Dogs watching videos could be key to better understanding their vision: study

A new study suggests screen time for dogs could be the key to develop technology that will allow veterinarians to better understand a dog's vision.

After a ruff day, many people may unwind by watching their favourite shows with their dogs alongside.

Yet while their humans enjoy their shows, that screen time could be key to better understanding a canine’s vision, a new study suggests.

New research from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine indicates video consumption could sustain a dog’s attention long enough to assess visual function — an area that “has been sorely lacking” in veterinary medicine.

“The method we currently use to assess vision in dogs is a very low bar. In humans it would be equivalent to saying yes or no if a person was blind,” said Freya Mowat, a professor in the school’s department of surgical sciences and the study’s author, in a news release.

“We need more sensitive ways to assess vision in dogs, using a dog eye chart equivalent.”

Mowat speculates videos have the potential to retain a dog’s attention long enough for an eye exam, but it’s unclear what type of content is most engaging and appealing to dogs.

Mowat attempted to answer that question in her study, which was published recently in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science. She created a web-based questionnaire for dog owners about the TV-watching habits of their canine companions, and then made it available to people around the globe.

Participants were asked to answer questions about the types of screens in their home, how their dogs interacted with them, the kinds of content their dogs interacted with the most, as well as information about their dog’s age, sex, breed, and where they live.