Pick of the Litter

This documentary, co-directed by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy, follows a litter of puppies for two years from the moment they are born. The aim is to raise dogs that will guide blind people, but through the training most of the puppies are eliminated and sent down other paths. The film describes that culling not as failure but as each animal finding the place that suits it. Its most valuable element is showing how the volunteer raiser system works: people bring up a puppy for more than a year and then have to hand it over. Those separations carry the film's emotional weight. It also gives concrete information about what is actually measured in guide dog training. The dose of emotional manipulation is high, though the material allows for it. Who it's for: viewers interested in animal documentaries and in training processes. Who it's not for: anyone who will find the scenes of separation between people and animals hard, or who wants a critical frame.