of Australia fails to grasp the complex interplay of narratives and myths which construct Australia in the broader historical context (cf O’Regan 2002). Australian films brim with complex meditations on the question of “Australianness”, rarely celebratory, more often full of ambivalence, silences, doubt, irony, parody and the embrace of failure. This paper explores the concept of national identity in Australian cinema, expanding on themes established in my earlier paper (1991) Aborigines, Asians and the national imaginary. Australian Cultural History, 9, pps. 14-35.
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Movie Review: Red Dog (2011)
- Movie Reviews
- One response
- --> January 24, 2012
Red Dog is a real charmer of an Aussie movie. Directed by Kriv Stenders, the film is based on the true story of a Kelpie who won the hearts of Western Australia during the ’70s. With its myriad of heart and soul, the movie is a heart-warming, endearing, humorous and affecting portrayal of a mining town’s love for the titular canine. The film’s astute depiction of the relationship between man and dog, on top of the strong filmmaking and charming screenplay ensure that Red Dog can immediately join the canon of great dog flicks.
An adaptation of Louis de Bernières’ book of the same name, Red Dog tells the true story of a dog that befriended the mining community of Dampier. The film is predominantly spent in flashback, as it begins in 1979. A trucker named Tom (Ford) arrives in Dampier on a fateful night, and stops at the local pub where Red Dog lays dying from strychnine poisoning. Keeping vigil a room away, barman Jack (Taylor) and the other distraught locals begin to regale Tom with stories of their fondest memories of the dog. According to legend, Red Dog hitched a ride into Dampier one day and fast became a mascot for the melting pot of a population. The dog was everyone’s and no-one’s; he jumped into anyone’s lap or car. Until, that is, he finally chose his master: An American bus driver named John (Lucas), who drifted into the town to make a living.
Admittedly, Red Dog gets off to a rocky start. The first ten or 15 minutes are slow-going and rather uninvolving as the dizzyingly large ensemble begins to make appearances without sufficient back-story or build-up. The film soon finds its groove, though, and the second half in particular is thoroughly enthralling. Another problem is that this is an ensemble movie lacking a key human character through whom the story can gain traction — the script juggles protagonists without settling on anyone. Since Tom is the newcomer in town and he himself is being educated about Red Dog, he should be a strong entry point into the narrative for viewers, but instead the role is underdeveloped, devoid of personality and pretty much thankless; nothing but a device to allow the locals to tell their stories. The viewers are probably meant to project themselves onto the bland cipher that is Tom’s character, but that just seems like an excuse for laziness.
Pointing out such flaws, however, feels rather mean-spirited in what is otherwise a good-natured, easily lovable Australian gem that’ll make you laugh and cry. And the fact that this is essentially a non-fiction story only adds to the picture’s wonder. Some license was taken, but there was indeed a beloved canine known as Red Dog who touched the lives of several Western Australian residents in a huge way. To the men of that region it’s a profound story, and it’s also a very true blue Aussie tale due to its combination of beer drinking, outback red dust and sense of working-man mateship. There are a lot of cheeky laughs to be had throughout Red Dog as well, though the humor is uniquely Australian. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine international residents connecting or responding to this picture as deeply as Australians. With that said, though, anyone of any country will get a lump in their throat at various points due to the story’s inherent tragic elements. Fortunately, director Stenders did not overdo the grief, which ensures that the emotions feel genuine rather than shamelessly manipulative. Not to mention, the tragedy is balanced with an emotionally uplifting final scene. However, a couple of villains pop up in the form of upright caravan park caretakers, and they are far too broad and over-the-top.
Kriv Stenders’ direction and storytelling is clean and engaging, eschewing pretension, showiness and heavy-handedness for an appropriately simple approach (though there are a few instances of incredibly bad digital effects). Cinematographer Geoff Hall also gets a massive kudos for skillfully capturing the natural beauty of the Australian outback. The lovely soundtrack, meanwhile, is full of vintage rock songs from the era, supplemented by an atmospheric score courtesy of Cezary Skubiszewski. Furthermore, this is an unusual type of family film which contains drunkenness and pub brawling. Yet, the inclusion of such material adds to the flick’s authenticity, as the tale’s main players actually spent their time either working or drinking in real life. Thus, it’s refreshing to see a family-friendly film like this which is not completely vanilla when it comes to depicting reality.
