In a novel study by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, researchers embarked on an unusual but significant quest: determining what dogs would prefer to watch on television. The study, far from being a light-hearted inquiry, aimed to fill a crucial void in veterinary medicine by developing more refined methods for evaluating canine vision.

Dr. Freya Mowat, an Assistant Professor in  Department of Surgical Sciences (SVM) and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at U of W, noted the current limitations in assessing dogs' vision, comparing them to basic human blindness tests. She posited that videos could be the key to effectively measuring a dog's visual capabilities, maintaining their focus long enough for an accurate evaluation.

This research, detailed in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, discovered that dogs showed a marked preference for videos featuring other animals, particularly dogs.

To collect data, the researchers conducted an extensive web-based survey targeting dog owners globally. The survey delved into the pets' screen interactions, encompassing the types of screens and content that most captivated the canine viewers. Dog owners observed and reported various behaviors, distinguishing between 'active' responses like running and 'passive' ones like sitting, as well as vocal reactions.

A critical part of the study involved showing dogs four distinct videos – depicting a panther, a dog, a bird, and moving traffic – and having owners rate their pets' engagement and attentiveness. With participation from over 1,600 dog owners worldwide, the study revealed intriguing insights: age and vision levels affected screen interaction, sporting and herding breeds were more likely to engage with any content, and animal-focused videos, especially those featuring dogs, were highly popular. Human subjects were less interesting to dogs, and surprisingly, cartoons captured the attention of over 10% of the canine audience.

The research team is now set to use these findings to create video-based tools for assessing changes in dogs' visual attention as they age. She also plans to investigate how the aging of canine vision parallels that of humans. This research could unveil environmental or lifestyle factors influencing visual aging, potentially positioning dogs as early detectors of such changes.

This groundbreaking study was funded through various grants, including a Companion Animal Fund Grant from the University of Wisconsin, a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., and a core grant for Vision Research from the NIH to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.