This Is What Your Best Friend Likes On TV

Dog owners often notice their pets watching TV and computer screens and tablets. But what goes on in the pooch’s head? Indeed, by tracking their vision using similar methods used on humans, research has found that domestic dogs do prefer certain images and videos. The study indicates that dogs have a preference towards watching other canines – but our studies also discovered that sound often attracts dogs towards TV. Favored sounds are dogs barking and whining, dog friendly commands and praise, and the noise of toys squeaking. How dogs watch TV is very different to the way humans do, however. Instead of sitting still, dogs will often approach the screen, and walk repeatedly between their owner and the TV. They are essentially fidgety, interactive viewers.

What dogs can see on the screen is also different to humans. Dogs have dichromatic vision – they have two types of color receptor cells and see color within two spectrums of light: blue and yellow. This explains why canine TV channel, Dog TV prioritizes these colors in its programming. But do they enjoy it? We as humans will often watch distressing footage or videos that make us feel a range of emotions, from distress to anger and horror. It’s not always because it makes us feel good. What a dog does engage with, however, differs from dog to dog, depending on their personality, experience and preference. This is speculated to be influenced by their owner, with dogs following their human’s gaze and other communication signals.