Do Dogs Know That TV Isn’t Real?
It is hard to know what dogs are “thinking” when they watch TV, and some seem to take it much more seriously than others. That being said, it does appear that dogs recognize other animals on TV, will respond to the barking of dogs, and readily distinguish photos of dogs from cartoon dogs.
But dogs also heavily rely on other senses, such as smell—which clearly isn’t possible on a televised . Based on the disconnect with dogs’ most important sense (smell), it’s likely that dogs do recognize that the on the screen isn’t real, but instead a representation of an animal or figure.
That being said, dogs do often respond to the sounds made by animals on TV, and this clearly communicates information to them, even across species lines. So it might be wise to avoid shows involving distressed animals when your dog is sharing screen time.
Do dogs watch TV?The answer is basically a yes. Cherice Roth, DVM, Chief Veterinary Officer with the pet health care company Fuzzy, confirms that your pup’s apparent TV-watching habits are indeed the real thing. “Some dogs do watch TV!” says Dr. Roth, adding that dogs can actually become engrossed by what’s on the tube. “Much like with humans, [a dog’s interest will vary] based on their attention span and attention to motion.” Plus, depending on how high the volume is, they’ll also react to sounds on the TV—especially anything that sounds like their favorite
They canât take in as many colors as you can, but their world isnât just black and white.
However, dogs see the world differently than we do: In a dogâs eye, there are two types of cones versus three in humans, which gives them dichromatic vision. The result is that dogs do not differentiate between as many colors as (most) humans. In addition to that, dogs are much more sensitive to low light conditions.
Nowadays, our modern televisions (and phones) have high-resolution pictures and clear audio, which offer our pups a clear view into another world. Modern HD/4K TVs are refreshed at a much higher rate, allowing dogs to view fluid motion. Sounds can also have a significant impact on a dogâs viewing of television. As most pet parents can guess, studies have found that pups were more attentive to video that includes barking, whining, and sounds of praise.
Next up is the flicker factor. On average, humans donât see the flickering of a television when the speed is above 55 Hertz (Hz). But for dogs who have better motion perception, theyâve been tested on rates up to 75Hz. With televisions being displayed at 60Hz, we see this as a fluid motion, but dogs would see the television as a set of rapidly flickering s.
Beyond color, different breeds of dogs have varying visual acuity. The visual streak in the canine eye is the area with the sharpest vision. But each breed and individual dog has a different shape and number of receptors. The differences in this eye structure play a huge role in how dogs see the world.Related article