Does your Dog watch TV ?

[chillipup]

I've owned the amazing Tallulah, (JRT x Border Terrier) for 6 weeks. She is now 14 weeks old and she is an absolute darling and of course, I'm totally smitten by her.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed her starting to take a real interest in what's on the TV. The TV is on the wall and she sits about 6' away looking up at it. However, she has now started barking if she sees any dogs, puppies or cats on the telly and her barking and growling appears to be progressing to all animals!

I had to turn over while trying to watch a program about Moose last week and this evening she went mental at a program all about puppies I was hoping to see.

Do your dogs watch TV? Do any of them bark/growl at the TV? Can anyone offer any advice on how I might control this behaviour? (without resorting to playing catch-up tv on the laptop with headphones on!)

PS She hasn't proved to be a particularly barky/yappy girl whether in or out of the house, being exercised, or meeting new dogs and people.

 

[planete]

She watches but is quiet. I am sure somebody else will be along to help with the noisy appreciation!

 

[chillipup]

Oh what a lovely pic I'd be more than happy if my pup just wanted to watch!

 

[JennBags]

Yep, our one rushes at the tv barking at any sign of aggression or gunshots, and she jumps up at any animals, even cartoon animals. We never watch wildlife programmes any more because of it.

 

[DiNozzo]

Ours gets very hysterical about small children crying on the TV. We think its because he's never met such a small thing, but he acknowledges that they always seem to be in distress.

 

[chillipup]

Yep, our one rushes at the tv barking at any sign of aggression or gunshots, and she jumps up at any animals, even cartoon animals. We never watch wildlife programmes any more because of it.

Oh nooo! I love wildlife programs, I hope I'm not destined for a life without?

Ours gets very hysterical about small children crying on the TV. We think its because he's never met such a small thing, but he acknowledges that they always seem to be in distress.

Now I can understand this, I don't have kids of my own but it makes me anxious and quite upset when I hear babies and little kids crying...(and I don't even particularly like them! ) I think it may be an evolutionary thing, in-built in the brain to make us (and some dogs) to respond to certain sounds.

 

[JillA]

I rehomed mine earlier this year at the age of 5 and her former owners did tell me that she barks at dogs on TV. So I trained a "leave" command to begin with. She sits by me on the sofa (she is a cavalier so not huge!) and I keep my hand on her. When a dog comes on TV and I feel her tense I increase the pressure from my hand and tell her "leave" or "stay" which she also knows. When she has watched without reacting she gets a bit of kibble I keep handy in a small container, and she is beginning to be able to not react (she has been here about two months now and it is an ingrained habit so takes longer than one not so established). Early days but I am hopeful

 

[chillipup]

That's a really good idea J but unfortunately due to knee and back problems, I'm no longer comfortable on the sofa and have to sit in a very upright and fairly high chair most of the time, with regrettably, no room for pup to be next to me.

Feeling that we're both missing out on cuddles, I've recently installed a lovely new upholstered chair in the room which may suit us both for short periods but I've yet to try it watching tv with her next to me. I'll keep some tiny treats near by to help as you suggest, thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how we get on.

 

[Dry Rot]

I've four GSDs as regulars will know. The 9yo is an avid TV watcher. Cowboys films especially. She recognises a dog or a cat in a trice, literally a couple of frames. She also recognises animations or puppets of dogs or cats. One of the two pups, now 7 months old, watched for maybe 20 seconds, clearly thought it was a load of rubbish, and hasn't expressed any interest since! The other two, 2yo male and the other pup, have never shown any interest at all! I'd love to know what motivates them to watch. I quite like to watch the old dog's reactions and cannot resist alerting her to a "pussy cat" on the box -- which might be anything from a tiny kitten to a full grown lion! They are get barked at and I think she's relieved she can chase them away!

 

[Surreydeb]

My GSD loves watching TV! Any animals and she is there almost with her nose on the screen, but she is quiet. Loves Supervet, and a recent film about huskys we watched she particularly liked sat in front of the TV for most of the film!

 

[Clodagh]

Do any of them bark/growl at the TV? Can anyone offer any advice on how I might control this behaviour? (without resorting to playing catch-up tv on the laptop with headphones on!)

.

I would put her on a lead, sleeping on her bed near you and if she reacts you can tug to get her attention and then praise.
Our young lab was watching a programme about meerkats once and tried to jump into the tv...she knocked it over and broke the stand, it was a brand new huge flat screen thing that we had wanted for years. Then she ran round into the hall (behind the tv to her eyes) and tried to find them there. She has got over it now although still enjoys anything with shooting. She just sits and watches now though, like that fab picture of the greyhound.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Bear will stand and watch anything interesting, Zak gets hysterical at dogs, cats. It's quite hard to watch animal TV! He's calmer if on my knee, even tho he's very much his daddy's boy. There was a pair of porcelain dogs on the Anttiques Road Show, he was not happy!

 

[Mince Pie]

I have 2 JRTs and one is a pain for barking at the TV, he adores fuss so I use a sharp ah-ah and then fuss him when he refocuses on me (and shuts up!). We have an agreement, he can 'whuff' quietly but not full on bark.

