Does Your Dog Watch/Respond to the Television? - Page 1

I have a newly acquired (3 months ago) working line female who has just turned 2 years old. She is attached to me at the hip and is showing very protective qualities towards me. I have numerous other german shepherds and have had german shepherds for over 25 years.  When another dog approaches me in the house she usually lets out a little low grumble as she is lying next to me. When watching the television it became apparent right away that she WATCHED the television.  I have a very large 65" tv so a snarling dog showing on that screen is HUGE. If Animal Planet is on especially when showing any dogs she gets very agitated and growled and barked at the tv. This became highly annoying as I LIKE to watch shows with dogs on them. I have toned her down at bit and she usually just has a low grumble now instead of standing and really reacting. My other dogs hear animal/dog sounds on the tv but don't really seem to connect the visual with the sound and are nothing more than mildy interested and an "it's ok it's just on tv" from me will suffice with them. Any opinions on what is going on with this girl- just very sensitive, new and not comfortable yet in her environment, very intelligent because she does connect the visual with the sound?  What do you all think?  Do you have reactive to the tv dogs? 

sometimes the dogs will take an interest in something on t.v. but usually willnot remain fixed on it.   however......if i am watching dog videos on you-tube, banholz or mohnweise site they will REALLY watch those with me.  i am working on a method of training my dogs by video.......hahaha not really, but wouldn't it be cool if you could pop in a video, have your dog watch and learn, then go out on the field and do it.  hahaha.

pjp

By and large they ignore it but when they were younger they showed more interest

The do show interest when dogs bark - head cocking ears up but no other reaction, but the howling wolves gave a diffrent response ........................ they were all sitting in the living room howling along with the wolves.  However when we were working in the woods and we heard coyotes in the distance there was no real response, but then we were focused on work.

I did have a terrier years ago who would actually site there and watch an entire dog movie - when the dog left the screen he would run around behind the set looking for it.

We fight over the remote.

Yes!  In fact, at about 8 months, as I was viewing a tape of a regiona competition, he watched a competitor throw a dumbell and dashed behind the TV to get it!! 

Sue- That was cute. lol

My dogs don't pay much attention to the tv unless there is a dog barking.  Watching videos on Youtube gets them wound up though.  They think it's time to work. 

My dogs react more to surround sound, it's so realistic.  If a doorbell rings on TV all hell breaks loose in my house!  Drake will sometimes watch TV but the pup seems to catch it more.  We have dog pillows right across from the TV so it's in their line of vision.  But...years ago one of my Yorkies, long gone, used to watch TV.  At the time the TV was in front of the stairs and once she actually went behind the TV onto the stairs to "look for" a rhino on Animal Planet.  I laughed so hard and boy was she serious about it!.  She ran up and down for 10 minutes trying to figure it out!

I have a female at home that watches all animals on tv with me, she will position herself in front of the tv and lay down and watch, when humans are on to long she gets up and leaves.

The funniest event was years ago one of my males was watching with me and an elephant special came on and I will never forget how BIG his eyes got the first time he saw one. No other animal effected him like the elephants. I never knew thier eyes could get so wide open and big. it really was so funny.

I have a female at home that watches all animals on tv with me, she will position herself in front of the tv and lay down and watch, when humans are on to long she gets up and leaves.

The funniest event was years ago one of my males was watching with me and an elephant special came on and I will never forget how BIG his eyes got the first time he saw one. No other animal effected him like the elephants. I never knew thier eyes could get so wide open and big. it really was so funny.