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I’ve had dogs before that watched television, but never one that did so on a regular basis and was so obviously selective. While my dog Willow seems oblivious to ‘that thing’ in the corner of the room that speaks and shows pictures, Bear is another matter.
I remember the very first time a dog of mine demonstrated that they were actually watching what was on the screen. My partner, Mark, and I had three dogs at the time, and one was a little red Jack Russel called Myrtle. It was a Sunday and we’d decided to paint the sitting room (in those days I was able to do everything myself). We moved all the furniture into the middle of the room as Mark tackled the ceilings and I did the skirting boards.
The TV had been placed on the floor and turned on as background noise, though neither of us was watching it. On the screen was one of those old, afternoon epic films made in the 50s and 60s from the days of Richard Burton and John Mills. This one was set in Ancient Rome (it might even have been Ben-Hur).
As I sat on the floor with my paint pot and brush in hand, I was on the same level as my small dog who drew my attention when she started growling. Turning around, I saw Myrtle six feet away from the television, hackles raised, clearly watching the screen and growling at a legion of Roman soldiers marching in unison, rhythmically down the hill. In her mind, they were marching towards her.
Quickly, I alerted Mark who also stopped to watch her. Very slowly, she stalked this Roman legion, getting closer. But, to our absolute delight and amusement, having investigated the screen itself with her nose, she started to tentatively peer behind the television. She was trying to find the soldiers coming at her through the screen and it was both funny and adorable. Since then, I’ve had dogs that react to other dogs barking on screen but, generally, the reaction has been to sounds rather than anything else.
That said, I noticed fairly quickly after Bear and Willow came to live with me that Bear likes to watch TV. He takes absolutely no notice of the news or dramas, but the moment anything about animals comes on, he’s there. He’s also partial to programmes with wide shots of the countryside or gardens, which he takes an active interest in (he particularly likes Gardeners’ World on a Friday evening with Monty Don).
His absolute favourite, though, and one of mine also, is The Dog House. I almost never watch it when it’s actually on, but I record it and whenever I settle down to watch it, he’s there, stretched out on my lap watching with me. It doesn’t matter what he’s previously been doing. He can appear to be fast asleep in his snuggle sack but the moment he hears the music, he’s up, coming over, and settling down on my knees to watch.
I can’t help but notice that he recognises when other dogs are on screen, sometimes moving forward, closer to the images with his little paws resting on the TV table and his tail wagging. Interestingly, however, I’ve noticed he reacts completely differently to Dachshunds.
Of course, as dog owners, we know that some dogs can actively recognise their own breed and can exercise particular likes and dislikes towards other breeds – but that’s usually in person (so to speak). Bear had been watching some programme or other when a couple of Retrievers came rushing out of the front door of a stately home. Bear was sitting purring (as he does) on my lap watching when, on screen, following behind the Retrievers, came two Dachshunds, racing across the lawn.
Immediately, Bear stood up, tail going like a propeller, ears up, barking. Not the “you need to come and pay attention” bark but the playful, happy, greeting bark. He began padding on my knees, constantly looking back at me and then back to the TV, enthusiastically wagging his tail and clearly telling me that he’d seen Dachshunds.
Since that incident, it’s happened several times, specifically and only when Dachshunds appear on screen. I always praise him and confirm his accuracy by saying: “Yes, it’s little sausages!” Whereupon he does his version of the dinner dance on my knees. Another point of interest is that there’s currently an advert (not sure what it’s about but I think it’s got something to do with fitness), where there’s a computer-generated sausage dog that talks to the camera. Bear completely ignores this Dachshund, showing me that he isn’t fooled by it and it’s only when a real, actual sausage dog comes onto the screen that he performs.
As a long-term dog owner, I’ve been saying for decades that dogs possess incredible intelligence and powers of perception that science is only just confirming. And of course, just like us, they’re not all the same. I’ve had some incredible dogs that blew me away (my Arthur was like living with baby Einstein), but I’ve also had those that, how shall we put it…had challenges!
You love them all alike but it’s no good pretending that they’d all hold their own on University Challenge (which interestingly is another of Bear’s favourites). Still, this little Bear clearly recognises and can see dogs on television. But most importantly, he can see differences in breed, recognising his own instantly.
Only seven months in and I’ve already discovered that as well as having Houdini-like abilities when it comes to stealing food, Bear also seems to be related to Edmund Hilary with his climbing expertise. But, this may be only the tip of the iceberg and Bear may be hiding his true light under a bushel. I’ve watched him very closely but he’s quite inscrutable.
Ah well, a bit like a parent limiting the time children spend on screens, I make sure that the remote control is popped up on the mantelpiece and my computer is put away in the cupboard when I’m not working or watching just in case!
Note: I watched Pompeii – The New Dig last night and little Bear couldn’t take his eyes off it from start to finish, making a whole range of chirrups as he watched. Only when it was finished did he remove himself and go to his snuggle sack. Who knew that like his mum, he’s a bit of a history nut!
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