DogTV Review: Is it Good for Dogs?

We’ve all observed our dogs generally watching or showing interest in certain videos or shows on TV, be it a cartoon featuring dogs or other animals. Some dogs even recognize themselves or other dog breeds when displayed on the screen. This highlights the intelligence of our furry friends and their attentiveness to TV content. This is why DogTV was created, a  TV channel that specifically designed for dogs.

In this DogTV review, we’ll delve into how it affects the mood of our pups and examine whether TV for dogs with anxiety genuinely works wonders and fulfills its intended purpose effectively.

What is DogTV?

DogTV is a channel/streaming service with programs scientifically developed to provide company for our pups when we’re not home. With carefully curated content tailored to capture a dog’s attention, this unique dog television channel offers a variety of shows, including cartoons featuring pups and other animals.

The programming, which runs 24/7, is designed to engage canines both mentally and visually, catering to their unique sensory perceptions. Whether it’s alleviating separation anxiety by showcasing videos of beloved owners or providing entertainment that resonates with our furry friends, the DogTV channel aims to enhance the well-being of dogs through thoughtful and dog-friendly content.

What is The Purpose of DogTV?

The main purpose of dog television is to provide our canine companions with something to either help them relax or give them mental stimulation when we’re not available to interact with them (such as when we’re at work). Think of it as a kind of audio and video therapy for dogs with separation anxiety or who are prone to boredom.

In addition to trying it out with my own pups, I’ve scoured the internet and have seen many videos of dogs intently watching DogTV, and it seems to me that many of the puppers are loving it. Because of the extensive research that they put on for this channel, I think it is safe to say that this is TV for dogs with anxiety because of the special segments that they made especially to target this aspect of dogs that have issues with being separated from their pup parents.

How Does DogTV Work?

I subscribed to DogTV to see for myself what it is like and if my own pup would actually like or even pay attention to it.  When I turned on the DogTV channel, I noticed that the colors on the screen looked quite a bit different than the normal channels we watch. This is because humans have trichromatic vision while dogs on the other hand have  dichromatic vision. This means that the retinas of dogs can only distinguish two colors which are from blue-violet to yellow gradient. They can also differentiate shades of grey but they are not able to perceive red, orange, yellow, and green. Here’s a visual of the difference of what humans and dogs can see:

DogTV made it so that the images “pop” off your TV screens in a way that your pup can enjoy. Most of the footage is taken from a dog’s eye level and gives your pup a first-person perspective.

According to the creators of DogTV, they based their dog channel on more than 60 scientific studies conducted by animal experts and scientists from different universities all over the world. A few of those studies on their website include:

• A 1998 study published in Animal Behavior wherein they examined dogs’ perception of color and brightness when watching TV.
• Another 2002 study conducted at Queen’s University Belfast that examines how the auditory stimulus influences the behavior of dogs that are living in rescue shelters.
• A 2003 which by Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest where researchers examined a dogs’ understanding of video or television images of us humans.
• One 2005 study published in Animal Welfare, that looked at how visual stimulation influences the behavior of dogs that are living in rescue shelters.

We have to keep in mind that all dogs are different; so, these studies do not conclusively prove that your will enjoy or even remotely pay attention or be able to focus on watching the programs on DogTV. Although based on what I’ve seen in my dogs and others, it’s evident to me that it works!

Where Сan I try DogTV?

If you are a cable subscriber, DogTV channel is available to watch on-demand on:

• DIRECTV channel 354 or 562;
• Dish channel 285;
• Sky channel 480;
• Also on Comcast Xfinity, Cox, RCN, NET, Sling TV, and Mediacom.

How Much Is DogTV?

DogTV costs $74.99 if you choose to pay annually and it costs $9.99 if you choose to pay per month when you subscribe to dogtv.com, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and iOS and Android. However, you can get a 7-day free trial before committing to make sure that it’s right for you.

Shows for Dogs to Watch on DogTV

DogTV divided their programs into three segments which are designed to make your dog happy while you are not around. The three segments are made for:

Stimulation

Programs under this segment are designed to show playful and animated video sequences, and also videos of dogs and other animals that may catch the attention of your dogs. The main purpose of this segment is to alleviate the boredom of our dogs and to provide them with mental stimulation.

Relaxation

As the name implies, these segments are designed to help our dogs kick back, relax, and unwind.

Exposure

Programs under this segment are based on the concept of desensitization training. They expose your dog to common sound triggers, such as a doorbell ringing or a vacuum cleaner running, to help desensitize them to these sounds. This, in turn, helps them learn to ignore the triggers.

What Are The Different Programs On DogTV?

There are various programs to choose from in the DogTV channel that can be entertaining or calming for you dogs; they are scientifically-designed to cater to such specific needs of our dogs.

• Specials

Aside from those three segments that I’ve mentioned earlier, they also have a Specials category where they show programs that are specifically designed to accomplish certain goals such as exposing them to the noise of fireworks to hopefully help them get accustomed to its crackling sounds.

