Imagine you have settled for a cozy night at home with your pet. You are all set on a couch with your favorite TV show and suddenly when you switch on your TV your dog starts barking. If your dog riled up anytime when they see TV and start barking, it can create a problem for you.
Barking is very natural for every dog Breeds, especially when they see something new. Some dogs only bark at particular triggers on TV, such as on other dogs, birds, etc. A dog won’t stop barking until the problem is solved. We are here to solve all your queries here. Go through the article to learn about the behavior and solutions for your dog. So let’s start the article with the first question in your mind, why does my dog bark at the TV?
What Are The Reasons Behind My Dog Barking At TV?
When it comes to what, where, when, how, and why dogs bark at TV, you can get different answers. Some dogs bark out of excitement, while some react out of stress or fear. And with high-definition TVs being the norm these days our dogs are more likely to take interest in what they’re seeing on those clear screens. Let’s go through some important reasons why your dog is barking at T.V:
- Excitement: Barking can be natural for dogs when they see something exciting. When they see people moving quickly, other animals, or some familiar sound they get excited and start barking on TV.
- Confusion: Dogs often end up barking at the TV, as they try not to understand or get into a complete head spin. It becomes strange or threatening, leading to a barking response and thus explaining how they assert their uncertainty or concern.
- Habit: They have learned to attribute images and sounds on the screen as a stimulus to bark at, even when they don’t understand what they’re looking at, the behavior becomes so habitual through repetition.
- Warning: Whenever your dog barks at the TV, it is often thought of as a “warning” bark, which means they sense something on the screen as a threat or intruder and are letting you know it is there, even if it’s just an image on the screen.
Top 5 Ways To Stop Your Dog From Barking On TV
- Keep Your Dog Busy Before Watching TV
As a pet parent take your dog for a walk before you watch your favorite TV show, and then engage him in interesting games to keep him busy like playing structured fetch – where he sits before you toss the ball. In this manner, you are applying the Premack Principle (a behavior modification technique that uses a more desirable activity to reinforce a less desirable activity), by the way, use this principle one hour before watching your favorite TV show.
- Don’t Make It A Habit For Your Pet
Your dog, of course, doesn’t have to be secluded in the farthest room of the house in the garage or out in the dog house. Instead, try to find a distance from which he is less likely to react and give him something fun to do while he’s there, so he doesn’t get bored or perceive being crated as punishment.
- It Might Be Because Of Sound
If your dog is reactive to noises produced by the television, then reduce the volume a little, or better yet, put it on mute initially. Ideally, they should still hear the sounds but must not be so salient in their ears that they start to bark. This can take a bit of trial and error; it might be challenging since dogs have sensitive ears and can still potentially hear and respond to even faint sounds.
- “Treat the Trigger!”
The moment that a trigger appears on the screen and before your dog has a chance to react, make a smacking sound with your mouth and toss a treat. Repeat, repeat, and repeat several times. Soon, your dog will make the connection and learn that when his trigger pops up on the screen, he will be getting tasty treats!
- Let Them Chill On The Mat
Keep a few awesome treats that are irresistible but last all day (such as dog cookies, a bully stick, or stuffed frozen Kong) in easy view on a high shelf where your dog cannot get them, and every time a commercial comes on the TV say “mat” and give the goodie on the mat.
Why Do Dogs Watch TV?
Dogs’ color vision is inferior compared to humans but they have other senses more developed than humans. As humans, we have three types of cones that allow us to see red, green, blue, and yellow. Whereas, dogs dichromats have two, blue and yellow.
As their eyes lie more sideways on their head, dogs possess wider peripheral vision. When it comes to detecting movements, dogs are better than humans. Dog eyes are blessed with a greater amount of rod cells within the retina, which makes them particularly adept at detecting small movements from great distances, even in dim light. Sighthounds, in particular, are very adept at detecting movement, courtesy of their retinas lined up with ganglion cells called the visual streak.
Wrapping Up!
Dogs don’t bark to annoy you. Usually, they are excited or even nervous by what surrounds them, but with training, you can change their reactions to the environment. The main difference will be between using positive reinforcement and being consistent with your dog. Every dog is different, so the time taken might vary, but hopefully, through the steps in this article, you will manage to stop this unwanted behavior.
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