Dog tv, for dogs. ( yes, really, a tv channel just for dogs).....discuss.

[dixiegrrrrl]

Here is what the first page of the web site says, in explaining the concept.
"Welcome to DOGTV
The First Television Channel for dogs

Scientifically developed. Pup approved. DOGTV is cable’s first network

created exclusively for canines, and the humans who love them.

DOGTV’s 24/7 programing helps stimulate, entertain, relax and habituate

dogs with shows that expose them to various movements, sounds, objects,

experiences and behavior patterns, all from a dog’s point of view."

http://www.dogtv.com/

I am uncertain how I feel about this....
but, I can say with certainty...tv is indeed.....going to the dogs.

[TrogL]

1. I need it for my dogs

When left home they like to watch TV. They like the discovery channel and national geographic especially dog whisperer. They'd live a channel of their own

[jillan]

2. My grand dog would love it! She loves to watch tv.

She's a chihuahua mix.

My dog, an Australian Cattle Dog would just fall asleep

[HillWilliam]

25. Our cattledog apparently thinks TV is a waste of a nap, too

The GSD/BC mix on the other hand would watch all day.

And yap!

[FirstLight]

3. *snort*

It makes me think of the movie "Scrooged" when they decide to market the movie to pets, by using the door-mice...

"how do we get the antlers to stay on?"
"have you tried staples?"

[lob1]

4. My dog can't stay off his Ipod long enough to watch TV.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Where do I complaint?

Where is Conure TV? Oh wait, that be msnbc.

( Seriously do not put fox here or they will not stop the squaking, of course it's spring...so they are just lovely right at the momemt)

[OffWithTheirHeads]

6. Frankly, my dogs have a much better understanding of

what's going on around them than any of my reletives who watch Fox. Bonnie has only recently figured out that the dogs on T.V. are not actually in the house and she has stopped barking at them. Took a few years.

[HillWilliam]

26. What's too funny is

our GSD/BC mix LOVES Rachel and KO, but if she sees O'Lielly her hair sticks up and she growls. Smart dog!!

[Motown_Johnny]

7. I would think you would get a better reaction from cats

I have had dogs all my life and only been without for very short periods. My dogs have only very rarely given a damn about what was on the TV screen. They sometimes react to sounds but seldom watch the screen.

Cats are a different story. I have had cats try to attack the screen and they sometimes seem very interested in the motions on the screen.

I wouldn't waste the electricity for my dog but if I had a cat (which I don't right now) I might consider it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. I expect to see cats picketing the networks for thier own channel very soon!

[TrogL]

46. Dogs couldn't see CRT TV screens. Their eye raster was too slow

All dogs could see of TV was a bunch of wavy lines until LCD TV's (with a longer refresh time) came along. Now they can see them just fine.

Also, dogs have exceptional hearing and didn't used to be fooled by barks on TV. Now that we've got digital sound, they get every nuance - and hence get fooled. I've got surround sound in the living room. My left back-rear (I've got 7:1) speaker is right next to the back door. TV shows tend to put doorbells on the back channels so the dogs get fooled into thinking someone is at the door.

[longship]

8. The Gerbil Channel

brought to you by Gerbil Fancy magazine.

Just kidding. I think a channel for dogs is wonderful. (It's about time, if you ask me.)

R&K for all dog lovers.

[Canuckistanian]

9. The Hamster History Channel

Next up: 10:00-11:30 Hamsters at War - Hitler's Nightmare

[longship]

15. Which is just a validation of Godwin's Law

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

But, you ought to read the latest Bat Fancy magazine.

[Kalidurga]

10. Oh noes we will be a nation of couch puptatoes.

[pinboy3niner]

11. And for a little extra, you can probably get DOGTV in Flea-D!

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. *snort*

[ellisonz]

11. That's a brilliant idea.

One of our dogs loves seeing dogs on TV - to the extent that she wants to jump at the TV screen. We can't watch the Dog Whisperer.

[pinboy3niner]

13. Yeah--but now you gotta fight your dogs for the remote, too!

How soon before you throw in the towel and get them their own TV?

