Customer Reviews

Wolves at Our Door [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Filmmakers Jim & Jamie Dutcher embark on a 6-year journey which takes them from the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho to the native lands of the Nez Perce tribe as they raise and bond with a pack of gray wolves they raise from puppies. The Dutchers must take care not to make pets of these magical creatures, but instead to integrate them into the social hierarchy of the adult Sawtooth pack. Any ideas harbored about wolves being vicious beasts will be dispelled as you view astonishing, illuminating images of these mystical animals playing, and caring for both their pack mates and the Dutchers! Narrated by Richard Kiley, the 50 minute film produced for the Discovery Channel is heart-warming, compelling, educational, and remarkable in its ability to both affect emotions and help the viewer truly understand how these incredible animals have been misunderstood and maligned at the hands of man, and why wolves must be saved as they are an absolutely necessary piece of our ecological tapestry! The vision of Jim Dutcher sitting in the snow-laden wilderness as the alpha-male, Kamots, puts his paw respectfully into Jim's hand will take your breath away! Unparalled cinematography and beautiful music! A film to be watched again and again!

When I saw this DVD I thought the wolves were going to be locked up into small cages. But what I saw totally gave me a new reality about wolves. Of course I have seen wolf documentaries before; and have also seen them tamed. But I did not realize they would show affection and loyalty the way this film did. Definitely a must-see!

A great film, that warms the heart and shows first hand how a wolf pack functions. Of the 5 or so wolf films I have watched this is the best. Dog owners can understand abit more about their domestic pets.

This is absolutely the best documentary on wolf behavior I have ever seen. The footage is amazing--I can't believe they were able to capture these beautiful creatures in such an open, natural state. This particular film maker defies tradition and exposes young wolf pups to human care in the wild--they grow up believing the camp is a part of their surroundings, and as a result they act very naturally. The human involvement makes for some touching scenes, such as the baby alpha howling on his lap or the full-grown alpha licking his face in the snow. The film is also well structured, covering the care of the pups to their release from camp, their mating choices, the birth of new cubs and competition for social position. It is truly a beautiful and very enlightening film.

My 4th grade students and I adopted a wolf from the WERC organization and the Wolves of the Nez Perce. I was delighted to find a video that documented their development and let us see our wolf, Lakota, interacting with his pack and his environment. Showing this informative video really helped my students (and me) to develop a deeper affection for Lakota as we watched him fail and succeed in his everyday routine. I would highly recommend this video to adoptive wolf parents and classes. The video is very well done with tons of factual information as well as with presenting a humanistic side to the wolves so that we may develop feelings for them. This video will having you laughing, cheering, crying, and caring about the wolves. The camera work is very up close and personal, too, so that you feel you are right in the forest with the Sawtooth pack. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to learn about these amazing and beautiful animals.

This video is the sequel to Wolf: Return of A Legend. It's about the sawtooth pack. You will be impressed by close up graphics, possible only because the pack is captive and has acepted the producer into their pack. IT's about adding new pups into a pack and it follows the social behaivior that guides rank in a pack. It's easily watchable if you know nothing about wolves and is very informational. Fast paced. 5 stars because a wolf video does not get more enjoyable. I beleive it has won several awards as well.

Wolves at our Door is informative, interesting, beautiful, and heart warming.

Informative: All people, whether you own a dog or not, would benefit from learning about the wolves'pack behaviors.

Interesting: The documentary moves along and keeps your interest.

Beautiful: Not only the setting, but the animals themselves possess a beauty I was unaware of.

Heartwarming: Wolves do not attack humans (which is a popular belief) and in fact can accept humans into their pack. Wolves gently care for and nurture their young and injured.

An excellent documentary - even friends who do not like (i.e.understand) dogs will enjoy this!

While it's worth keeping in mind the controversy raised by the Dutchers' approach of raising a wolf pack from pups so they'd have no fear of the filmmakers, the results are undeniably powerful, and -- from a public relations standpoint for wolves -- undeniably positive. There aren't any other films I'm aware of that delve as deeply and richly into wolf pack structure and behavior as "Wolves at Our Door" does. Those in the wildlife preservation field may disapprove of Dutcher's methods, and there are definite controversies over some of his decisions regarding the pack, but it's hard for me not to believe that, on the balance, this portrayal of wolves -- the film itself -- didn't do good. For any wolf enthusiast (or just wolf-curious), this is worth seeking out.

While as of this writing the DVD appears to be out of print, there is a book still in print (helpfully available from Amazon as well) written by Jim Dutcher in 2003 which goes into the story in more detail, as well as touching on the story of the Sawtooth Pack after the film at the Wolf Education and Research Center in Winchester, Idaho.

I don't think any animal lover could see this documentary and not end up falling in love with these wolves. Jim Dutcher's documentation of the life of the Sawtooth pack is both delightful and heart-wrenching. This video is a must-see for anyone interested in wolves or dogs.

The shots of the wolves and the scenery are truly beautiful. If you are interested in that kind of eye candy, by all means get this movie. Also, if you are interested in rich people messing with wild animals to fulfill selfish dreams of touching nature, this one's for you. If, however, you want to find out about the diverse truths of wolf pack life as it happens to these amazing creatures in the wild, avoid this at all costs. I appreciate that young children enjoy watching the wolves being played with as if they are pets, but in reality, it does neither them nor the wild packs any good, as it glosses over the actual complex issue of wolves in the wild living near human livestock. Let me say that I am an advocate of wolves being restored to their rightful place in N America, but as wolf-positive as this movie is, I cannot recommend it. (For more reasons why, do a websearch for Sawtooth Pack and check out the current controversies on the state of the pack and their caretaking organization.) Or if you do see it, immediately afterwards, read Yellowstone Wolves in the Wild.