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Dog TV Remote Control Gives Paws To The Family Pooch

By Anne Sewell
Published on: 00:36 PST, Jul 3, 2016

Does your dog get bored, alone at home all day while you work? A dog food company and an animal computer interaction expert have come up with the perfect dog TV remote, allowing your pet to choose the channels and keep entertained.

Dan Reeves from the U.K. pet food company Wagg came up with the idea in conjunction with experts in animal computer interaction design at the University of Central Lancashire.

According to Inside Hook, a prototype of the new dog TV remote control was unveiled recently by Wagg and Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, an expert in animal computer interaction design at the University of Central Lancashire.

According to Hirskyj-Douglas, “Recent research found the average dog now watches more than nine hours of TV a week, which shows that technology is already playing a huge part in our pets’ lives.”

So it definitely makes sense to give our dogs the ability to access their entertainment all by themselves.

It turns out there is already a TV channel for dogs on YouTube. On DogTV, pooches can already watch everything from action to adventure, with a bit of fun in between. They can watch other dogs running after balls and catching Frisbees, or to relax they can even see videos of dogs yawning, stretching and falling asleep.

While watching DogTV – or just plain old human TV – the family pooch can use the dog TV remote to turn on the TV, “paws” their video, or turn off when they have seen enough.

The remote has large buttons with raised surfaces, making them paw-friendly and they have been produced in dog-friendly colors of yellow and blue.

Probably most important of all, the dog TV remote has been designed so that the family pooch can’t chew it – the whole thing is made of a hard-wearing, waterproof plastic that can withstand even the largest doggy jaws.

Just for fun, the remote also squeaks when they use it — like so many of their favorite toys — and there is a hole where a rope can be attached, allowing the family pet to carry or drag it around the house.

The new product isn’t available at stores yet, however, as the new TV remote is currently undergoing canine testing, under the eye of experts who are monitoring the pooches’ reactions to the buttons, sounds and colors.

Once they have all the tests done and have perfected the dog TV remote, the Leeds based dog food company Wagg will approach tech companies with a view to putting the pet-friendly device into production.

Reeves said that “Research carried out by Wagg shows a staggering 91% of owners admit their pet regularly sits on the sofa and watches TV with them.”

As reported by the Mirror Online, while it could mean owners will end up fighting with the family dog for remote control of the TV, Reeves is sure the product will be a howling success.

He said that “We know that people can feel a little guilty about leaving their dogs in a room alone for a short while — whether it’s to pop to the shops or cook dinner in the kitchen.”

“We wanted to create something that would keep the dog entertained and reassure owners of their well-being.”

Wagg has also come up with a special show for the dogs on YouTube called “Dogglebox,” featuring several canines watching their favorite TV shows.

[Photo via Facebook]

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