Arowboat glides effortlessly across a lake to the sounds of birds whistling. A dog gazes longingly at a distant mountain. Close-up shots of puppies sleeping fade into an adult pooch turning his head in slow motion.
Welcome to DogTV. On Aug. 1, DirecTV launched a national cable channel specifically for canine customers, reportedly the first of its kind. Its creators say DogTV can help entertain Fido when he’s home alone and keep him calm and content.
“Being alone six or seven hours a day — it’s boring and stressful (for dogs),” says Gilad Neumann, the CEO of DogTV, who says that pets who watch his channel are noticeably “happier, more relaxed, less stressed when [left alone].”
DogTV was developed by a team of scientists, veterinarians and behaviorists to cater to a dog’s needs. It boasts 24-hour programming designed to stimulate and relax lonely dogs.
The channel’s chief scientist, Dr. Nicholas Dodman, is the Program Director of the Animal Behavior Department at Tufts University. He says his team looked at “how dogs see, how dogs hear, and the daily rhythm of dogs” when creating their content.
When Fido sits down to watch DogTV, he’ll see dogs playing, color-altered images that compensate for a dog’s inability to see red or green, camera angles shot from a dog’s perspective — all to a soundtrack of soothing nature sounds and music.
But does DogTV really work to calm dogs, or is it just another way to ease a human’s guilt? And is it worth the expense? After a free two-week trial that ends Aug. 14, DogTV will cost $4.99 a month.
For pets with severe behavioral problems, experts warn not to see DogTV as a cure-all. “Turning on a TV or a radio traditionally will not reduce or cure separation anxiety,” says KC Theisen, Director of Pet Care Issues at the Humane Society. “True separation anxiety is best resolved with the help of a certified animal behaviorist.”
Michael Shikashio, president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, says that the channel could be a good thing for some dogs. “DogTV seems like a fantastic idea,” says Shikashio, who reviewed their Web site but does not have the channel. However, he suggests observing your dog watching the channel to see if he really finds it enjoyable. And he notes that “there are numerous products on the market that can provide mental and physical enrichment for dogs while they are left home alone during the day.”
Joy Stephan, a social impact consultant who lives in the West Village with her dog Kismet, a Cavalier King Charles and poodle mix, says that she wouldn’t pay for DogTV but might try it for free. Stephan has experimented with leaving the television on for Kismet, but she “didn’t gravitate toward it and she didn’t seem happier or more relaxed when I came home.”
Monica Stone, a 52-year-old sales representative from Dana Point, Calif., gave the channel a try, and now she’s a believer. She was a test market viewer for eight months, and she’s now planning on paying for the channel after seeing what it did for her three dogs.“When I come home, they’re just sitting on the couch, mellow,” says Stone, laughing. “That’s what sold me!”
pets@nypost.com