Everybody likes watching TV even though it is called an idiot box. At some point of life while sitting on the couch and watching TV you must have thought that, is it because of you, your dog is watching TV or he/she really likes it? Do they even understand what’s going on? Are they able to decipher the images in a similar manner like we do? There are many such questions that may generate curiosity. First of all let’s know what a dog sees when watching a TV? You might have noticed that previously dogs didn’t used to pay attention to the Standard TVs. The reason behind it is that dog’s eyes have superior motion perfectibility than a normal human. A standard TV flashes 60 frames per second which is more than a normal human’s flicker fusion rate, which is 55 Hz. As a result we are able to see TV normally but a dog’s flicker fusion ability is 75 Hz. Hence, while watching a standard TV dog is only able to see the screen flicker. Flicker makes the images to appear unreal. This can be torturous to dogs or any pets that have high flicker fusion ability. Imagine you are kept in a room and a disco light which goes on and off is projected on your face. However, times have changed with the evolution of new technologies day by day and dogs have also benefited from the boom in technology because the TVs nowadays have higher flash rate because of high resolution which matches or exceeds the dogs flicker fusion ability. Now dogs also sit beside you and watch TV, and if you change the channel they may not like it. Soon the time may come that even dogs start taking part in the fight to conquer TV remote in the house.
Do dogs see similar images as we see? A dog’s eyes are dichromatic and human’s eyes are tri-chromatic which means humans can see more detailed view of colors compared to dogs. Dichromatic vision means they have two types of cone cells because of which they are able to see only two ranges of colors, that is only yellow and blue, and tri-chromatic means we can see the full range of colors. For example – If we see a red colored car on TV they might be able to see it in yellowish or white color. However, a dog can identify images of humans, other dogs and animals on TV. Reactions of dogs to TV, do they like it? Dogs are more of instantaneous watch ers as they won’t sit constantly and pay attention to TV. They will watch for 5 seconds and then go around and again watch for 3-5 seconds. They are more attracted towards visuals of other dogs, people giving dog friendly instructions, sound of toys, sounds of barking and whining. It also sometimes depends on what breed a dog belongs to. Hounds mostly don’t react to visual images as they rely on their olfactory senses. While other breeds like terriers become very much excited while watching a TV. Some dogs seem to get excited when they see dogs on the TV Screen and start barking at them, they even go behind and try finding those dogs. There are times when some visuals like images of cats can stimulate their predator instinct and they might jump towards TV trying to catch their prey. Many dogs learn that it’s not real after 2-3 attempts but dogs that have a dominating predator instinct might continue attacking the television. TV channel producers have also started taking interest in developing channels for dogs. Channels like DOG TV develop shows for dogs that teach new commands and stimulate their senses. The shows are bifurcated in three sections - stimulation, relaxation and exposure. Dog TV also has gone digital with their YouTube channel and Website. Dog TV can be an additional source of entertainment or time pass for dogs that stay alone at home most of the times. However, it’s still not fully evaluated that do dogs feel the same roller-coaster of emotions that humans do? It’s still a mystery that, do dogs really like watching TV or they are just watching because you’re sitting there? Anyway, we may say that with changing times and advancement in technology, dogs are now taking considerable interest in watching TVs as they have high resolution. Nevertheless, on the other hand, the excessive watching can also be a danger signal for you because it may be stressful for their eyes and can harm their sight in the long run. Is your dog watching TV excessively? If yes, then care for their eyes Just like how our eyes get stressed after watching TV for a long time there are chances your dog’s eyes might also be stressed. Although, dogs don’t watch TV by constantly staring at it but there are chances that watching TV can affect their eyesight. If you have left your dog alone at home with a switched on TV your dog can over watch it because channels like DOG TV have shows that can engage dogs. And be very attentive if your dog has eye sight issues or diseases, as watching TV can lead to severe repercussions. So, it’s better that we take care of our dog’s eye sight. There are many eye care solutions like Kyron eye wash that helps in soothing your dog’s eyes, clears debris and improves their vision. You always make sure that your dog is happy and enjoying his/her day without any inhibitions but it’s more important to be a little bit cautious. TV is a boon for humans in a way but in a way it has also glued humans to their couches just be heedful that this doesn’t happen with your furry pal as well. Otherwise, seeing the other side of the coin - TV can be your dog’s new friend. |
Details
Categories
All
Archives
October 2023
|