We've all seen the online videos of dogs barking at, chasing, or otherwise intently watching something as it flits across a TV screen. And it's not just our favorite programs or cartoons that some dogs will watch. Dog-specific TV programs are on the rise, intentionally addressing our four-legged friends’ interests, at least among those who watch TV.
While some dogs eagerly follow the moving pictures and even try to interact with them, others don’t seem to care what's on TV at all. Researchers from Auburn University’s Department of Psychological Sciences asked dog owners to rate their companions’ behavior toward TV images, and their study, published in Scientific Reports, revealed an intriguing link between personality and viewing habits.
Beyond filling a quirky knowledge gap, studies like this can help us fine-tune training and expand enrichment options for our furry friends.
Do Dogs Watch TV?
Television offers dogs a unique sensory experience. Depending on how they perceive the images and sounds, it can either enrich their day with extra mental stimulation or introduce stressors if they react negatively.
According to a press release, the research team surveyed 650 dog owners and developed a TV viewing scale to capture canine habits. After exclusions, the final sample included 453 dogs aged between two months and 16 years, with 300 representing American Kennel Club-recognized breeds and 153 being mixed or non-AKC breeds.
Owners were asked about various aspects of their dog’s TV habits, from whether they’d taught their dog to watch TV, to how often the TV was on in the household, and how long their dog paid attention to it. The survey also looked at how dogs reacted to animal images versus non-animal stimuli like objects, as well as whether their reactions were sparked by visuals, sounds, or both.
Read More: How Does Your Dog Understand You?
Dog Personality Is Key
Overall, the study found that dogs were far more responsive to seeing other animals on-screen compared to non-animal visuals. Nearly half of the dogs, about 45 percent, consistently reacted to canine sounds such as barking or howling on TV.
Dogs described as “excitable” by their owners were more likely to track objects on the screen as if they were real, while dogs with anxious or fearful temperaments tended to respond more to non-animal sounds, like doorbells or car horns.
Improving Training and Entertainment Options
These insights could be useful for training, particularly for managing problem behaviors linked to TV reactivity. For example, knowing that excitable dogs might overreact to moving images can inform desensitization approaches. The researchers do caution, however, that since the study focused on dogs already exposed to TV, results might not apply universally.
Still, the findings suggest that TV could offer meaningful enrichment for dogs, whether at home or even in shelters where added mental stimulation is beneficial.
Interestingly, it appears that dogs may process TV images in a way similar to how they interpret the three-dimensional world, opening up possibilities for innovative welfare interventions and even more entertainment tailored to canine perception.
Read More: Dogs and Cognition: How Do We Know If Dogs Have a Sense of Time?
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
American Kennel Club: Dog Breeds
Scientific Reports: Characterizing TV viewing habits in companion dogs
Having worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition – into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When she’s not immersed in a popular science book, you’ll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.
