Should I Leave the TV on for My Dog?
When you have to leave your dog home alone for long periods of time, you may feel bad leaving them in a quiet house. Maybe you’ve thought about turning on some music or leaving the TV on so they have some noise to drown out all the silence.
But is this a good idea? Does the noise help relax them or does it stress them out?
Should I Leave the TV on?
The answer to this question is that it really depends on your dog.
If your dog is used to a more lively household that has lots of human voices and frequent noise, it may be comforting to them to have some noise to fill the quiet house while you are gone. If your dog is used to a quiet house, they may find all the extra noise to be distressing and an infringement on their quiet time.
Also, if your dog gets easily worked up when they hear any outside noises like cars, other dogs barking, lawnmowers, or any of the other sounds that can be heard from within our houses, it may be helpful to turn the TV on in order to drown out some of those more distressing noises.
Best Practices
If you decide to leave the TV on for your dog, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you aren’t causing any stress to them.
First, pick a show or movie that doesn’t contain any noises that may trigger them. It may be better to choose a sitcom over an action movie that may have lots of loud noises like gunshots or explosions.
Second, pick the right volume. If it’s too loud, it can create stress for your dog as they may feel overwhelmed by the noise. However, if the TV is too quiet, it may not have the desired goal of masking other sounds and providing that normal noise level your pup is used to. A good rule of thumb is to make the TV loud enough to mask any noises when they are in the room, but if they are in another room, it is a more faint sound.
Other Options
If your goal for leaving the TV on is to help ease some anxiety in your dog, you do have other options if you don’t want your dog messing with your recommended movies and shows on your streaming services.
A first option is a sound machine. If your goal is to drown out outside noises, but you are worried that a TV may be overstimulating for your dog, a sound machine with a simple white noise setting may be a better option. The noise will fade into the background but will keep your dog from getting stressed over the neighbors playing outside.
Another option is a Thundershirt. This will help your dog feel calmer and more secure while you are out for the day without the need for extra noise
Having a dog with anxiety can be difficult, so here are some more tips for helping an anxious dog.
Leaving the TV on is a personal decision from dog to dog, however, if you do choose to leave the TV on, what show are you choosing?