Does Your Dog Watch Television?

By Suzanne Alicie

Have you ever looked at your dog and thought he was watching television? Better yet, have you had music playing and thought for sure that he was listening intently while his tail wagged in time to the beat? Well, you may not be far off base with that thought, but Rover is probably paying attention to the visual and auditory stimulation in a way that is different than the way a human watches TV and listens to music.

Dogs have eyesight that is different from that of humans, so when your dog appears to be watching television, he isn’t exactly seeing the action and the story unfold, but he is seeing the flickering light and hearing the sounds. You’ve probably seen your dog get excited when a dog barks on the television, or whine when there is a high pitched sound. 

Many responsible pet owners who have to leave their dog home alone will leave a television on to provide the dog with “entertainment.” Whether the dog is entertained or not, the television provides the lights and sounds that he is used to when his owners are at home. This may keep the dog from becoming anxious or acting out when he is left alone for a few hours. 

Music doesn’t provide any visual stimulation for your dog, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel the beat or get invigorated by the tempo. Dogs also hear differently than humans and can’t decipher the individual notes and instruments in music. Depending on the pitch, music can also agitate your dog. 

As a dog owner, I have watched my dog while she watches television. While I write she will curl up and watch the TV that I keep on for background noise. Many times she will fall asleep lulled into relaxation by the normal noise and light activity. However, if one of the community warning tests comes on with a high pitched alert sound, she will whine and run under the bed. Some dogs are more sensitive than others and respond more predictably to the sounds of television and music.

Around my house music is not something that our dog enjoys; she doesn’t seem to pay any attention to it other than if there is a high pitched level or a lot of bass. Either of those types of music will send her running. There are some dogs, though, that seem to really enjoy music and react to the beat. Some people actually devote a great deal of time to working with their dogs and music; the sport of Musical Canine Freestyle is quite popular in the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries.

Each and every dog is unique, and will have his own reaction to visual or auditory stimulation. Play some music or watch television with your dog and see how he reacts. You may be surprised at the sounds and action that get his attention. If you have a dog who gets anxious when you have to leave, consider leaving a television on to provide him with some comforting, everyday sounds and movement that may help him stay calm.

If your dog seems to enjoy watching television, you might want to get him one of the many Pet Sitter DVDs that are available. The Pet Sitter videos are designed to stimulate and entertain pets while the humans are away from home. They have both Cat Sitter DVDs and Dog Sitter DVDs, each with different sights and scenes that play in a continuous loop for all-day entertainment.

Part of being a responsible pet owner is understanding that some things will stimulate, calm, excite or otherwise elicit a response from your pet. This can lead to fun activities if your dog reacts positively to music, or provide a solution to anxiety if the television or music calms and soothes your dog.

Read more articles by Suzanne Alicie

Do Pets Like Listening to Music?

By Linda Cole

Music is an important part of our lives. We listen to a wide variety of tunes both in the home and away. I know Mozart or Brahms works great for a pet that is afraid of thunderstorms, but what about all those other times when we have the radio or stereo blaring with our favorite music? Does it upset our pets or do they like listening to the music we play?

My mom had a dog who loved singing along with certain commercials on TV. He even had a favorite one. Every time he heard it, he would race into the living room and sit in front of the TV so he could sing to his heart's content. He was also afraid of thunderstorms, and the 4th of July was no picnic for him. Mom decided to tape his favorite commercial along with a variety of others he liked and started playing them during thunderstorms to help relax him. We discovered he had a particular musician that he seemed to like and those songs were added to his special tape. Thunderstorms and fireworks still made him uncomfortable, but listening to his favorite music made both bearable.

Pets do seem to like listening to music, as long as it's non-threatening to them. If we keep the volume down, most pets enjoy listening to a soft mellow tune. Some even enjoy songs with a lively beat. Music can be a great therapy option for pets who are fearful. Classical music works the best as long as it's calm with no sudden crescendos or loud, rapid beating of drums in the background. Heavy metal gets a paws down from pets, because this type of music hurts their ears and is upsetting to them. Most pets will leave a room if the music is too loud and irritating to their ears.

Animal shelters are discovering how well pets like listening to music and have started playing soft tunes in their kennels to help dogs and cats relax. The music helps pets by reducing their anxiety and puts them in a more relaxed state of mind. Fearful dogs or cats are more likely to allow shelter workers to pet them when music is playing in the background. Veterinarians are learning that music can have a positive effect on pets after surgery while they are recuperating.

If you have a dog or cat who has separation anxiety, is fearful or afraid of thunderstorms or spends their day barking at everything they see from their perch in front of a window, try leaving a radio on and tuned to a classical station while you are away. The volume doesn't need to be turned up so the music can be heard everywhere in the house. That way, if the pet doesn't feel like listening to music, they can go to another room to get away from it. Many pet stores carry recordings made specifically for pets with tunes that are relaxing and pleasing to any dog or cat who likes to listen to music.

Music has a way of calming us down after a stressful day at work or a day shopping at the mall. It works much the same way on our pets. They can be just as stressed out by all the commotion going on in our lives as we are. Because they hear at a higher frequency than we do, all the noise we hear is amplified in the ears of our pets. Households may have one or more TVs on, with kids playing video games that have sounds of things crashing, things being blown up and sirens blaring. Let's face it – most video games are not quiet. Pets can go from one room to another only to find loud noises that can upset them more than we realize.

Not all pets like listening to music, though. Some seem to ignore it completely while others swish their tail back and forth as if they are searching for the beat. Some pets do have a preference when it comes to certain musicians or types of music. I listen to a wide variety of music and prefer something that is soft and mellow. My pets do seem to have their favorites as long as I don't have the volume cranked up so the neighbors can hear it, which also makes my neighbors happy. You can't go wrong with good music, relaxed dogs and happy neighbors.

Read more articles by Linda Cole