The cast, for the most part, is superb. American Josh Lucas is warm and charismatic as Red Dog’s only master, while Rachael Taylor is suitably lovely as Nancy, who was a huge part of Red Dog’s life. Noah Taylor is also highly effective as Jack, and the late, great Bill Hunter even pops up for a delightful cameo. But the star of the film is Koko the dog, who fulfilled leading man responsibilities with utmost confidence. Sure, Koko is just a dog, but he’s one hell of a performer who’s both lovable and convincing, and who eloquently responds to the requirements of each scene. Koko is one of the reasons why Red Dog is such a success. After all, as Jack points out at one stage, the dog was so significant not because he did something remarkable, but because of who he was. Thanks to Koko, we can understand why Red Dog was so beloved.
In spite of its shortcomings, Red Dog works extremely well and is filled with several terrific scenes. It will move you, entertain you and make you laugh, and you cannot deny the endearing nature of the titular dog. This is a delightful winner of an Aussie movie, and only a true cynic would find it unenjoyable.
I'm a true blue fair dinkum Aussie larrakin from Down Under (or Australia, if you're not a fan of slang). Yep, I wrestle crocs and I throw shrimps on the barbie. Movies are my passion. I also post my reviews on Flixster, Listal and MovieFilmReview. I've been writing reviews as a hobby since 2003, and since then my technique has increased big time. I'm also studying Media at University, which helps me develop my writing skills. I am continually commended for my writing from both tutors and peers. On top of reviewing movies, I voluntarily contribute to the local newspaper in the area of music journalism. And I'm a through-and-through gym junkie. Yep, my life thus revolves around peers, studies, movies and exercise. I'm more than happy.
Movie Review: Sinister (2012) Movie Review: Bait 3D (2012) Movie Review: Dredd 3D (2012) Movie Review: Killing Them Softly (2012) Movie Review: Get the Gringo (2012) Movie Review: Outpost: Black Sun (2012) Movie Review: The Eye of the Storm (2011)
'Movie Review: Red Dog (2011)' has 1 comment
January 29, 2012 @ 1:31 am Malcolm
My all-time fave dog flick is Old Yeller. Sounds like this could give it a run for the money – going to check it out.
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Eye For Film >> Movies >> Red Dog (2011) Film Review
Reviewed by: Lindis Kipp
A young trucker reaches a mining town in Western Australia in the middle of the night. He walks in on the local pub owner and several of his friends struggling with a dog with strychnine poisoning. Over the course of the night, many of the town's inhabitants relate their stories with Red Dog and while each of them is personal, together they paint a picture of Australian small town life with all its ups and downs. Kriv Stenders' film is based on the true story of Red Dog, who is famous throughout Western Australia and even has a statue erected in his honour outside the real Dampier. But the film is not simply a sentimental story of a dog's life; it is a love letter to rural mining Australia and its lust for life.
Very Australian in its bright, wide visuals, Red Dog shows the lives of various immigrants as well as the town's Australians. It is not origin that matters in Dampier, but character. The cast do a splendid job of portraying the rough and tumble inhabitants of the mining town, each with their own problems and desires. The film has a fantastic Seventies soundtrack that would make most road movies jealous and the costumes are spot-on. It also features Bill Hunter in a cameo that happened to be his last role.
Just when the film runs into danger of turning too sickly-sweet, it takes a well-executed turn for the tragic, which rounds the story out in a way that a happy continuation could never have. The only two niggles I could find are a spot of dodgy CGI when Red Dog fights his nemesis, Red Cat, and a scene that shows Red's far-reaching travels, which is drawn out to almost ten minutes and feels a little like it was commissioned by the Western Australia Tourism board. But neither of these are enough to stop the film from being thoroughly enjoyable.
