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A recent study from Auburn University reveals that dogs have distinct preferences for television content, with 88.3% of surveyed dogs actively responding to TV. Researchers identified three viewing styles: animal-focused watchers, anticipatory followers, and cautious reactors to human or object content. The study, published in Scientific Reports, used a novel Dog Television Viewing Scale (DTVS) to assess how dogs react to different stimuli.
The research found that excitable dogs are more likely to follow movement on screen, while anxious dogs react strongly to non-animal content like human voices or doorbells. These findings suggest that a dog's personality influences their TV watching habits, similar to humans. The study involved 453 dogs, ranging from four months to 16 years old, representing all major breed groups.
Understanding these viewing patterns could have practical applications for dog welfare. For instance, shelters could use tailored TV programming to enrich the environment for confined dogs. Dog owners might also use this information to address problematic TV-related behaviors, such as excessive barking.
The study highlights that dogs process TV images as meaningful representations of real objects, which could inform broader animal cognition research. As pet ownership rises, understanding canine media consumption becomes increasingly relevant, especially for dogs left alone during the day.