Have you ever settled in front of the TV only to have a tiny fuzzy head suddenly appear and completely obscure your view? When your dog sits in front of the TV, stares at it, or barks, are they truly watching TV? What is it specifically that draws your dog to the TV? Can dogs truly view TV the same way as we can? Do they watch TV programmes geared at dogs? Let’s investigate.
Do Dogs View TV?
Dogs can see television, and many of them appear to love it. Dogs find a variety of characteristics of television programmes appealing. Some of these relate to the sounds made by the TV, while others are visual, like motion. Dogs view things on television differently than humans because their eyes are extremely different from ours. They may prefer to sit closer to the TV than we do since it helps maintain the visuals clear because their eyesight isn’t as good, being closer to 20/75 than 20/20.
Due to the fact that their retinas only contain two different types of color-processing cells, they also see colors differently (we have three). They can only see blues, greens, and yellows, therefore a dog playing with a yellow frisbee while sprinting on grass with a blue sky behind them may be quite intriguing, as opposed to a dog lounging next to a red and white picnic table with a red toy.
Additionally, dogs’ eyes have more rods than people’s do. The cells that improve night vision are rods. Dogs are incredibly sensitive to movements and have excellent night vision.
Additionally, dogs will view the image differently, especially on older TVs. If the refresh rate of the screen is higher than 55 hertz, people won’t detect any visual flickering. Dogs, on the other hand, have a superior sense of motion and can detect flickers up to 75 hertz.
Therefore, if we are watching a typical TV programme at 60 hertz, the image will appear smooth to us, but it will flicker to dogs. Fortunately, more recent TVs refresh more frequently, and laptops and desktops refresh more frequently as well, so not only do so benefit from a better image in addition to us!
Do Dogs Recognize the Unreality of TV?
Some dogs appear to take television considerably more seriously than others, making it difficult to determine what they are “thinking” while they watch it. However, it does seem that dogs are able to recognise other animals on television, respond to their barking, and easily discriminate between real dogs and cartoon dogs.
Dogs, however, also greatly rely on other senses, such as scent, which is obviously impossible to see on television. Dogs probably do realize that the image on the screen isn’t genuine, but rather a depiction of an animal or figure, based on the disconnect with their most vital sense (odor).
What Sort of TV Programs Do Dogs Enjoy?
Dogs like watching shows with moving animals in general, and they would rather see a genuine animal than a cartoon.
If you want to see if your dog is interested in TV, choose a show from your list and watch their behavior. Many popular TV programmes have been shown in research to be calming for dogs. Dog owners forced their dogs to watch series like Rick & Morty, Friends, Bridgerton, and Puper Academy in a recent research by Betway Online Casino. Among them, Friends and Bridgerton stood up as the most peaceful and calming TV programmes, helping the owners’ dogs sleep well at night.
Test out various programmes until you find one that your dog enjoys—and then pray you won’t have to battle them for the remote!
Should You Let Your Dog Watch TV?
There are now stations specifically for dogs, and there are advertisements claiming that viewing dog TV helps soothe and quiet your dog. Dog TV has become somewhat of a “thing.” Is this a fact? The verdict is yet out.
Dogs are most likely more sociable when watching TV with their owners. When left alone, they tend to either cuddle up and sleep or pursue their own interests.
However, as long as TV time doesn’t interfere with playing, outdoor time, or other activities for your dog, you are probably not doing any harm by keeping it on when you walk out.