In the end, Red Dog is best summed up by a speech given by one of the characters: it is about “somebody that lives and breathes this vastness, this desolation. Men and women who understand the meaning of independence and the importance of a generous heart. Mates who are loyal by nature, not design, and who know the meaning of love and loss”.
Director: Kriv Stenders
Writer: Louis de Bernières, Daniel Taplitz
Starring: Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Noah Taylor, Luke Ford, Bill Hunter, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight, Arthur Angel, John Batchelor, Loene Carmen, Rohan Nichol, Costa Ronin, Eamon Farren, Koko, Shingo Usami
Runtime: 92 minutes
Country: Australia, US
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Film review: Red Dog
- August 23, 2011
Much is made of whether or not Australian films say something about the national ethos. Red Dog does, even if it is mainly about the resilient strength and the community appeal of a good dog, while making no claims to being a ‘big’ story. This is no sweeping epic like Baz Luhrmann’s Australia . The characters of Red Dog know this isn’t about them: it’s about the dog.
Red Dog (played by Koko ) is a wanderer of the Pilbara who shows up unexpectedly in the mining town of Dampier in the early 1970s. Through the combination of independence and friendliness that defines Red, he becomes the best friend and confidant of half the town – mainly men, working in physical jobs, without women or affection in their lives.
Red has no master, until John ( Josh Lucas ) rides into town on his motorbike. The excellent scene in which they first see one another perfectly captures the meeting of two wanderers on the road. John resists the pull of friendship with the dog for a while, but eventually he gives in, and thus these two travellers finally have a reason to stay put.
The film, based on a true story, is told through the memories of those who knew both Red Dog and John, and is precipitated by the arrival in Dampier of a stranger ( Luke Ford ). Red, now greying around the muzzle, is lying ill in a back room of the Mermaid Hotel. As the news spreads that the beloved Red Dog is sick, the pub fills and it becomes an impromptu wake as people take it in turns to tell the newcomer about what the dog means to them.
The first half of the movie seems to flash by as Red Dog’s arrival in town is established and his friendship with John grows . There’s no need for clunky voice-over narration; the narrators are instead the publican ( Noah Taylor ) and others in the pub. Points of humour are established that carry on throughout the movie, from the obsession of Vanno ( Arthur Angel ) with his hometown in Italy to the dog’s killer flatulence.
The retrospective mode of narration leaves little time to do more than scratch the surface of the characters, but before long this ceases to matter. At the heart of the film is Red Dog, and not only does his character develop in depth but he also becomes the vehicle by which other characters are revealed. The cast is superb, with a great selection of well-known Aussie actors including a brief cameo from the late Bill Hunter.
Red Dog is in part a story of the romance between John and Nancy ( Rachael Taylor ), but it’s the love story between Red and John that really tugs at the heartstrings. With John’s departure from the film, leading to Red Dog’s fame as he searches the Pilbara and beyond for his master, there are no easy answers. Red does not conveniently become Nancy’s dog; he is, once again, the community’s – and nobody’s, too.
The movie gives a few indications early on that it might be a bit corny, but director Kriv Stenders successfully avoids over-sentimentality. The Pilbara red dust doesn’t turn the characters into caricatures, and the story, even the pathos, fits beautifully into the landscape. The soundtrack is brilliant – Eagle Rock and Way Out West overlay the red dirt, ’70s vehicles, ore trains and towering piles of salt, and it works. It’s uplifting, the sense of men seeking freedom from their pasts, of the girl from Perth seeking adventure in the north, of the dog making his home in this isolated mining community. Certainly the Pilbara is idealised, but it’s forgivable because Red Dog’s story is told by a group of people in a bar who love him, and who are nostalgic about his younger days.
The fact that the landscape is not overdone is a key part of the film’s success. Cinematographer Geoffrey Hall makes brilliant use of the unique Western Australian light, but he does not dramatise the land. It is big and beautiful, especially on a cinema screen, but it is not presented as a stage.
