Dogs Watch Television Differently Based On Personality, Study Finds

A recent study suggests that dogs watch television differently based on their individual personalities, with some dogs following on-screen objects, while anxious dogs react more to non-animal stimuli like doorbells or cars.

A team from Auburn University in Alabama conducted the study on 453 dogs and found that 88.3% of dogs actively watch TV, with clear preferences for different types of programming.

A total of 45% of dogs react to animal content, such as barking or howling. Dogs respond more to animal stimuli, like other dogs or pets, than to humans or inanimate objects.

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"These results suggest that television viewing habits may be predicted by aspects of a dog's personality and that dogs may represent objects in the 2D television format similarly to the 3D environment," write the researchers in their published paper.

The study published in Scientific Reports (Nature) on July 17 stated that in practice, engagement with television could provide dogs with an enriching, meaningful experience.

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The study revealed that the dogs watch TV for an average of 14 minutes and 8 seconds per session. Understanding their TV viewing habits can help with tailored TV programming for specific temperament types and reduce stress in dogs by selecting calming content.

"Further evaluation of these behaviors could result in appropriate application of television interventions in shelters based upon individual dog temperament, maximization of the utility of television programming as an enrichment tool for companion dogs, and screening of television programming that could be a potential stressor for companion dogs," the researchers wrote.