 

[Tobiano]

Pip absolutely loves animal programmes! She likes dogs best - the other night we were watching the secret life of puppies (aaaah!) and she went over to the screen and stared / sniffed at it. She seems to enjoy cartoon dogs as well. Fortunately she doesn't bark at the TV. She also loves to sit at the top of our stairs and look through the landing window which overlooks the park opposite, I think she is watching out for her neighbourhood pals going out there without her!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Bear will stand and watch anything interesting, Zak gets hysterical at dogs, cats. It's quite hard to watch animal TV! He's calmer if on my knee, even tho he's very much his daddy's boy. There was a pair of porcelain dogs on the Anttiques Road Show, he was not happy!
]

Our Rottweilers love antiquey programmes! One wet day, they had been in the yard with me as I was doing the hay for that evening's rations when I realised that they had disappeared. I came back into the house, loooking for rthem, only to find them sitting comfortably in front of the fire watching Flog It! They can always spot a model of an animal, recently they started barking at a silver pin cushion shaped like a chick. But we have stopped watching wildlife programmes because they get so upset if a hunt is shown - and as for the goslings falling down the cliff in the David Attenborough programme, they were distraught!
We had to replace Dad's TV after one of the girls got a bit too enthusiastic about the sheep on Countryfile and damaged the LED screen.

 

[Goldenstar]

Dram loves the TV he watches all sorts but prefers animal programmes .
When our old bitch was younger she had 'owl madness ' any programme where owls hooted would bring on a bout of running around the house growling and looking out of the windows it was hilarious , what she had against owls I don't know .

 

[Circe]

When I was growing up, we had a westie. She loved to watch tv. Her favorite was one man and his dog. She also liked ski sunday.
We've recently bought a flat screen tv, and one of the cats now seems to enjoy watching. She was sat in her rocking chair engrossed in the lego movie last weekend. She also enjoys wildlife programs, especially ones with big cats.
Kx

 

[PingPongPony]

My toy poodle bitch loves watching TV her favourite are the minions. She sat through the whole minion movie watching it, and when it finished she kept looking at me and the TV wondering where it's gone whenever she's being hyper and silly, i just sit her in front of the laptop and put on minions on youtube, gives me a few min of peace and quiet!

 

[smja]

Ours gets scared! The bit in Finding Nemo where Bruce the shark appears behind Marlin and Dory...he whimpered and ran behind the sofa

 

[Pearlsasinger]

One of our Rottweilers watched the whole of KungFu Panda 2 and appeared to understand what shewas watching, for instance, she barked at the scene where one of the characters is asleep in the van while it tips over the edge of the building. She absolutely loves cartoons, her sister will watch for a while but loses interest and goes to sleep. However they do both enjoy watching the Meerkat ads. When Baby Oleg featured, if one was in the house and the other playing out, the inside one would run to fetch her sister to watch 'The Baby Oleg Show'.

 

[Leo Walker]

Mine pays no attention to the TV, but he does sometimes take an interest in the laptop. Hes a working bred whippet with a high prey drive and we have on occasion spent a little while watching videos of rabbits and other whippets working rabbits. He likes anything that has sudden dog or rabbit movement, other than that he has no interest

 

[MotherOfChickens]

My setter loved watching the telly-other dogs especially but sometimes non animal programs. He would bark at Collies but then he did in real life too as he got older. The funniest was the dire wolves on Game of Thrones-they warranted his best, deep guarding bark and growls. Current dog is a staffy beagle cross and she hasn't shown any interest in it as yet.

 

[Clodagh]

My toy poodle bitch loves watching TV her favourite are the minions. She sat through the whole minion movie watching it, and when it finished she kept looking at me and the TV wondering where it's gone whenever she's being hyper and silly, i just sit her in front of the laptop and put on minions on youtube, gives me a few min of peace and quiet!

That is so funny! Like me resorting to Ceebeebies when the children were young.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

TV for springers:

I no longer wonder if they've escaped from the garden. Both youngsters will be pond watching, for hours if allowed.

 

[Clodagh]

TV for springers:

I no longer wonder if they've escaped from the garden. Both youngsters will be pond watching, for hours if allowed.

Don't they ever get overexcited and fall in? I see a springer dragging all the netting and weights in with it!

 

[Mince Pie]

TV for springers:

I no longer wonder if they've escaped from the garden. Both youngsters will be pond watching, for hours if allowed.

LOL!! Thanks for that, really made me chuckle!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Don't they ever get overexcited and fall in? I see a springer dragging all the netting and weights in with it!

Not happened yet, although Zak likes to run round whining and occasionally bricks fall in.

LOL!! Thanks for that, really made me chuckle!

They're obsessed! Bear sits to the left of the waterfall with his head against it, so comes in, ear soaked. Both sets of front paws dip in the water.

 

[chillipup]

OK, So I know my TV is safe as it's on the wall, so no damaged screens in this room. (Sitting room has one on on a stand but don't use it often.

I definitely won't be getting a pond, although there is a tiny one within the lawn surrounding the yard...but Tallulah hasn't found it yet!

I'm just about to try watching the program about pups.......ooops spoke to soon....ok out with puppy treats and lets see if we can get through it....quietly?