Red Dog is a strong, powerful story with a bunch of great characters. I’ve heard it described as a feel-good film, but it’s better than that. A few days after I saw it, I’m still thinking about it – as though it captured something that I didn’t quite know I was looking for. Therein lies its strength: it’s a film that has something for everyone, no matter how unexpected.
Suzannah Marshall Macbeth is a Master of Global Communications student at La Trobe University and a former editorial member of upstart . She blogs at equineocean and you can follow her on Twitter: @equineocean.
- film , film review , film reviews , Pilbara , Red , red dog , Suzannah Marshall Macbeth
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Common sense media reviewers.
Emotional dog tale features drinking, violence, and loss.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
The movie espouses positive messages about loyalty
Characters are odd, eccentric, cantankerous, kind
There are scenes of fist-fights, threats of physic
A couple kisses sensually in two scenes. In anothe
The dog is called "cheeky bastard" and &
In nearly every scene involving humans, there is a
Parents need to know that Red Dog is the story about the loss of a pet. The setting is the hardscrabble Australian Outback, and there's a great deal of drinking, scrappiness, some violence, a scene of attempted suicide, and a few deaths. The dog is called "cheeky bastard" and "dirty filthy…
Positive Messages
The movie espouses positive messages about loyalty, love, friendship, and courage.
Positive Role Models
Characters are odd, eccentric, cantankerous, kind -- while not always drawn deeply, they are memorable.
Violence & Scariness
There are scenes of fist-fights, threats of physical violence, an attempted suicide, and a few instances of death or injury referenced, but not shown. In one scene, a dog is shot, but survives. In another, a man dies in a motorcycle accident.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Sex, Romance & Nudity
A couple kisses sensually in two scenes. In another, a couple is shown waking up in bed together in the morning and kissing. A man imagines a woman giving birth, her legs extended in the air, but nothing graphic is revealed.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
The dog is called "cheeky bastard" and "dirty filthy whoring ham." There are numerous visual gags/references to farts.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
In nearly every scene involving humans, there is alcohol involved. Most of the film is set in a bar, but several settings involve get-togethers where beer flows freely. Drunkenness is not depicted per se, nor is the booze shown as the cause of the violence or general roughhousing, but it's always present.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Red Dog is the story about the loss of a pet. The setting is the hardscrabble Australian Outback, and there's a great deal of drinking, scrappiness, some violence, a scene of attempted suicide, and a few deaths. The dog is called "cheeky bastard" and "dirty filthy whoring ham." There are also numerous visual gags/references to farts. The film is most appropriate for older kids, but it does have positive messages about pet loyalty and friendship that families will appreciate. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .
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- Parents say (2)
- Kids say (9)
Based on 2 parent reviews
Definitely emotional
What's the story.
RED DOG is based on true events, but it's the stuff of legend: an extremely intelligent, exceptionally loyal dog who changes the lives of everyone he meets along the way, and who will go to the ends of the earth for his master -- as soon as he chooses him.
Is It Any Good?
As dog movies go, Red Dog offers some unique framing: It's set in the starkly beautiful Australian Outback; it's told against the tale of the rough-hewn miners he finds a home among. It's a beautifully shot movie in an inherently interesting setting. It doesn't take every opportunity for tear-jerking sentiment, but it is an emotional tale of how this special dog impacted the people he interacted with.
There's a lot here for families to mull over about the nature of dog ownership, particularly in the message that we don't really own our pets, we merely get to live with them. Kids who love dogs will likely be fascinated by the legendary tale of this dog's loyalty. Like all movies celebrating pets, this one deals with loss directly. Parents who've reconciled the setting and excessive, ever-present drinking, and scrappiness may enjoy this family foray into the joys and sorrows of pet ownership.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about pet loss and the influence pets have on our lives. Have you ever had a pet that died? How did it make you feel? How did you cope with your sadness? How have your pets changed your lives?
Go online to learn more about the vast geography of Australia.
