The rough wooded path, the muddy riverside path, the yomp up a grassy hill; Each has its own unique appeal. But even the best walk can start to feel monotonous when done on an indoor day, an outdoor day for months at a lockout.
Perhaps even a man ‘s best friend starts running out of the same old squirrels on a smoother daily basis than everyday pleasure.
But there might be an answer for your four-legged friend: the virtual walk.
Windswept Beach? You have it. Or maybe a view? It ‘s all there are, a few clicks of the computer mouse or TV remote control away.
An online membership service for pet owners called Relax My Dog – and its sister site Relax My Cat – has been in high demand since the outbreak began.
Hit the paws button: A West Highland terrier is glued to the screen
The site – Petflix, as it was called – has seen rocket growth in the past year, with over 180 million views across its platforms in 2020, up from 120 million in 2019 .
Dozens of videos for dogs and cats are available from the couple services, which offer both TV and audio content on subscription for around £ 3.50 per month – a bite when you work from home and can’t put your pet in doggy day care.
Videographers film engaging, usually relaxed, images in global beauty spots and add a musical soundtrack.
Alternatively, pet-specific music can be played along with photo slideshows, some of which are available for free on YouTube. One solo music collection – ’15 hours of deep separation anxiety music for dog rest ‘- has seen 15 million views since it was posted online two years ago.
But is television for pets just barking, or can our canine and feline friends get some benefit from a spot of screen time?
As many dog owners will point out, there is no doubt that many of our mutts are watching TV – or at least, somehow recognizing what is happening on screen.
A 2013 study published in the journal Animal Cognition showed that dogs could recognize images of other dogs among images of humans and other animals, using their own visual perception.
How they deal will vary, depending on the gender and gender.
Many get excited if they see another dog or hear it barking – some dogs not only bark at animals on screen but also run behind the television set. looking for them. Others are less concerned about what’s going on and happy just to half-watch.
But what dogs see on screen is different from what we see.
They have dichromatic vision, which means unlike humans, who have trichromatic vision, they have only two types of color receptor cells and they can see color within just two spectra of light: blue and yellow.
Dog eyes are also more sensitive to movement – and some experts believe they have been better off watching (and enjoying) television since the rise in high-definition viewing. to a lower rate of reduction.
A 2013 study published in the journal Animal Cognition showed that dogs could recognize images of other dogs among images of humans and other animals. Stock image
Viewers of Relax My Dog (and a similar film) will have noticed that everything is burned down – at the height of dogs – while colors are maintained and sounds are played at a frequency that are designed to appeal to a pet hearing. Dogs and cats can hear at a much wider frequency than us: dogs can hear up to 45,000 Hz (Hertz), and cats have an even higher range. In comparison, humans only have a range of up to 23,000 Hz.
With the financial potential of doggy television, investment in it has grown since Amman Ahmed, the entrepreneurial brains behind Relax My Dog, launched its service in 2012. Competitive clothing is the called Dog TV, a US-based membership channel that promises to ‘prevent mental weakness, depression and depression’.
Amman Ahmed says viewing preferences can vary greatly from one pet to the next.
‘Some people like to watch other dogs,’ he says. Others are not. They will start barking if they see another dog.
‘Some dogs like to look after sheep or birds. But the most popular are meaningful beach walks. At times another dog may run across playing fetch, sometimes it is an empty beach.
The color is rated for dogs, so it looks like a washed-out purple color for us. It’s a bit like a visual form of guided meditation. ‘
Dozens of videos for dogs and cats are available from the twin services, which offer both TV and audio content on subscription for around £ 3.50 per month. Stock image
And what of cats? Does the average feline have similar canine-like flavors?
No, said Ahmed. ‘Cats like to watch complex material, birds on the screen.’ Speaking of pet families being home more often, Ahmed says: ‘Cats look at their owners,’ Why are you still here? ‘and asks if owners are tuning in with their pets to release it.
But it’s not just TV. Music is also aimed at pets.
The music streaming site Spotify survey found that 71 percent of owners play music for their pets. Spotify subscribers can even create a playlist that is customized for the dog, cat or hamster. Just log in, answer a few questions about your pet’s personality, give it a name and wait while the app scans your music catalog to treat a suitable playlist.
Amazon Prime has previously had content for pets on its site, and even has an annual Pet Sounds evening around Classic FM, around Hill Fires Night each year, to help pets and owners stay stress-free. the fireworks season.
The benefit of sounds for pets has been around for a long time, with studies showing that classical music has had a calming effect on dogs in retrieval centers (Relax My Dog has several contracts with kennels in the US). In 2018, the police in Spain introduced a program called Mozart Effect (or, not Bach!) In which 22 service dogs played concerts and symphonies to help calm them after the pressures. from sniffing out explosives and saving people.
But if Mozart isn’t your bag, don’t be afraid. In 2017, researchers from the University of Glasgow played Spotify six-hour playlists from five genres of music to dogs from rescue centers.
Dogs ’heart rates, their cortisol levels and their behavior (bark, etc.) were recorded while listening and when music was not played.
The result? Fire up Bob Marley: weight levels were reduced when listening to reggae, soft rock and classical music, yielding (with a paw) better results than pop and Motown.
But clinical veterinarian Rosie Barclay warns that videos and music cannot replace normal exercise during a lockout.
For one thing, TVs don’t smell – and for your dog, a walk isn’t so much about pleasing the eyes and following his nose. Yes, our pets need to get outside, as we do, for exercise – but smells are much sharper and more complex than we do and they need the encouragement it gives to stay happy.
They often run predators because they smell them.
‘It’s better to go for a walk than sit in front of the television and watch one,’ says Rosie.
‘If your dog is sitting watching television and looking happy and calm and you think he is enjoying what he is seeing, there is no harm. But if he suddenly jumps up and starts barking like mad, there may be too much and you don’t want to encourage that. ‘
She also warns against using TV to provide a form of companionship for distressed dogs when left alone. If so, she says, owners should seek professional help.
In the future, will there be a new page in the TV listings just for our four-legged friends?
Except for someone who gives us a smell-or-vision, maybe not. But if you’ve run out of places to explore, you could settle down on the sofa with Fido and check out his (virtual) favorite place to visit.