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When my Cocker Spaniel, Sir Alvin, entered our lives, I realized I couldn’t spend 24/7/365 entertaining him, despite the urge to do so. I’m a busy business owner who works from home.
After tiring him out in the morning, he’d take a nap, wake up, and nip at my heels to play again. That’s when I decided to try DOGTV as a calm focus while giving my active pup something to do while I worked.
I admit, I was skeptical at first. I mean, why not just put YouTube on or distract my busy pup with brain games, toys, and treats? DOGTV is scientifically designed for dogs with creative input from pet behaviorists, veterinarians, and more. That means the colors, contrast, frame rates, and even the sound frequencies are tuned to match a dog’s sensory perception.
But would DOGTV really work, and is it worth it? In this article, I’ll reveal the results of our experience with DOGTV, how it works, and how you and your dog can access the world’s first television network designed specifically for canine viewers.
What Is DOGTV?
Both a 24/7 streaming service and a digital television channel, DOGTV is built to support your dog’s emotional and mental well-being. This matters because:
- Mental stimulation is just as important as physical activity in dogs.
- Dogs experience boredom, loneliness, anxiety, and stress just like people.
- Unmet emotional needs can lead to behavioral issues like destructive chewing, excessive barking, or reverting to soiling indoors.
- Chronic stress may weaken a dog’s immune system and worsen health issues.
On a personal note, I wanted my puppy to be exposed to a variety of sights, sounds, and visual cues. My previous Cocker Spaniel, Dexter, loved watching DOGTV to soothe anxiety during fireworks and thunderstorms. Fortunately, Sir Alvin isn’t noise-phobic, but my Dexter and millions of other dogs suffer from noise anxiety.
My dog watches DOGTV on my second desktop screen while I work, or on our big screen television. No matter where or how you want to watch, I appreciate that DOGTV is available through cable and satellite offerings such as Xfinity, DirecTV, DISH, SlingTV and Cox. However, you can also stream it through Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV,, Samsung, LG, IOS, Andriod, Chromecast and soon Vizio SmartTVs.
So whether your dog prefers a big screen, a computer monitor, or something in between, DOGTV is available through cable/satellite and streaming services/apps via the web.
DOGTV Pricing
DOGTV offers two packages which come with a free 7-day trial. Pet parents choose from:
- Monthly: $9.99 per month, billed monthly, cancel anytime, with no contract.
- Annual: $74.99 per year, billed annually, cancel anytime, with no contract.
What Kind of Shows Are on DOGTV?
After easily signing up for a DOGTV plan, you and your dog begin the fun journey of watching or streaming exclusive content made with your pup in mind. The three main categories of programming that include shows for dogs are:
- Stimulation: Think high-energy visuals and sounds to keep your dog entertained. These shows are designed to engage and prevent boredom. We’re talking stimulating visuals and exciting scenes. Fun fact: Sir Alvin loves the Bouncing show on DOGTV so he can watch dogs on walks and playing together. He is utterly fascinated!
- Relaxation: The relaxation programming is great for chill-out time or just some calming scenes. If your dog has separation anxiety or is stressed out, the Relaxation programming offers nature scenes, soothing sounds, and things like ducks at the park, dogs napping beneath the clouds, and more.
- Exposure: Think programs edited with limited exposure to sounds so your dog can get used to them. If your pooch isn’t happy about car rides or doorbells, the Exposure shows are a must-watch (and listen).
Outside of these three buckets of content, DOGTV offers:
- Breed-specific clips
- Good night videos
- Nature sounds and sniffs
- Reactive dog programming
- Music for dogs and much more
Testing DOGTV With My Dog
Testing DOGTV with Sir Alvin was incredibly fun and easy, as I knew he was attracted to videos and seeing different animals and scenes on a screen. I introduced him to DOGTV as a four-month-old puppy, and he is now a bona fide DOGTV fan at three years old.
Most times, Sir Alvin sits on a chair next to me in my home office so he can watch DOGTV programming on his own screen. My Dexter loved watching DOGTV from the comfort of the living room couch. Like people, dogs have different personalities, preferences, and viewing habits.