Red Dog is a stray who is taken in by a community. Go online to learn more about animals who've been abandoned and what communities can do to help reduce the number of stray pets.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 6, 2012
- Cast : Josh Lucas , KoKo , Rachel Taylor
- Director : Kriv Stenders
- Studio : ARC Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Friendship
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating : PG
- MPAA explanation : Rated PG for thematic elements, some language and sensuality.
- Last updated : June 20, 2023
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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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- Extent: 264 pp
- Paperback (234 x 153mm), eBook
IT was a lazy Saturday morning. The winter sun was throwing a pallid wash through the lounge-room window. I needed to go to the market, but breakfast, first: the steam curling upwards from the porridge, dampening my face; the newspaper stiff in its tight roll. I scratched for the edge of the plastic, found it and peeled back the thin film, relished its sticky roar.
When the paper fell free I smoothed and bent its pages out of their rigid waves and extracted my favourite liftout. Flipped through the pages, blowing on spoonfuls of porridge. Stopped. A picture of a kelpie from –skimming, skimming – a ‘family movie…opening this week’, one that was called – yes, here it was, here was the proof to spite the incredulous surely not! mantra pulsing through me – called Red Dog .
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About the author
Elizabeth Bryer
Elizabeth Bryer's writing has appeared in HEAT, harvest, Kill Your Darlings and Inside Story.She was runner-up in the 2011 Wildcare Tasmania Nature Writing Prize...
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A man and a hound team up in a flinty, poetic Chinese homecoming tale
Time Out says
Next to Umberto D. , Chinese director Guan Hu may just have made the enduring masterpiece of man-and-dog movies – Citizen Canine, if you will – in this soul-filling homecoming odyssey set on the windswept fringes of the Gobi Desert.
Taiwanese heartthrob Eddie Peng, once the Hugh Grant of Chinese romcoms, plays against type as a brooding, shaven-headed ex-rock star and stunt biker called Lang. An intense man of few words, he’s a gnomic presence as he returns to his remote hometown after a stint in prison for manslaughter – equally hero-worshipped and hated. A local snake-rearing gangster called Butcher Hu holds him responsible for his nephew’s death and is still thirsting for payback. (Chinese film geeks will get a kick out of seeing Still Life auteur Jia Zhangke as the grim-faced crime boss.)
The town that the writer-director sketches out in dusty increments hangs under a cloud of its own: this is the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and China is taking a giant broom to its economic left-behinds. The populace is being relocated, and the local packs of stray dogs need to be rounded up. Short of options, Lang soon signs up to join the hastily assembled dog catching squads.
This seismic moment in the country’s recent history provides a symbolically apt backdrop to Peng’s return home. He’s trying to work through his baggage as everyone else is packing theirs.
This could be the Citizen Canine of dog movies
The dog of the title – a sinewy, reputedly rabid greyhound mix – offers Lang a foil and a path to rediscovering his sense of self. Their snappy early encounters give way to a deepening bond; two solitary souls forming one of the most touching on-screen relationships of the year.
Hu sprinkles in dreamlike visions of life in flux. Solar eclipses, venomous snakes on the loose and stray animals spilling out of the town’s ramshackle zoo offer surrealist stop-offs for Black Dog’ s journey of rediscovery. The presence of a flirty, effervescent circus performer called Grape (Tong Liya) suggests romance. But among these arid landscapes and the increasingly deserted cityscape, eerily beautiful as they all are, love can’t easily blossom. The town is an abandoned playground for dreams that never quite came true.
Black Dog was the deserved winner for this year’s Un Certain Regard winner at Cannes, the prize for the most innovative, daring work of the festival (its dog star, Little Xin, was a winner at the festival’s unofficial canine awards, the Palm Dog, too). You’d be barking to miss it. In UK cinemas Aug 30.
Cast and crew
- Director: Hu Guan
- Screenwriter: Hu Guan, Rui Ge
- Jia Zhangke
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SUBMIT A STORY IDEA
U of A researcher featured in Netflix film 'Inside the Mind of a Dog'
Have you ever wondered what your 'furever' friend is thinking? What each wag of the tail - or bark - actually means? Emily Bray in the College of Veterinary Medicine helped peel back the layers of canine cognition in Netflix's new documentary, "Inside the Mind of a Dog."
