Study finds dogs' personality traits influence their TV viewing behavior
| Study finds dogs' personality traits influence their TV viewing behavior. Illustration. (photo credit: Pixel-Shot. Via Shutterstock) |
Researchers at Auburn University shed new light on how dogs' personalities influence their reactions to television, revealing that traits like excitability and anxiety determine how canines engage with on-screen content. The study, published recently in the journal Scientific Reports, is the first to investigate dogs' behavior in front of the television.
Led by Professor Jeffrey Katz, the research team conducted a study involving 453 dogs to explore the relationship between canine personalities and their TV viewing habits. The team also surveyed 650 dog owners to develop a Dog Television Viewing Scale (DTVS) to capture canine habits. The researchers analyzed the personality and TV viewing behavior of the dogs, with owners affirming that their pets watch TV. Of the 453 dogs studied, 300 represented American Kennel Club-recognized breeds, while 153 were mixed or non-AKC breeds.
The study found that dogs are generally more likely to react to seeing or hearing animals on-screen than to other stimuli. Nearly half of the dogs, about 45 percent, consistently reacted to canine sounds such as barking or howling on TV. Dogs described as "excitable" by their owners were more likely to track objects on the screen as if they were real. "Excitable dogs are more likely to react to objects on the TV screen," the researchers noted. "Owners who rated their dogs as more excitable were more likely to report their dogs attempting to follow objects or animals off-screen."
Conversely, dogs with anxious or fearful temperaments tended to respond more to non-animal sounds, such as doorbells or car horns. "Owners who described their pets as negatively reactive (more fearful or anxious) were significantly more likely to report that their dog responds to non-animal stimuli at higher rates," the study found. The researchers observed that some dogs respond more to sound stimuli like a car horn, and fearful or anxious dogs are more likely to react to non-animal stimuli.
The team acknowledged that factors like age, breed, and prior TV exposure are not drivers of dogs' television behavior. "Demographic characteristics such as age, sex, and breed do not influence dogs' TV-viewing behavior, nor does prior TV exposure," they reported. However, older dogs seemed less likely to frequently engage with television but were just as likely to pay attention to it as younger dogs. This supports the hypothesis that older dogs would attend to television stimuli less due to greater experience.
The insights gleaned from the study could help owners understand how to target training to eliminate problem behaviors or help them be more aware of which shows may be causing their pets stress. "Such research can help fine-tune training and expand enrichment options for dogs," the researchers stated, "contributing to best practices for using TV to enhance the lives of companion dogs and inform welfare interventions."
Lane Montgomery, a doctoral candidate at Auburn University who focuses on the behavior and cognition of dogs to improve companion dog welfare and working dog efficiency, was part of the research team. "A dog's interactions with televisions can be both positive and negative," Montgomery said. "By knowing what types of television programming dogs respond to, dog television programming can be refined to what dogs are most likely to enjoy."
"Television offers dogs a unique sensory experience, providing mental stimulation through high contrast colors, animal content, nature sounds, and movement, which can lead to enriching experiences or stress," the researchers noted. Depending on how dogs perceive images and sounds on TV, it can enrich their day with mental stimulation or introduce stressors.
In shelters, added mental stimulation from TV could be beneficial for dogs. The findings suggest that TV could offer enrichment for dogs, whether at home or in shelters.
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