New Channel Going to the Dogs

Plenty of things will grab a dog’s attention: squirrels, tennis balls, funny smells, other dogs. But a TV channel?

Absolutely, say the makers of DogTV, the first cable network to deliver 24-hour programming for dogs. The idea, they say, is that flipping on the channel while you go out for the day will keep your pet stimulated, entertained and relaxed. Call it “Sesame Street” for those who will never learn their ABCs.

The shows on DogTV are actually three- to six-minute segments featuring grassy fields, bouncing balls and humans rubbing dog tummies. There are also segments featuring noiseless vacuum cleaners and muted doorbells to help make dogs more comfortable around such common household agitations.

Executives at the network say their programming is scientifically designed to appeal to dogs. “We have three years of research on how dogs react to different stimuli,” said Bonnie Vieira, a spokeswoman for DogTV.

For instance, she explained, “For dogs who suffer from separation anxiety, DogTV is a tool that might help ease them, so maybe they’re not getting into trouble, and they’re happier, more relaxed, when you get home.”

But can dogs actually watch, and benefit from, television? Like most questions regarding canine consciousness, the answer depends on whom you ask.

“I think a lot of this is to make us feel better as opposed to making the pet happier,” said Dr. Ann E. Hohenhaus, a staff veterinarian for the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan. “Your pet needs adequate exercise and an interesting environment. You cannot just put on the TV and hope your dog is going to get better.”

Still, if the dog is paying attention to the screen, odds are it likes what it sees. “If the dog wasn’t enjoying it, he would find something else to do, like nibble on the end of a sofa,” Dr. Hohenhaus said. In that way, dog-oriented shows “could be a component” in a program designed to alleviate separation anxiety.

In a test of DogTV at the Escondido Humane Society in California, the pets housed in a “behavior evaluation ward” — essentially a holding pen for new residents — found that exposure to the channel at least temporarily helped reduce barking and antsy behavior.

Whether your dog actually pays attention to the TV may have more to do with the screen than what’s on it, said Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. He should know of what he speaks: in 2007, he created a series of DVDs for canines called “The Dog Companion.”

“Dogs have terrific motion sensitivity,” Dr. Coren said, meaning that the optical illusion that makes still images on a TV appear fluid won’t fool them as easily as it does humans. “For many dogs, that’s a turn-off. It doesn’t look real to them.”

To increase the chances that your dog will pay attention, place the high-definition TV at the pet’s eye level, Dr. Coren advised. “Some people wrote to me and said, ‘This DVD didn’t work, my dog paid no attention to it,’” he said. “Well, a lot of people just plugged the image into their wall-mounted TV set, and the truth of the matter is, your dog is not going to look up there.”

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But, like people, some dogs just aren’t that into TV, said Teoti Anderson, a former president of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. “Two of my dogs do pay attention to the TV depending what’s on,” she said. “One of them couldn’t care less.”

If your dog does show interest, it probably can learn from what it sees on a television, Ms. Anderson said. Exposing a pet to muted versions of everyday irritants like vacuum cleaners and doorbells, for example, is a time-tested method for reducing the animal’s fear of them. But an important aspect of the technique is amping up the volume as the dog grows comfortable — so, depending on how quickly a dog learns, the owner may want to hover nearby to turn up the DogTV volume.

But — of course — dog owners shouldn’t mistake TV time for quality time, animal behaviorists cautioned. “It definitely isn’t a substitute for play time with your dog,” Ms. Anderson said. “Exercise can solve a lot of behavioral problems.”

DogTV has been available through cable providers in San Diego since February and can also be accessed online. Its purveyors aim to put it on cable systems nationwide by the end of the year.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/0...e-watching-tv/