Nowadays there is a cable television channel available to please everyone \u2013 even their pets.<\/p>\n
Say hello to DOGTV, a premium cable TV\u00a0network and the first made specifically for canines.<\/p>\n
DOGTV initially launched in Israel in 2012, and later conducted a test market in San Diego\u00a0through\u00a0Cox Communications and Time Warner. That successful launch set the stage for a commercial launch nationwide on DirectTV.<\/p>\n
DOGTV provides 24\/7 digital TV programming designed to provide entertainment for dogs. The programming, created with the help of dog behavior specialists, is color-adjusted to appeal to dogs and features three- to six-minute segments designed to relax, stimulate, and expose the dog to scenes of everyday life such as doorbells or riding in a vehicle.<\/p>\n
The idea originally for DOGTV came from founder Ron Levi and his cat Charlie whom Levi said \u201cjust gave me the saddest eyes one day,\u201d when he was leaving the house. That prompted him to edit videos of squirrels, birds, and fish for Charlie to enjoy while he was away.<\/p>\n
However, canines have been found to be much more amenable to TV programming targeted specifically toward them. \u201cWe\u2019ve found out that dogs have much more pressing needs (for visual stimulation) than cats, which are a little more independent,\u201d said DOGTV CEO Beke Lubeach. \u201cDogs have a lot of separation anxiety, can suffer from boredom, and can be destructive.\u201d<\/p>\n
To address those issues, in determining content for a new canine-oriented TV channel, Lubeach said they worked with Dr. Nicholas Dodman, DVM, head of Animal Behavioral Sciences at Tufts University. He helped them to develop the content for the channel showing what colors dogs can comprehend. \u201cThey only see in yellow, blue, and gray,\u201d Lubeach said. \u201cSo in editing the content in post-production, we enhance things to actually give it a little extra dimension so that dogs can see it better. We now have five patents on the way we produce the content.\u201d<\/p>\n
By contrast, human eyes have three types of cones that can identify combinations of red, blue, and green. Dogs possess only two types of cones and can only discern blue, yellow, and some gray. This limited color perception is called dichromatic vision.<\/p>\n
Lubeach launched DOGTV in San Diego in 2012. \u201cAbout four years later we created our own DirectTV app like Netflix or Disney Plus,\u201d she said adding, \u201cRight now, for $9.99 a month or $84.99 a year for subscribers, we have a holiday special with all sorts of different offers.\u201d<\/p>\n
DOGTV serves as sort of an animal babysitter. \u201cBack in the day, to keep your dog from tearing up the house while you were away, you used to turn on the TV or the radio to distract them,\u201d Lubeach said adding, \u201cWhen we actually tested DOGTV out, overwhelmingly, dogs responded. They could see the TV better and the sound and the music actually helped to soothe them or pique their interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
DOGTV\u2019s app is a 24\/7 streaming channel that also offers on-demand content. Lubeach said the station has also launched content for people, with hours of educational content available to help them be better pet parents in order to give their dogs a better quality of life.<\/p>\n
DOGTV holiday offers include:<\/p>\n
– $15 for three months of DOGTV when you use the code HOLIDAY15\u00a0at\u00a0dogtv.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n – $25% off the DOGTV Gift Box when you use the code CMBOX25 at\u00a0dogtv.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n