From our Expertz
From the Desk of Ron Levi – Founder and Chief Content Officer at DogTV:
I would like to take the opportunity given to me on this blog, and write a few words about home enrichment. 
When you go to work and leave your dog home alone for several hours, it’s important to use the right tools, in order to enrich his environment. Dogs can get stressed, anxious and mostly bored, when left home alone. This could lead to destructive behavior, separation anxiety and several behavior issues.
For many years, leading organizations in the U.S, such as the Humane Society of The United States, the ASPCA and others have been recommending to leave some form of media entertainment on for your dog, when leaving home. There are several reasons for these recommendations: First – there are many noises outside or inside the house, which tend to stress dogs when they are left alone. Anything from an ambulance driving by to construction works to a washing machine – dogs can get really scared by this ‘noise pollution’; Second – leaving radio or TV on for the dog can give him some sort of feeling of presence, so he won’t feel alone. Third and very important – it provides the dog with some sort of stimulation, that he can’t otherwise get: “A television can potentially provide all important mental stimulation for dogs and help prevent boredom behavior”, say PIAS (The Petcare and Information Advisory Services).
There are several ways to enrich your dog’s environment, and I encourage you to read more about it. TV, radio and your pooch’s favorite toys are a few of the ways that can help your dog cope with his day to day unpleasant feelings. And PetChatz, of course, is a great tool for home enrichment. Give it a try!
When we started DOGTV seven years ago, people laughed at this crazy idea: “a TV channel for dogs? You must be kidding me!” Well, three years after our U.S launch, they are not laughing anymore. People get it. And most important – dogs get it. Just type in YouTube ‘dogs watching DOGTV’ and see for yourself…
I wish you all a great week, and take great care of your dogs – when you are with them – and particularly when you are not…
Ron Levi
The Mad Chatter and all of us here at PetChatz believe that pets (both dogs and cats) can and do watch TV – here are a couple of videos that reinforce that belief: https://youtu.be/rfxpyQeBTJ0, https://youtu.be/rfxpyQeBTJ0