[ellisonz]

14. Not if they get their own TV...

...I mean if it's a good enough strategy for dealing with kids, it will probably work with dogs too

Television as a babysitter makes me

[Liquorice]

16. I saw a segment about this on Nightline. My dog

would never watch it. She seems oblivious to the TV, but I have seen dogs who do watch it, so I guess there is an audience for it.

[TorchTheWitch]

17. how epically stupid

People already don't pay enough attention to their dogs. Dog tv is just an excuse to pay even less attention. Dogs need real life stimulation, and they get neurotic without enough of it. Plopping them down in front of the tv is even more stupid than people doing that with their kids as an excuse to not pay them enough real life attention.

Turn off the tv and actually interact with your dog.

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. But ..won't somebody think of the poor home alone dogs....

Many people cannot be home for periods of time, and have to leave their doggies in side alone.

[TorchTheWitch]

51. so? they just sleep

Dogs need a hell of a lot more sleep time and calm time than people do. They don't need the same amount of stimulation as people do, and too much stimulation creates anxiety in a dog. I can see something distracting could be good for dogs that have separation anxiety when they have to be alone. But pretty much any calming distraction will do. This dog tv silliness is nothing but the perfect excuse to not deal with the dog and let the tv entertain them. And that's exactly how most people will use it. Frankly, I've never seen a dog have any interest in anything on tv for more than a few minutes at best. No dog is going to sit there and watch tv for hours. And anything they find very interesting on tv repeating it gets them used to it, and thus no longer interesting. Strange unfamiliar sights and sounds can also be stressful for dogs and create a fearful dog when they don't have anyone there to reasure them. It's a bad idea for nothing more than money making reasons, and most people WILL use it as an excuse to not interact with their dog and exposing them to real life things while they are there to reasure them or correct bad behavior.

Dogs are happiest in a non-stress environment... an environment that us intelligent thought processing humans would find maddeningly boring. TV can be entertaining and thought provoking for people, but it's stupid to believe a dog will find it so. Dogs aren't people. They need WAY WAY less stimulation than people do, they need to be stimulated by new and strange things only as much as they can cope with, that is necessary for them to learn to accept for real life situations, and while their owner/leader is there to reassure them or correct bad behavior. This dog tv nonsense will be used to not interact with one's dog, over-stimulate, and will be used while the owner/leader isn't there to reassure or correct them. Bank on it. We've already done this with our kids, but at least kids are humans who CAN appraciate some tv and are CAPABLE of thought processing, but look what a mess we've made with our kids using the TV as a nanny.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. Cat's are not going to like this one bit.

What are they supposed to do, sit and watch nature programs all day? As if that's half as interesting as watching the bird feeder out the window!

Prepare yourselves for the kitteh's revenge.

You'll never again go to the bathroom without being watched for their entertainment.

You'll never again take a shower without having a feline audience.

You'll never again do your taxes without their watching you - from on top of the pile of receipts - with that look in their eyes that says they could have had it finished hours ago.

You'll never read a book, magazine, newspaper or e-reader again without them sitting on your lap performing their version of acupuncture to gain your attention.

You'll never have one moment of intimacy with your partner without a bored audience looking on as if to say, "I really should have gotten them fixed years ago, they'd have much more time to worship me if I had."

You'll never be able to watch television with your dog without later discovering a hairball hacked up on your pillow.

Be afraid America. Be very afraid.

Oh, wait...that's no different than things are for cat owners already. Silly me!

[Duer 157099]

19. My dog likes TV and I leave the sound on for her when she's home alone

I leave it on the Food Network though, since when she sees or hears animals on TV she kind of freaks out. She tries to run behind the TV to find the animal.

[Mopar151]

20. Jozie won't care...

We were warned - ShiTzus dont beleive they are dogs - just small humans with a genetic disorder. Her people reading skills are equal to a carnival fortuneteller.......

[slackmaster]

21. Meow

[mmonk]

22. Ridiculous but harmless.

All my adopted dog knows is that we sit in front of a box of noises.

[thesquanderer]

23. Romney: "I even put a video screen on the car roof for him." (nt)

[kaiden]

24. Our Akbash especially likes Game of Thrones.

One morning, when we were having a snow storm, I came down to the family room and turned on the television to check snow totals, etc. I went upstairs for a while and when I came back downstairs, there sat Mishka on the sofa like a man (Akbashes are rather large dogs), watching the morning news. All by himself.

