What four-legged friends experience in front of the screen

For example, they bark, wag their tails and rigorously follow movements. "Dogs experience a meaningful world full of objects when watching television," writes Lane Montgomery's team from Auburn University in the US state of Alabama in the journal Scientific Reports. Whether they understand what is happening remains to be seen.

For the study, around 450 dog owners completed detailed questionnaires on their pets' behavior in front of the TV and in everyday situations. The dogs reacted particularly clearly to images of animals and typical noises such as barking and voices.

Temperament as an influencing factor

The researchers generally differentiated between reactions to animal and other scenes - and between passive attention and active interest. According to the team, the individual temperament is decisive for the dogs' behavior. Easily excitable four-legged friends followed movements on the screen more often, while anxious ones reacted more to noises. The age, breed or sex of the animals, on the other hand, played no role.

Television content could possibly be used to keep dogs occupied, for example in animal shelters or when owners are away for longer periods of time - provided that the content is suitable for the animal in question.

Study with limitations

However, the study has weaknesses, as the team itself admits: it is only based on self-reports from owners, dogs with no interest in television images were excluded and objective behavioral analyses were lacking. The group therefore recommends further studies under controlled conditions.

Television has long been a reality for dogs

The findings are in line with a trend: the pay-TV channel DOGTV has been offering an all-day television program especially for dogs in the USA for some time now. It shows nature scenes, other animals and calming music. The aim is to relax or stimulate dogs. However, critics warn against misunderstandings - television cannot replace personal attention.