Revealed: Dogs’ Favorite TV Shows – and Why Scooby Doo is a Mutt for Your Dog
They’re often referred to as “man’s best friend,” so it’s no surprise that many of us like to curl up on the couch with our dog for a movie night.
But if your dog controlled the TV remote, what do you think he would watch?
According to a new study, it would be Scooby Doo, Crufts or The Dog House.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison looked for the TV shows dogs enjoy most and found that shows featuring dogs top the list.
However, before you start feeling guilty about the shows you’ve been putting your dog through, here’s some good news: Most puppies also love football, cartoons, and car shows.
If your dog controlled the TV remote, what do you think he would watch? According to a new study, it would be Scooby Doo, Crufts or The Dog House
In the study, the researchers wanted to determine which video content dogs are most interested in.
The team surveyed 1,246 dog owners around the world, including from the US, Canada, Britain and Australia.
The survey included questions about the types of screens in their home, how their dogs interacted with screens, the types of content their dogs interacted with most, as well as information about their dog’s age, gender, breed and where he lived.
The results showed that dogs were most engaged when watching videos that featured other animals.
Unsurprisingly, dogs were their favorite TV star, followed by wild animals, cats, cattle and horses.
But if you’re not in the mood for a David Attenborough documentary tonight, the results suggest Scooby Doo will also be a perfectly acceptable option.
Seventy-six percent of the dogs in the study enjoyed watching cartoons, while 18 percent were fascinated by video games.
If a David Attenborough documentary isn’t what you’re in the mood for tonight, the results suggest Scooby Doo will also be a perfectly acceptable option. Seventy-six percent of the dogs in the study enjoyed watching cartoons
If you are a sports enthusiast, you will be happy to know that your dog may share your passion; many of those surveyed appear to enjoy ball sports.
Football and basketball were their top choices, followed by American Football, tennis and baseball.
In terms of how the dogs interacted with the screen, age and eyesight appeared to play a key role.
“We know that poor vision negatively impacts the quality of life in older people, but the effect of aging and changes in vision in dogs is largely unknown because we cannot accurately assess it,” said Freya Mowat, lead author of the study.
‘Just like people, dogs live longer, and we want to make sure we support healthier lives for them too.’
In addition to helping you choose what to watch with your dog this weekend, the researchers hope the findings could pave the way for vision testing in dogs.
“The method we currently use to assess vision in dogs is very low,” Ms Mowat explains.
‘With humans it would be like saying yes or no if someone is blind.
‘We need more sensitive ways to assess vision in dogs, using a dog eye chart equivalent.
“We speculate that videos have the potential to hold a dog’s attention long enough to assess visual function, but we did not know which type of content is most engaging and attractive to dogs.”