He also enjoyed the American Idol auditions.

[dixiegrrrrl]

30. Where on earth did you manage to find that dog?

I just googled and found pics .....
"rather large" is almost an understatement!

[kaiden]

32. Google Akbash rescue. They're livestock guardians.

Mishka's supposed to be out with the goats and llamas, but we have a Mean Neighbor who doesn't want to hear any dog bark and has threatened him.

How do I post a photo? I'll post one of Mishka on the couch with my husband, DUer Dry Hump.

[dixiegrrrrl]

37. I pm'd you with that info.

[kaiden]

39. Thanks, dixiegrrrrl! I hope this works. You can see how large an Akbash is here.

[IMG][/IMG]

[dixiegrrrrl]

40. Good god...

Part of me is envious, part of me is thinking of the food bill and the exercise needs of that gorgeous boy.

[kaiden]

44. Two years old and, ahem, a couch potato.

Livestock guardians don't herd -- they lie around in the pasture with their flock eyeballing things to guard against when they aren't sleeping. A dog like this is PERFECT for old folks like us. Mishka does like to play with his goaties, though, and has an especially attractive ruminant girlfriend who headbutts him.

[pinboy3niner]

41. Only one comment...

You're gonna need a bigger couch

[kaiden]

45. Ha!

[smokey nj]

54. That's not a dog, that's a horse in a dog suit.

[azurnoir]

31. mine likes animal planet especially

shows about Lions she watches those intently, little interest in wolf shows though

[Blue_Tires]

33. Didn't Robert Mitchum make that proposal in "Scrooged?"

Satire of the past is reality today...

[Nuclear Unicorn]

34. Out -- Myth-Busters; In -- Butt-Sniffers n/t

[CraftyGal]

35. Wahoo

And for your viewing entertainment...I give you Scrappy watching ABC's 20/20 episode called Pet Crazy

http://tinypic.com/r/34fo408/5

[kpete]

36. love it

hoping the "relaxation" video works for my ROO ROO

[txwhitedove]

38. My baby Husky, Beauregard, likes Animal Planet and commercials with kids. We didn't like

that loud JCPenny commerical with the ladies screaming about coupons.

[Solly Mack]

42. My dogs watch TV. They'll drag their blankets to a couch, climb up with the blanket, do their

doggie routine to get comfy, then watch. They love, love shows about aquatic animals.

They watch TV and we watch them watch TV. (Yes, we're a boring family)

They don't care for Youtube.

They do like music and they love to dance. We dance together a lot.

We're a pack.

[MadrasT]

43. Well...

I actually have DVD's that are made for cats to watch.

They show hamsters, birds, moths, and all manner of other interesting cat things.

Some of my cats really like them. One of them always goes behind the TV to try to get to the other side of the screen (where she thinks the hamsters and moths actually are).

I had to stop playing the DVDs because the cats would bat at the teevee screen to try to get the creatures, and I was afraid their claws would damage the LCD panel. (It would have been fine with an old fashioned glass screened teevee, but these new fangled teevees and cat's claws seem like a bad combination.)

Years ago I had one cat who just adored National Geographic animal shows. He would stop everything and just sit watching the teevee when the animals were on. He especially loved bears for some odd reason.

I sure do miss that cat.

[dixiegrrrrl]

47. Back in the day of big wide tvs

I had one cat that would get on top of the tv and hang over the edge to watch the screen.
He loved Animal Planet type scenes with things running around, but would be entranced by stock car races,
hydroplanes, etc.
and every so often he woudl get over extended, fall off, then gather himself in a harrumph of injured pride and stalk indignantly out of the room.

[LiberalEsto]

48. Our dogs watch the Sprout channel

They love Barney.
I put it on as company for them if I'm going to be out for a few hours and nobody else is home.

[pinboy3niner]

49. You should introduce them to 'Stupid Human Tricks' show...

aka 'Jersey Shore'...

[LiberalEsto]

50. One of them has a delicate tummy

and I really don't want him going whoopsie when he sees Snooki.

[pinboy3niner]

52. Funny...same thing happens to me

[Lucky Luciano]

53. Cool! We always leave the tv on for my dog

...when we go out to keep her company.