Courtesy Netflix + Red Rock Films
Man's best friend is the subject of a new Netflix documentary featuring the expertise of a University of Arizona researcher. Narrated by Emmy-nominated actor and longtime friend of dogs Rob Lowe, "Inside the Mind of a Dog" follows many dogs, including a group of puppies as they begin their service dog training. The film, which will be available Friday on the streaming platform, explores the relationship between humans and dogs, examines new research in the field of veterinary medicine, and helps pet owners improve their relationships with their furry friends.
Among the experts featured in the documentary is Emily Bray , assistant professor of human-animal interaction and director of the Behavioral Research Across Years Lab in the U of A College of Veterinary Medicine .
She wants to better understand how dogs think, behave and solve problems.
"I study canine cognition and the factors that influence it, including aspects of a dog's early environment, like maternal style. I want to understand how dogs view the world and their interactions with us," Bray said. "A lot of my current research is conducted in collaboration with the service dog organization Canine Companions, and in the past, I have also worked with guide dogs and detection dogs. The more we can find out about how dogs in these various working roles think, the better we can set them – and us – up for success."
Bray joined the team of animal experts on "Inside the Mind of a Dog" thanks to the film's director, Andy Mitchell, who contacted Bray directly. A four-time Emmy Award winner who previously directed the documentary "Inside the Mind of a Cat," Mitchell has also developed animal documentaries for National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Disney+, Discovery and Animal Planet.
Bray filmed with the production company, Red Rock Films, last summer at Canine Companions' national headquarters in Santa Rosa, California. Canine Companions is a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities and provides facility dogs to work in health care, criminal justice and educational settings.
Emily Bray (left), who was pregnant at the time, works through point-following tasks with a puppy at the Canine Companions national headquarters during the filming of "Inside the Mind of a Dog."
Courtesy of Netflix + Red Rock Films
Over the course of two days of filming, Bray discussed her research, answered questions and demonstrated some of the behavioral exercises that bring her research to life. The crux of her work involves engaging dogs of all ages, from 8-week-old puppies to geriatric dogs, in cognitive games so that she can better understand how their brains work.
"One of the quintessential tasks in canine cognition research is point-following," Bray said. "Our previous research has shown that even at just 8 weeks of age, puppies can reliably follow a human point to find a hidden treat."
Because Bray and her colleagues included hundreds of puppies of known ancestry in their previous research, they could compile their data into a statistical model to determine how much of the variation in the puppies' performance was due to genetics, as opposed to the environment.
"We found a large role of genetics," Bray said. "Paired with the fact that this skill emerges at such a young age, we concluded that dogs seem to be biologically prepared to communicate with us."
Bray is also one of the U of A researchers behind the Service Dog and Veteran Experiences Study , a national clinical trial examining the potential medical benefits of service dogs on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Alongside other faculty in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Bray studies the impact service dogs have on veterans with PTSD and hopes the team's work may one day lead to more efficient medical interventions for patients.
Peeling back the layers of canine cognition
So, how does a researcher study the behavior and emotions of a nonverbal subject? That challenge is at the heart of Bray's research. To peel back the layers of canine cognition, she uses standardized cognitive tasks that engage dogs in different ways so that researchers can objectively observe and draw inferences from the animals' actions and dispositions. Combining those observations with information about the dog's hormones and other biological markers can provide a little clearer picture of what is going on.
"Inside the Mind of a Dog" premieres Aug. 9 on Netflix.
Netflix + Red Rock Films
"Some traits that we measure in our games are impulse control, memory and reactivity – as well as a dog's temperament," Bray said. "We have other tools as well: we can put an accelerometer on dogs to track their physical activity, take their blood to look at their DNA and check their hormone levels to get a sense of their stress. You can also ask the owners what they think. It is really exciting, because you can explore all sorts of things."
