NEW YORK (AP) – Are canines the product of our cut-and-paste whims? Is man's best friend a man-made creation?

That's how it appears in "Science of Dogs'', which charts the human quest to shape a perfect pet – and more.

Airing on National Geographic Channel at 9 p.m. Bermuda time on Wednesday, this "Explorer" edition points out that the dog is more varied in size and behavior than any other species on Earth (even though, genetically, dogs are 99.8 percent alike). And much of the variation is thanks to science's evolutionary manipulation to create breeds that suit human needs.

Today there are 400 breeds (and counting), according to the film – "each one designed by us, for us''. And 80 percent of those breeds didn't exist 150 years ago. It's history's longest-running experiment in eugenics – the quest for perfection in a species.

Exhibit A: the dogo argentino, a fearless, aggressive dog bred in the early 1900s to combat wild boars (which in Texas alone destroy more than $50 million in crops annually) – and yet, off the job, becomes a gentle house pet.

The creature we now know as the dog started out as a wolf, then was pulled from the wild to give companionship to early humans. Gradually it became domesticated.

Then, many thousands of years later, the Industrial Revolution sparked an unprecedented focus on material design and physical perfection, with dogs a beneficiary as they became a status symbol of the new middle class.

The customized canine was suddenly the rage. It still is. And as "Science of Dogs" explains, it began in the wag of a tail.

Other shows to look out for (all times Bermuda):

■ Did you know that rum contains more flavor components than any other spirit? Or that the latest behind-the-bar craze at swank Manhattan steakhouses is something called "molecular mixology"? From microbrews loaded with vitamins to Leningrad-themed vodka parties complete with mink-coat-clad revelers, there's a new world of festive imbibing out there, and "Great Cocktails" means to be the expert guide for what to drink and where to drink it. A new series on cable's Fine Living network, "Great Cocktails" will give viewers a taste of new trends and blends in both sipping and entertaining. So raise a glass to toast the premiere, Sunday at 9 p.m.

■ "The Closer" is always fun to watch, mostly thanks to Kyra Sedgwick, who plays a Southern belle crime-buster running a special LAPD murder investigation unit. But this week's episode could be even livelier: Sedgwick's longtime hubby, Kevin Bacon, is directing her performance as Brenda Leigh Johnson. It's an encore for this family affair: actor-director Bacon was behind the camera of the hit TNT drama for an episode last season. This time, Brenda's squad car is targeted by a hail of bullets while she escorts a TV reporter doing a story about the department. Who's behind the seige? "The Closer" airs Monday at 10 p.m.

■ Strap yourself in for a behind-the-scenes, behind-the-wheel look at the preparation, logistics and rivalries that drive NASCAR. "NASCAR in Primetime" is a five-part ABC News series that examines a multibillion-dollar empire built on marketing, speed and the American dream.

Given access to NASCAR's nuts-and-bolts, ABC News spent six months following drivers (including Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson) as well as fans and officials to document what happened both on and off the track. It premieres on Wednesday at 10 p.m. on ABC.

■ They first arrived when civil war in Guatemala caused coffee prices to drop, forcing farmers in great numbers from the countryside. Then many of these unskilled workers took miserable refuge in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump, where for more than 60 years they've raised their families and eked out a living in what has been called the most toxic area in all of Central America. But these thousands of "gaujeros" have survived and carried on, and an acclaimed documentary shows how. "Recycled Life" depicts an unlikely society, and an even unlikelier public works project: As they comb through the city's trash for items that can be reused or sold for recycling, these guajeros are currently reducing Gautemala's waste by one million pounds per day. Oscar-nominated this year for Best Documentary Short, the film, directed by Leslie Iwerks, airs on Cinemax at 8 p.m. on Thursday.