Do Dogs See Television the Same Way People Do?
Today’s high-resolution digital TVs have vastly improved entertainment for humans around the world, producing sharper, more vivid images with far more frames per second and faster refresh rates. And there’s an added plus for dog lovers, too — now your pup can actually see what’s on TV.
The analog TV sets of the past were little more than an annoying flicker for dogs, as our canine friends can register images more quickly than we can. However, how your dog reacts to visuals and sounds coming from the TV depends a lot on the dog’s breed and individual personality. A scent-loving hound, for example, is likely to have a ho-hum attitude about watching the tube, but a herding breed (such as an Australian Shepherd) may be transfixed, or even excited, when it’s TV time.
Anything good on TV tonight?:
- Dogs have dichromatic vision. They basically see two primary colors — yellow and blue. Human vision is trichromatic so we see a full range of colors.
- DogTV is an HDTV cable channel with programming that is specially designed to appeal to dogs’ dichromatic vision.
- Some people leave the TV on for their pets when they leave the house. Researchers suggest that channels that feature animals might be preferable to the news.