• DogTV

Of course, there is the About DogTV program that explains the basic information about this channel.

• Dogs A to Z

Not only that but DogTV also offers programs that cater to humans. These programs offer a variety of segments that explains everything about how to take care of our dogs and any dog-related problems for us dog-owners. There is a segment called MyDogTV where they feature fun and educational programs especially tailored to pup-parents and features shows such as The Dog Chef, The Adoption Show, Meet the Breed, and Talent Hounds.

• DogStar

DogStar is a segment where they feature videos submitted by dog owners in which the dogs could be doing silly things, showcasing their talents, and watching the DogTV channel.

Which one does my dog like and how was it helpful?

My dog likes a lot of different shows on DogTV as he is not very picky but I have observed that he gets excited when the Talent Hounds is on. Talent hound is one of their programs that features dogs with talents. This has been helpful for my pup during the times when we are not able to take him out for a walk. This is because he gets a bit excited and jumps around and does silly dog stuff that to me seems sufficient enough to be his exercise for the day.

Best Shows for Dogs to Watch or Relaxation Channel for Dogs on DogTV

If your dogs have problems with unusual noises, I highly recommend for you to choose programs under the Exposure segment because exposing them to such sounds little by little can help them get used to them so that they hopefully won’t get agitated the next time they hear those noises.

My Personal Experience With DogTV

I signed up for DogTV a couple of months ago because I want to see if my dog will actually pay attention to any of the programs and also how he would react to them.

Well, some segments of regular television shows certainly get the attention of my pup but only for a very short period of time. So my pup is able to pay attention to certain segments on TV but it greatly varies every time, as he is very picky, except when there are other puppers on, so I kind of had an idea early on that he might actually like the shows in DogTV.

It is kind of funny because he gets excited whenever I pick up the remote because he thinks that remote control means DogTV. So whenever I turn on the dog television channel, it really shows that he is really interested in the programs that this channel offers. He can watch for long periods, even up to an hour or so sometimes.

My pup is a very calm one so I have no problems with him getting overly excited or getting riled up while watching any programs; therefore, I am able to leave the TV on while we are away for him to watch all day long if he wants to.

I have also mentioned that DogTV is available on Android and iOS devices and other streaming apps and not only on cable TV which means that there are also lots of things for dogs to watch online if you choose to subscribe via Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or DogTV Anywhere.

Another thing that I’d like to point out is The Dog Chef segment. I am not a good cook myself and I’m not very creative when it comes to making unique treat surprises for my pup, so I got hooked into watching The Dog Chef program. I learned a lot of great recipes to make as treats for my dog and it has taught me a lot of simple ones that are not only very easy to make but also are healthy for my dog.

Pros And Cons of TV Channels for Dogs

• First off, the sounds and music that they put together for the shows and segments are really quite soothing and relaxing even for the pup parents.
• They offer a wide variety of shows and programs that cater to the different needs of different dogs and some even help them achieve their goals.
• Upon watching the DogStar segments, you can clearly see that the programs they offer catch the attention of some dogs and they appear to really show interest in them as you can really see that some of them actually watch quite intently at times.
• Numerous pup parents have voiced out that their programs have been very useful for alleviating the separation anxiety of their pups. Therefore, this only goes to show that it can be an effective way to alter our dog’s behaviour.
• I can say that you may also find yourself enjoying a majority of their segments as I have as they are really quite entertaining and calming even for me. I’m a certified dog-lover and it is not difficult to watch all the shows on the dog television channel.

Cons of TV Channels for Dogs

• Some segments or shows might stimulate your dogs more than you want them to be. This is why I think it would be best to watch over your dogs for a while, switching between programs, so you can observe their behaviour first before leaving them all by themselves watching on their own unsupervised because you don’t want them getting hurt when they suddenly get excited or agitated unexpectedly.
• There are a variety of programs available in the dog television channel but one thing I have observed is that there can be a lot of repetitive content in it. I am pretty sure that this will not affect or bother our dogs in any way but us dog-owners might find it a bit boring.
• Not all dogs are alike, therefore, it might have calmed other people’s dogs but it might not be the same case for your pup. The truth is most dogs aren’t really interested in watching TV, and puppers, in general, are not really visual creatures like us, therefore, they might just choose to sleep, out of habit, while you are away.

Can DogTV Help Calm Your Anxious Dog?

As I’ve said earlier, all dogs are different and have their own personalities; therefore, the programs that DogTV offers can be a hit or miss for each and every pup. But because DogTV is backed up by science, as in they based this project from 60 different studies, I believe that this is an effective way to calm a dog’s anxiety, especially combined with giving CBD dog treats.

There are also many pup owners who have reported that the programs DogTV offers have actually helped calm their anxious dogs, and this only goes to show that it is indeed helpful and effective. At least, it really helped my dogs.

FAQs About DogTV

Let’s finish things off with a few frequently asked questions about this dog television channel, shall we?