Man's Best Friend (1993) on Netflix

Plot summary

Judy Sanders, an employee at a genetic research facility named EMAX, arranges to show television personality and animal activist Lori Tanner the cruelty inside its laboratories. Lori comes to the building with her camerawoman, Annie, and the two film the animals used in experiments before taking a Tibetan Mastiff named Max away with them; EMAX's owner, Dr. Robert Jarret, tells the police the dog was stolen. Max understands human speech and grows protective of Lori, while her boyfriend Perry objects to the animal and wants him kept in the backyard. Jarret tells detectives Max is genetically altered, with genes taken from snakes, chameleons, birds of prey and big cats giving him strength, speed and senses beyond a normal dog. He adds that Max has violent rages, held back by a drug whose effect he fears is fading.