Lonely, bored
dogs left at home all day while their owners are at work could soon be
getting some digital company - a TV channel with programming just for
pooches.
DOGTV, a 24/7 channel designed
specifically for man's best friend, will air nationally next month on
the U.S. satellite operator DirecTV, with hopes of attracting dogs in
some of the 46 million U.S. households that have at least one.
"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.
The
channel won't be showing the canine equivalent of "Modern Family," "Mad
Men" or "Downton Abbey" but will feature programs with music, visuals,
animation and the occasional human that are designed to relax, stimulate
and ease the loneliness of home-alone pets.
"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."
Unlike
children and adults who can watch TV for hours at a time, Neumann said
dogs view the medium differently and will be attracted to it once in
awhile when they see something that interests them.
"We have no intention of generating a new generation of couch potatoes out of our dogs," he added.
While
not taking any official position, the American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA) said any relaxation and stimulation for pets is good.
But it doubted that all dogs will take to it.
"It could work for some dogs and it might not interest others," a spokesman for the AVMA said.
David
Frei, director of communications at the Westminster Kennel Club and a
co-host of its annual dog show, thinks if it can help 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.
Neumann
said the programs were developed with input from 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, and tested on
focus groups.
The images are meant
to be compatible with a dog's vision, and sounds include a range of
frequencies tailored to their sense of hearing.
"We've
seen that dogs are interested in certain colors, certain animations,"
he explained, adding that DOGTV is not meant to replace quality time
with owners.
The company, which is
in talks and planning to launch the channel in other countries, is also
contemplating a TV channel for cats.
"They are not as social as dogs so suffer less from being alone," Neumann said.