While Bray did not get to meet narrator Lowe while on the set of "Inside the Mind of a Dog," she did work with Mitchell and the rest of the production team and said she found the whole experience exciting. She hopes her contribution to the documentary inspires viewers to spend more time observing their own pet's behavior and thinking about the relationship they share with their dogs.
"The really big takeaway for me, as I do this science and pull out the variables that we're interested in, is that dogs can be really astute observers of humans – but we don’t always do a great job of returning the favor," Bray said. "There are a lot of behavioral cues that dogs exhibit that the average person just doesn't catch, and that can impact our dogs' experiences and sometimes lead to misunderstandings."
"Inside the Mind of a Dog" premieres Friday on Netflix and is an hour and 15 minutes long. Following the premiere, the documentary team will attempt a Guinness World Record for "most dogs to attend a film screening" at a showing of the movie on Aug. 10 in Middlebury, Vermont. The goal is for at least 220 dogs to attend, alongside their owners.
Resources for the Media
Logan Burtch-Buus News Writer [email protected]
Mindy Burnett College of Veterinary Medicine [email protected]
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IMAGES
COMMENTS
Red dog is directed by Australian producer Kriv Stenders and was made in 2011. The story takes place during the 1970's so one would expect to view various counts of racism and sexism but there was no evidense of these themes ever showing as the dialogue had been written for a G rating. It was as if the whole production has had its mouth ...
Red Dog Text Response Essay Your task is to write a text response essay on the film Red Dog. An essay is a structured and detailed analytical response that answers a set question. To write a successful essay, you must do the following: 1. Write in a formal and structured manner, including the use of TEEL. 2.
Australian film, Red Dog as a popular cultural product from Western Australia. Set in a working class mining community in the 1970s, I argue that it provides a new outback legend in the form of Red Dog. This article stems from a review of Red Dog as Film of the Year written for the forthcoming Directory of World
This article stems from a review of Red Dog as Film of the Year written for the forthcoming Directory of World Cinema: Australian and New Zealand Second Edition from Intellect Books. Red Dog is an Australian film released in 2011 based on the many stories of a real-life red kelpie dog that lived in northern West Australia in the 1970s.
1233 Words. 5 Pages. Open Document. Nathanial Brown In the 2011 Australian film 'Red Dog' directed by Kriv Stenders many issues relating to Australian identity are addressed including the stereotypical Australian values such as conflict with authority and mateship. Stenders uses skilful camera and visual techniques to portray a realistic ...
Film Analysis: Red Dog. The character stories included throughout the movie are very significant to the personality of the character. These emotions of the characters were captured by Kriv Stenders. The stories of the miners really give the audience a glimpse of who they are deep down. The movie is set in the remote Pilbara is Western Australia ...
Red Dog is a real charmer of an Aussie movie. Directed by Kriv Stenders, the film is based on the true story of a Kelpie who won the hearts of Western Australia during the '70s. With its myriad of heart and soul, the movie is a heart-warming, endearing, humorous and affecting portrayal of a mining town's love for the titular canine.
Red Dog - Year 7 English Film text assignment - St Leonard's College - Cameron Sayers 2012. Red Dog - Year 7 Film Study Unit Title: Why does belonging matter? Tall tales and true: Red Dog Red Dog, as he came to be known started his life with the name 'Tally Ho' which in typical Australian style was quickly shortened to just Tally.
Red Dog. Reviewed by: Lindis Kipp. "The cast do a splendid job of portraying the rough and tumble inhabitants of the mining town, each with their own problems and desires." Tweet. A young trucker reaches a mining town in Western Australia in the middle of the night. He walks in on the local pub owner and several of his friends struggling with a ...
Essay, Pages 3 (625 words) Views. 149. ''The world is a funny place, no? Sometimes you pick your dog, sometimes your dog picks you.''. Quoted from the heart wrenching movie "red dog" filmed in a very small peaceful country town called Dampier. Good morning peers and fellow Australian Film Institute. The movie 'Red Dog' directed ...
