Many dog owners have observed their furry friends watching television, as if they were following a game or a documentary. There’s a common belief that dogs enjoy sharing their owner’s favorite programs, but do they really see what we see? Let’s try to shed some light on this.
How dogs perceive vision
To put an end to the suspense: no, dogs do not perceive vision like humans do, as their vision functions differently. Firstly, they have dichromatic vision: they can distinguish between blue and yellow, but not red or green, which alters the appearance of images on the screen. Their visual acuity is also lower. They see details less clearly, but compensate with excellent motion sensitivity, making them particularly attentive to moving objects.
Furthermore, a dog’s brain processes images faster than ours. There is a higher “image fusion rate.” While humans perceive an image as fluid at around 55 frames per second, a dog can distinguish flickering up to about 75 frames per second. Therefore, older televisions with a low frame rate may have seemed choppy or unnatural to them. Modern screens, on the other hand, with their higher frequency and definition, offer smoother images that are easier for dogs to perceive.
However, televised images may sometimes appear less realistic to them than in real life, which explains why they are not always captivated by the screen.
What catches a dog’s attention on TV
Dogs may show some interest in television, but they do not respond to it the same way humans do: they do not understand plots and do not follow stories like we do.
What mainly captures their attention are sensory stimuli, such as fast movements or sounds. Our four-legged companions seem to be more attracted to short dynamic sequences than long, complex programs.
Recent scientific studies, like the one conducted by L.I. Montgomery published in the journal “Scientific Reports,” have shown that dogs react particularly to images of animals and associated sounds. They can even recognize other dogs or animals on screen. Dogs also respond more strongly to images and videos tailored to their vision and hearing. Sounds play an essential role: barking, meowing, human voices giving commands, or squeaking toys immediately grab their attention.
It has also been observed that dogs are very active in front of the screen: they approach, move away, and alternate their gaze between the television and their owner, as if seeking to interact with what they perceive.
In conclusion, although dogs’ perception of television remains somewhat mysterious, it seems that specially designed content can stimulate their attention and contribute to their well-being, especially when they are alone. So, don’t hesitate to try it out with your furry companion!
(_Fact Check: The study by Montgomery et al. was published in “Scientific Reports” in 2025. The study by Mongillo et al. was published in “Animal Cognition” in 2021._)
