We had to know it was coming. There is a TV channel devoted to history, sports, news and now even dogs. Now, if your dog is home alone all day while you're at work, you don't have to worry that he is entertained. Hot off the press is a new 24/7 TV channel just for pooches.
Beginning next month you can tune into DirecTV, where music, animations and visuals specifically designed to ease a dog's boredom, anxiety and loneliness will be aired.
"It is the first and only television channel that is dedicated to our four-legged friends and not to their parents," Gilad Neumann, the chief executive of the Tel Aviv-based company, said in an interview.
"It's more than just entertainment for dogs. We are creating more of an environment," Neumann said of the channel that costs $4.99 a month. "They are bored and many suffer from separation anxiety. What we are trying to do is to give dogs something to focus on in the background."
Don't expect your dog to be glued to the TV ... with their attentions span, they will look up if something catches their eye. We definitely don't need couch potato dogs too!
The images on the channel are specifically tailored to a dog's hearing and vision. Professor Nicholas Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist and director of clinical sciences at Tufts University in Massachusetts, British dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, and animal rights activist and trainer Warren Eckstein are collaborating on the content.
David Frei, director of communications at the Westminster Kennel Club and a co-host of its annual dog show, thinks if it helps to relieve separation anxiety for pets and their owners, then DOGTV is a good thing.
"I get pictures every year from viewers at home (of the dog show) of their dogs watching television, or standing up on their hind legs when they see a dog. It's kind of cute," he said.
In no way is DOGTV meant to replace interaction with humans. "The best thing you can do with your dog is to spend time with him," says Sylvia Wilson, President of Bark Busters International. "You know how happy your dog is to see you when he walks in the door? That's attention you can never put a price on."