Is your dog a telly addict?

Updated

Most of us would admit to spending an hour here or there slumped in front of the box. But what about the dog?

dog telly addicts
dog telly addicts


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According to new research, the nation's pooches are in danger of becoming telly addicts and will find it even easier to be couch potatoes when the digital switchover occurs.

A survey of 1,800 dog owners, carried out on behalf of Digital UK, found that the average British hound is happy to veg out in front of the TV for 50 minutes each day.

Almost 50 per cent of the owners questioned insisted their pet pooch had a favourite programme, with one-in-three claiming their dog gets visibly excited when the theme show begins.

It's not The Dog Whisperer or Lassie that they long for though - what dogs love best is a good ol' British soap. The poll revealed that EastEnders is top of the doggy wish list, while Coronation Street also proved popular.

Discerning canine viewers are not, however, keen on football or game shows.

Labradors topped the list of TV-addicted dogs (some clocked up two hours of daily viewing), while Spaniels, Border Collies, Jack Russells and Staffordshire Bull Terriers are also keen viewers.

The digital switchover is likely to turn more British dogs into telly addicts as the clearer picture makes it easier for canine eyes.

Professor Alexandra Horowitz, an animal cognition expert from Barnard College, New York, wrote in her book, Inside Of A Dog: "Dogs have a higher flicker-fusion rate than humans do: 70 or even 80 cycles per second.

"... The conversion to entirely digital television broadcasts will eliminate the flicker-fusion problem, making TV-viewing more viable for dogs."

Before you settle your hound down with a TV dinner though, the Dogs Trust advised against leaving pets home alone in front of the box all day.

Is your dog a telly addict? Does he or she have a favourite programme? Let us know below...

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