Is there a way to access DOGTV if you don't have cable? I have a Roku box. Apparently, the dogs don't even have to watch the tv to get the soothing effects. I think it's an interesting idea!

Ha! I probably would leave this on for my dog. Though, I'm not a big fan of the idea of stimulation while I'm out of the house. I mostly just want the dog to relax and nap when I'm away.

Currently I leave the radio on for the dog - easy listening, so he doesn't have to try to nap through a dance party.

Do we really need leave a TV on for a dog? Or a cat? Imagine the impact on energy if every person with a pet started leaving their TV on while they were away.

I can't tell if my dog gets excited or angry with dogs on TV. Either way he runs to the tv and barks and barks. So, I don't think my neighbors would appreciate my getting DOGTV. I think we will be sticking to the radio

i'm with @dustinstruckmeyer on worrying about the energy use, but if it helps people with destructive or lonely pets, go for it.

If I left this on, my dog would spend the entire workday barking at and charging the TV. (Running dogs, in particular, seem to set him off.) He'd make so much noise, I'd be kicked out of the neighborhood!

When I was a kid, we would sometimes bring our dogs inside for the night when the temperature dipped below 0 outside. I would get so excited and try to sit them all down in front of the TV and make them watch Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmations, All Dogs Go to Heaven...you name it. I think I even tried Aristocats. At least now I have SOME defense! And for the record, I would totally do this if I were leaving a dog inside for several hours. But you probably already figured that out.

i love this idea! my dog has separation anxiety and leaving the tv on does seem to help keep him calmer. plus, any time a dog appears on television, he's totally tuned in. i'm excited to give this a try... for my dog and for me (i'm a sucker for cute dog videos).

One thing is for sure; like humans, pets can get anxious. If I thought the television would help my cat feel more at ease while I'm at work all day, I'd keep it on for her.

Still...I don't think I'll be convinced TV is helpful for pets till I see some evidence that isn't generated by DOGTV.

i have an extremely anxious dog who experiences stress when left home alone, i would be very interested in having this as an option to have on for him!

My pets have never even acknowledged that the TV is on. I think it would actually annoy them if I left it on all day while I'm away. I tried to get my dog to watch the stimulation video from DogTV on my (large) laptop but he wouldn't focus on it. My cat also doesn't particularly care for the iPad while other cats seem to go crazy for it.

Judging from the trailer, my dogs couldn't care less about it. I would watch it, though!

There are ways to make a dog less anxious when away and it taught in obdience school for dogs which I think all pet owners should attend. The TV is not always necessary.
For cats, don't know 'bout that one.

I thought my dog wasn't interested in TV because a dog's "flicker" perception is much higher than ours. TV images are refreshed at 60hz so to humans it looks like moving images, but to a dog (who's threshold is at 75hz) it just looks like a light rapidly flashing on and off. However, once I got a new TV, I've noticed that he does tend to stop and watch more than he used to. Does anyone know if the new higher definition TVs flicker at a more rapid rate? Maybe my dog is just a high def snob...

The intro for DogTV actually explains that the flicker rate is faster for HDTV and thus better viewing for dogs. I'm more concerned about the DogTV logo burning into my TV if left on for too many hours.

But... cats?

(I wonder how my wimpy kitties would react to DOG tv?!)

My dog would go completely insane. He loses his little doggy brain whenever he sees or hears dogs on TV. He thinks there are strange dogs in his house or something. The other day he caught me watching a clip from Lady & the Tramp ("We are Siamese") and he went absolutely nuts. I tried to watch the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet, and I swear he had a rage seizure. He wants to kill and eat the Cottonelle puppy.

My in-laws will sometimes leave the TV on for their dogs (especially if they are traveling in their motor home and have to leave the dogs for a few hours since the dogs tend to get a bit more lonely in the motor home), but they usually leave it on the History channel; they joke that they're helping the dogs to become better educated (well, at least before all of the reality shows they have on now...). Lol.

My dog was completely uninterested in the clip, and when we do watch TV, the only thing he cares about are the two open laps.

We're lucky to have a windowseat: he can watch the real world for hours while we're gone and it does him just fine!

Dog TV is full of dog poop.

Un-biased research demonstrates that dogs may be curious about content on TV if there are animals to chase or video of people they know, but will soon ignore the "noise" because it doesn't have a smell.

I just turn the radio on NPR so my dog can hear quiet, talking voices while I'm gone. It doesn't use much energy and it gives her something to listen to.

I hide a treat in a ball or hide peanut butter in a bone, keeps him and his mind busy.
I do let the radio on.
TV I would not be comfortable with, the flat screen gets pretty hot, you never know..

I think this is ridiculous. If you are away enough to consider a TV channel for dogs as something you need (really, people?), then you should either not have a dog, or have two dogs that are compatible with each other so they have companionship when you're gone. It's awful when you hear about dogs repeatedly left alone for long periods of time. They're animals, not accessories.
If you must have something to 'calm' your dogs, and you're not willing to look into why they're anxious or how to solve it, then talkback radio is a good choice.

I just got my first indoor dog last week. He was fantastic on his own, able to run free in the apartment on Friday. Yesterday, he destroyed a set of wood blinds and the original door to my apartment (approx 100 years old), so now he is in a crate. He has separation anxiety so I've been leaving the tv on hoping it would help...but I honestly have no idea if it is once I leave.

Anyone have tips on how to handle this, other than leaving the tv on all day?

And before anyone is able to leave a snide comment, I work 8am to 5pm, but come home for an hour everyday at noon so it's not like he's left alone all day 'like an accessory' (*cough*@hinmelb *cough*)

AprilDeann, you will have to work with your dog to gradually desensitize him to your absence. There are many approaches, google 'canine separation anxiety' and you will get tons of links. Many people firmly believe that the NILIF method helps with separation anxiety, too. Many of my dogs went through SA stage - fortunately, it was relatively mild (compared to examples I have seen/read about) but I lost many pair of shoes (why do they always destroy one shoe out of each pair?). The dog should get a lot of vigorous exercise before you leave (not easy if you have an 8-5 day) so that he is tired and more likely to nap.
Personally, I believe that leaving TV on for dogs is nothing but waste of hydro .... my dogs cannot care less about what's going on TV ... they sleep through everything.
Also, I have always read that leaving TV on is a big fire hazzard.

@ canadianmango - thanks for the info. i knew having a dog would be more work than cats, but it seems there's so much more to learn. cats are really self-sufficient so they've always been a breeze to have. i will have to wake up a little early and try to wear him out in the dogpark. i can see that helping him =)

Great news. DogTV just launched an app on Roku! Now you can get it streaming to your TV anytime.