The film represents the hot, harsh Australian outback through the use of colour and lighting. In particular, the colour of the dust (rustic red or orange) is an iconic and distinctly Australian outback colour. It symbolises the relentless heat in the outback. The degree of intensity is the strong blocks of red that is established in this scene.
Film Analysis: Red Dog. 376 Words2 Pages. The film Red Dog, is a story about loyalty and mateship. Its directed by Kriv Stenders, the site is located in the Western Australia in a town call Dampier and is based upon a true story. A statue in memory of Red Dog can be found on the road into Dampier today. Usally people chose an animal to be their ...
Using the titular Red Dog as a framing mechanism, the film is less of a feature narrative than it is a series of short vignettes based on the stories of the township. A concurrent story runs alongside it, with the locals once again rallying around Red Dog as he lays dying, trading stories and sharing the best that the kelpie had to offer.
By mddixon. August 23, 2011. The movie Red Dog is based on the true story of a dog who became famous for his travels across Western Australia's Pilbara region in the 1970s. Suzannah Marshall Macbeth was moved by this evocative, funny story of a community brought together by a dog. Much is made of whether or not Australian films say something ...
Australian Film Red Dog Analusis Essay. In the 2011 Australian film 'Red Dog' directed by Kriv Stenders many issues relating to Australian identity are addressed including the stereotypical Australian values such as conflict with authority and mateship. Stenders uses skilful camera and visual techniques to portray a realistic 1970's ...
Our review: Parents say ( 2 ): Kids say ( 9 ): As dog movies go, Red Dog offers some unique framing: It's set in the starkly beautiful Australian Outback; it's told against the tale of the rough-hewn miners he finds a home among. It's a beautifully shot movie in an inherently interesting setting.
YEAR 7 ENGLISHYEAR. SSESSMENT TASKNow that you have explored the film 'Red Dog' it is time to really show off your knowledge and. nderstanding. You n. ed to write anessay in response to one of th. pics below. • This task is not about explaining whether you liked t. ilm or not. • You need to consider how the story is to.
Red Dog is a 2011 Australian comedy-drama family film written by Daniel Taplitz, directed by Kriv Stenders and produced by Nelson Woss and Julie Ryan. It stars Koko as the title character, Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor, and John Batchelor.The film is based on the true story of Red Dog and uses the 2002 novel Red Dog by Louis de Bernières as the primary source. [3]
By Nathan. Music and sound is a very important part of any film, it sets the scene. If it was a happy scene there would be upbeat music to make the audience feel happy. Such as when John dies in Red Dog it has sad depressing music. You notice that when Red Dog dies that they use the same music. That is so the audience links the two parts ...
Published 20120605. ISBN: 9781921922534. Extent: 264 pp. Paperback (234 x 153mm), eBook. IT was a lazy Saturday morning. The winter sun was throwing a pallid wash through the lounge-room window. I needed to go to the market, but breakfast, first: the steam curling upwards from the porridge, dampening my face; the newspaper stiff in its tight roll.
Black Dog was the deserved winner for this year's Un Certain Regard winner at Cannes, the prize for the most innovative, daring work of the festival (its dog star, Little Xin, was a winner at ...
Red dog is a breathtaking, exciting and heart-warming film that is bursting with adventures with different settings, mate ships and themes. The story of a legendary and lovable dog who finds his way into the hearts of everybody he meets, bringing people and communities together. Directed by Kriv Stenders' and released in the year 2011, the ...
"Inside the Mind of a Dog" premieres Friday on Netflix and is an hour and 15 minutes long. Following the premiere, the documentary team will attempt a Guinness World Record for "most dogs to attend a film screening" at a showing of the movie on Aug. 10 in Middlebury, Vermont. The goal is for at least 220 dogs to attend, alongside their owners.
Red dog is a breathtaking, exciting and heart-warming film that is bursting with adventures with different settings, mate ships and themes. The story of a legendary and lovable dog who finds his way into the hearts of everybody he meets, bringing people and communities together. Directed by Kriv Stenders' and released in the year 2011, the ...