Whether excitable or fearful, calm or anxious, a dog’s television viewing habits offer significant insights into its personality, according to groundbreaking research. The first study investigating canine behavior in front of screens, published in *Scientific Reports* by Auburn University, analyzed over 450 dogs of all breeds aged 2 months to 16 years.
Recent years have seen a surge in dog-specific programming and increased pet exposure to media. To decode how canines interact with such content, researchers led by Lane Montgomery observed dogs as they watched TV while owners provided behavioral details about their pets.
Findings show dogs react most strongly to other animals on screen—45% consistently responded to barks or howls. Excitable dogs tracked moving visuals as if real, while fearful or anxious ones reacted more to auditory cues like car horns or doorbells. The study suggests these patterns could revolutionize dog training by enabling more effective correction of behavioral issues.