According to a new study published in Scientific Reports, your dog’s temperament plays a significant role in how they interact with television.
Led by Lane Montgomery, a PhD candidate at Auburn University, researchers surveyed 650 dog owners to determine what drives dogs to bark, stare, or ignore that giant glowing rectangle we all use to drown out the increasingly terrifying real world. The final data set included 453 dogs, ranging from two-month-old babies to sixteen-year-old seniors.
The researchers found that it’s not the breed, age, or even the amount of TV a dog has previously seen that determines whether your pup is reacting to the drama on screen. Instead, it’s their natural temperament that holds the most sway over their reactions.
How Do Dogs Decide What They Like to Watch on TV?
Excitable dogs tend to follow moving objects like squirrels or soccer balls across the screen, as if they’re hunting them in real life. Anxious or fearful dogs are more likely to become nervous or afraid of non-animal sounds, such as doorbells or car horns, probably assuming something terrible is about to happen. Nearly half of the dogs studied consistently responded to the sound of other dogs barking or howling on-screen.
It may not sound like it matters much to you, but it matters a lot to your dog. My dog used to be less anxious when we left the TV on for her when we left the house. She became even less anxious depending on what we left on for her. Something with a lot of conversation between people is what she seemed to like best. If we left on, say, an action movie with lots of gunfire and explosions, we would notice she was more alert and would pace around a lot more.
Understanding how your dog’s temperament influences their reaction to screen stimuli can help you make better choices about what to play out loud in their presence.
Montgomery notes that the study has its limitations. All the dogs observed were already living with humans who use TVs, meaning the data may not apply to every pup. Still, the research marks a significant step toward understanding how dogs perceive digital content—and how to utilize that knowledge to keep them stimulated, calm, or distracted while you’re away from home.
