Canine

By: Kelly Kearney

Dividing its time between the lush green hills of Ireland and the dry landscape of Namibia, Canine, the documentary short from filmmaker Paul Webster, lands at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.  Following the life of an elite tracking dog trained for a deployment in Namibia, this isn’t your average feel-good dog movie. This guard dog won’t be keeping watch over farms and property, he will be protecting Black Rhinos from a wealthy syndicate of ruthless poachers descending on the African nation and threatening the species and the country’s delicate ecosystem. Webster’s Canine examines closely what it takes to protect one of the planet’s most massive predators from its most destructive.

Man’s Best Friend, Greed’s Worst Foe

Namibia’s terrain provides an ideal habitat for the thriving population of Black Rhinos. With the largest number of these creatures existing on the African continent, the country should be a sanctuary for them to thrive in. However, the abundance of rhinos has attracted the attention of poachers and smugglers, turning Namibia’s reserves into dangerous hunting grounds for a wealthy syndicate of poachers. Shockingly, rhino deaths in Namibia soared upwards of 93% between 2021 and 2022, marking the deadliest period for these majestic animals on record. Despite the efforts of mobile police units, the situation remains dire and time is running out. Enter the skillful Canine, bred and trained to live a life of servitude, protecting the Black Rhino from extinction.

Facing such formidable challenges, the question seems like an obvious one to anyone with a lap dog who is more snacks and naps than hunting down killers: how can a dog protect a three thousand pound armored giant from the threats posed by humans and their advanced technology? By employing man’s best friend – an animal with a highly developed nose for tracking and a genetically engineered bond to people. The easily trainable workhorse known as the Belgian Malinois featured in this film isn’t your average house pet. These are working dogs; bred and raised for a purpose and their bond linking them to humans plays a crucial role in preventing the massacre of an entire species for the sake of profits.

In the narration provided by the trainer, it becomes evident that these dogs undergo rigorous evaluation from the moment of their birth. Every aspect of their health, body structure, willingness to learn and temperament are meticulously assessed. The goal is to identify the most promising candidates for the task at hand, ensuring that only the most suitable pups are selected for the important role they are destined to fulfill. Choosing the right dog isn’t just crucial to the Black Rhino’s population, it’s also a blueprint to the dog’s own survival and whether or not  their team of mobile police can put their lives in the paws of these pups.

The Chosen One

When we meet the small and precocious Malinois puppy from a recently born litter, we learn that “street smarts” will be his best survival skill. Over the next few months the selected dog prepares for his life-changing position and the responsibility that goes along with it. With scenes focusing on the dog’s ability to problem solve beyond the orders of his trainer, we see him climbing the rocky rural hills of Ireland as well as dominating obstacle courses at home. After the pup gets the basics, he is tossed into a series of challenges of controlled stressors to prepare him on how to navigate the dangerously rugged terrain of Namibia and anyone or thing he would encounter on it. The training the dog goes through is imperative to his own survival – as water can be limited on tracking expeditions and the dog needs to be able to work through his discomfort. His success not only stalls the endangerment of the Rhino species and allows them to breed– replenishing their numbers, but it also ensures the safety of the police teams tracking the illegal poachers. Like their own ecosystem, every member of the team has a purpose and for the dog and their exceptionally trained nose, they work as the captains leading the armed troops into a jungle of hidden threats.

With his training complete, the dog leaves his comfortable Irish home to board a flight to Okahandja, Namibia. This is ground zero for the final battle to save the Black Rhino species from extinction and the visuals of the landscape captured on film are stunning. Zooming in on the expansive landscape, the camera captures sweeping and majestic shots of the selected dog, poised high above a valley. The vastness of the terrain seems to extend infinitely, serving as a poignant reminder of the immense scale of the task at hand. There is a heaviness of emotion in this 16-minute run-time that builds a sense of tension–an urgency of extinction, and it is woven into the tone of the film. These dogs bear the weight of human greed and the grim, inevitable consequences it brings. Their mission is a glimmer of hope, as they work to lessen the damage until humanity faces Earth’s collective reckoning.

Conservation Can Be Brutal

In one of the most memorable scenes the now fully grown dog heads to the beach in Ireland to learn how to attack and apprehend a poacher. The camera doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the attack, as the dog’s gnashing teeth sink violently into the padded gear of his trainer’s assistant. The scene demonstrates the beautiful chaos of a creature that’s both friend and hunter of man. Webster manages to capture the nurturing of a dog’s killer nature in slow and vivid motion.

While some of the content in this short-doc might be triggering for people with a fear of dogs or with more extreme sensitivities towards animal hunting and abuse, Canine is a worthy tool to both educate and entertain anyone who respects dogs and their limitless capabilities. This is not a film for your average dog enthusiast, but it is a deeply effective and must-see watch for those who have an interest in conservation, dog training, and the threats facing the Black Rhino.