Why do some dogs love TV? The answer may surprise you.

These findings may have practical implications for dog care and training.

How was the study conducted?

A team of researchers from Auburn University in Alabama analyzed data from 453 dog owners whose pets showed interest in television. The information was collected through detailed surveys.

It was observed that dogs with more lively temperaments were more likely to follow moving objects on the screen. Conversely, dogs that were slightly more anxious or nervous responded more strongly to sounds unrelated to animals—such as doorbells or passing cars.

Do dogs understand what they see on screen?

The researchers emphasize that dogs' reactions to television are partially predictable based on their temperament, and the animals themselves can recognize objects presented on a 2D screen in a way similar to their actual perception in three-dimensional space.

It's not yet entirely clear how dogs interpret television broadcasts compared to reality. Research to date in this area has been limited in scope and sample size.

Overall, the dogs in the study responded significantly more often to the presence of other animals on the screen than to inanimate objects, such as vehicles. The average viewing time per dog was about 14 minutes.

Age, race and gender have no significant impact

The study also found that a dog's age, gender, or breed had no impact on how the animal responded to television. Similarly, the amount of time spent in front of a screen did not influence its behavior toward television content.

Interestingly, the type of stimulus – for example, the image of a dog or the sound of a car – was more important than the form of the message itself (whether it was an image or sound).

Television can be useful in shelters

According to the researchers, these results could help better tailor programs shown to dogs—for example, in shelters—to match the content to the individual needs and temperament of the animal. Television could thus become an effective tool for entertaining pet dogs and reducing their stress.

Scientists have also developed a special scale – the so-called DTVS (Dog Television Viewing Scale), which can be used as a tool to more precisely assess how dogs perceive visual and audio content.

As researchers emphasize, watching TV can be not only a sensory stimulus for a dog, but also a beneficial experience that enriches its everyday life.

Read also: Dogs detect serious illness. Accuracy surprised even scientists. Read also: Can dogs eat fruit? Veterinarian puts to rest speculation.