You never realize how closely dogs are listening to you or the world around them until one day you think to yourself, “How did my dog learn that?” By “learn that,” I am referring to the DOGTV site on my computer screen.
My dog prefers anything that involves animals, from squirrels to birds, dogs to cats. He is glued and intently focused on what they are doing, similar to me when binge-watching a favorite series on Netflix. I also tried the Exposure channel with Sir Alvin, which had a calming effect. He curled up on my chair and took a 20-minute nap. He wasn’t bored, but instead he was totally chill!
Our biggest hurdle with behavior is Sir Alvin tends to bark at the neighborhood dogs who dare to come too close to “his property.” This is normally not an issue unless I am on the phone or working with a client on a ZOOM call. All I need to say is, “Alvin, time for DOGTV,” and he runs over to his chair! I am grateful for this distraction, which is something his puppy trainer said is helpful when a dog likes to bark.
Does DOGTV Actually Work?
From this dog mama’s perspective, and watching two of my dogs within four years react positively to DOGTV, I can attest that it works. DOGTV conducts research to continually improve and learn how it can benefit its canine audience.
By research, we’re talking about Professor Nicholas Dodman of Tufts University, Niwako Ogata of Purdue University, and organizations like The Center for Canine Behavior Studies to learn from their observations.
“If I can’t take my dog with me, I leave him in an enriched environment and turn on DOGTV for him. I don’t want him to feel he is home alone and when DOGTV is on, he isn’t,” says David Haworth, DVM and PhD, board member at DOGTV.”
It’s expertise like this that supports the science behind why DOGTV works, which is important to me and the other 68 million households that share life with dogs.
Just like a walk exposes a dog to a variety of scents, sounds, and sights, DOGTV offers similar stimulation through carefully designed images and audio. When my Dexter began to lose his hearing, he still enjoyed watching the visuals on DOGTV. He reacted to what he saw, and it gave me comfort knowing he was engaged and entertained.
Is DOGTV Worth It?
Whether you find DOGTV to be a worthwhile, affordable investment depends on your dog’s personality and whether you want to engage them emotionally and mentally.
Pros
- Provides mental stimulation for dogs who are home alone or who could use mental activity while their pet parents are otherwise occupied.
- The programming is stellar and varied, including relaxation content, stimulation segments, and exposure therapy for triggers like doorbells.
- DOGTV is an affordable way to engage your dog from the comfort of home.
- Scientific backing with programming developed with experts, so your dog gets the ultimate canine visual and audio experiences.
- It can be watched on a variety of devices and most cable or streaming services.
- Ideal for all stages of a dog’s life from puppyhood through the senior years.
- Great for travel to entertain your dog or to distract them from travel anxiety.
- Ideal for dogs with separation anxiety to keep them busy and distracted in your absence.
- Ability to cancel at any time.
Cons
- There is a subscription or a monthly fee to use the service.
- Some dogs may be uninterested in watching television.
- This is not a substitute for one-on-one time with you and physical activity
How to Try DOGTV
If TV for dogs sounds like something you are interested in trying, DOGTV offers a free 7-day trial with most plans. They also provide a few subscription plans to meet your individual needs and budget.
For those who simply want access to the channel’s content, the Annual Plan is $74.99 per year, billed annually, with the flexibility to cancel anytime and no contract required. Or you can subscribe monthly for $9.99/month.
Where to Watch DOGTV
DOGTV is available for viewing in a variety of ways.
Cable/Satellite
- Comcast Xfinity
- DIRECTV \
- SLINGTV
- DISH
- RCN
- Cox
Streaming & Apps
- Roku
- Apple TV
- Amazon Fire TV
- Chromecast
- iOS & Android apps
- Samsung, LG and coming soon to Vizio smart tvs
- Mac & PC via DOGTV.com
International Availability – available worldwide on the app where it is converted to local currency and in most places language for pet parents to sign up.
Additionally on cable and satellite in:
- Portugal
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Korea
If you are ready for DOGTV, talk to your veterinarian about whether it is right for your dog’s specific needs and personality. Start a free trial to discover if your dog engages with the content, enjoys the programs, and benefits from the calming or stimulating effects.
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