Who else loves television? Dogs!

Well, some of them do, while others enjoy other activities. But do dogs who are fond of watching TV see TV shows the way we do?

PetMD gives an interesting answer to this in the article, "What Do Dogs See When They Watch TV?" penned by Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP.

Photo: YouTube/The Dodo

According to Dr. Mitchell, "Dogs absolutely can see TV, and many seem to enjoy it. There are a number of features about television shows that dogs find attractive. Some of these are visual, such as motion, while others relate to the sounds coming from the TV. Dog eyes are very different from human eyes, so they see things on TV differently. Their vision isn’t as sharp, being closer to 20/75 than 20/20, which may explain why they prefer to sit closer to the TV than we do—it helps keep the images sharp."

The article further relates that dogs have different color perception because, compared to humans who have three color-processing cells, dogs have only two. This makes them see green, yellow, and blue, but other colors like red are muted. But these animals have night vision and are a lot more sensitive to motion than humans, and that's due to the many light-sensitive rods in their eyes and the part of the canine eye that's called the tapetum lucidum.

Photo: YouTube/The Dodo

But what dogs think when they watch TV, nobody knows. What's certain is that they can recognize other animals on TV. They can see the images and hear their sounds, and many dogs tend to react to these. However, dogs seem to understand the images to be a mere representation of animals and other objects, since they can't smell them. A dog's sense of smell is vital in their perception of the world.

Given the fact that dogs are typically aware that the animals and images on TV are not real, do they really enjoy watching it? Apparently so, because many dog owners use TV or even radio to soothe their dogs when their pets have to be left alone at home. The dogs feel entertained by the images and sounds, making time pass by quickly until their owners are back home.

Photo: YouTube/The Dodo

To this little girl, Bosco's coming into her life was one of the happiest and funniest experiences she's had. Now, she has a best friend who watches TV with her who feels as much pleasure as she does. And this bff of hers is none other than a dog, whom their family adopted after a neighbor posted about it on Facebook.

Izzy, the little girl, and her mom Zoe, were deeply touched by Bosco's story. He had been moving from one house to another looking for the right home. Izzy and the dog immediately fell in love with each other and have been inseparable ever since.

Photo: YouTube/The Dodo

And to Izzy's delight, Bosco is very fond of watching TV shows too. In fact, she has been observing his emotional reaction to various programs. He responds to them like a human!

Now, their family is more blissful and exciting than ever! Izzy and Zoe are starting to see the world with more color and meaning, due to Bosco!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DryyyuU3SvA