Buzz
In 2012, a television commercial aired in the UK for Bakers dog food, specifically created to grab the attention of dogs. The ad used high-frequency sounds that humans can't hear. The idea was that the dog would become so engrossed by the commercial that owners would notice and consider buying Bakers for their next meal.
The campaign didn't quite succeed. Many dogs didn't respond at all, suggesting that when it comes to TV ads, humans might be more impressionable than their canine companions.
Although pets may not be easily influenced, they still find the television screen captivating, often reacting to other animals, sounds, or images. But what is a dog actually seeing when they watch?
When it comes to color, television appears no different from the real world for a dog. They have dichromatic vision, which means they perceive the world in just two primary colors: yellow and blue. (Humans, on the other hand, have trichromatic vision and can see the entire color spectrum.) Canine cone cells are also thought to blur their vision to some extent. More significantly, dogs process the frame rate, or 'flicker fusion frequency,' of screens differently from humans. While humans detect movement between 16 and 20 frames per second, dogs need at least 70 frames per second. An older television might appear like a flipbook or strobe light effect to them. (Modern sets, with faster frame rates, are likely why dogs are more interested in high-definition televisions.)
That explains the visual aspect. But what about the content? Dogs typically react to the same stimuli that would catch their attention in real life—such as barking, squeaking toys, or commands. In a study published in *Animal Cognition* in 2013, nine dogs were observed to see if they could recognize another dog's face—regardless of breed—on a computer screen, rather than a person or another animal. The dogs were rewarded with treats for correctly identifying the dog. Although the sample size was small, it suggested that dogs can indeed recognize other dogs on a screen. (This may not be surprising if you've ever seen your dog suddenly perk up when a canine appears on screen.)
If your dog used to get excited when another dog appeared on television but has since lost interest, they may have simply become desensitized to the image, realizing that the figure on the screen won't move beyond the boundaries of the monitor.
Content unrelated to dogs is likely to hold little interest. In a 2017 study published in the *International Journal of Human-Computer Studies*, dogs shown three different screens didn't show any particular preference for one over the others. When presented with all three screens at once, they seemed uninterested in watching anything at all.
The study also found that dogs have a short attention span when it comes to television. Unlike humans who binge-watch, dogs prefer to glance at the screen for just a few seconds at a time. However, this behavior could be breed-dependent. Hunting breeds may be more interested in moving objects, while scent-driven breeds might be indifferent.
And what about cats? In a study published in *Applied Animal Behaviour Science* in 2008, 125 shelter cats were given access to a television for up to three hours each day. The cats were divided into five groups and shown a range of programming, from footage of humans to prey animals to a blank screen. On average, the cats spent only 6.1 percent of their time watching the screen, and when they did, it was primarily to focus on the prey.
Since cats might react to images of birds and rodents on TV, it's a good idea for owners to avoid leaving them unsupervised. You can also secure the TV to the wall to prevent the cats from knocking it over.
In general, dogs and cats are much more interested in what's happening in the real world than what's on television. We could probably learn something from their brief screen time habits.
