Does your Doodle watch TV? Cute maybe BUT dangerous at times. Need your help

[Lina]

Hi All

This is my very first post, although I have been frequently helped by your suggestions and experience (for this I thank all of you!!).  My Emily is 5 years old, born in America but moved to the UK with me 2 years ago.  She is 95% of time a perfect dog and I can't imagine life without her now.  However, there is one thing she does which I have not been able to address.  Emily watches TV, movies, documentaries, sitcoms, everything.  And even though she is the most friendly dog ever with all "live" beings, she attacks the TV every time a dog, horse or cat appears on TV.  She actually recognises the sound track of a TV ad she has seen before and knows how to wait until a dog that she knows she has seen before in that particular ad appears. She might be in another location in the house, when she hears the ad she will come running, sits in front of TV waiting for the dog or cat to appear and then attacks the TV like nothing I have seen before, barking and jumping. It can actually be a tiny little puppy which only appears for 5 second and she still can spot it and go after it like it presents a clear dangerous to her being.  Emily is not a jealous or protective dog and gets along well with every dog (and cat) she ever met.  Anyone has any suggestions?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

In my opinion you need to "own" the TV.  Every single time you see her begin to react to a "TV dog" you need to calmly go to the TV and use your body language to back her up verbally correcting, then take her away from the TV and put her in a sit or preferably a down/stay.  I would not have the TV on where she can get to it unless you are in a position to do this.  She'll learn that you're not going to allow the behavior.  It's really no different that when the dog barks at another dog they see through the window or door.  By "owning" the door and consistently correcting and backing the dog away they learn.

[Lina]

Thank you Jane.  I do not leave the TV on unless I am there with her.  I do try to take her to another room and she will follow my directions, wait 5 min and come back and then proceed to react same way next time it happens 

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

I agree completely with Jane. We have a tv problem as well but ours is just funny and annoying.....Murph is doorbell trained to go to his "place" until released when the doorbell rings.......he doesn't know the difference between real doorbell and tv doorbell. And if we don't answer the door he sits in his place and whines until we greet our make believe guests! We have to make sure not to watch Two and a Half Men reruns because the doorbell rings at least twice in every episode! (That was an advantage when training,now a nuisance).

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

OMD, that is actually very cute!  Very good idea to train Murphy to go to his "place" when the doorbell rings.  Wow, I think Libby and I need to do some more training:)  Oh should I say, add that on to the list of training!

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

We are working on Wilson......much harder to train the second one for some reason. We are working on it.

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

Lonnie, you can see a video if Murph's doorbell training on my page. He was 8 months old when he made the video.

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Hmmm Bender watches Tv and is VERY interested in the dogs on the screen.  He doesnt attack it tho, he just watches.  I will try Janes suggestions too so he doesnt get too fixated

[F, Calla & Luca]

Luca does this exact thing although he is a bit better.

[Lina]

Hi, anything you tried helped?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I usually warn him and/or hold him when I get to him in time. Then he gets praise when he doesn't charge. I have a crate near the TV and if he doesn't listen in he goes. I confess that certain shows, Like the Incredible Dr. Pol, I just watch when he's sound asleep and with headphones : )

[Rita and Fazzy]

I have a 4 year old Cavapoo that does something must like this - she just barks, she doesn't attack the tv.  If she's on the couch and happens to see an animal - real or cartoon, she starts barking and barking.  One time there was a lion on tv and she actually ran up to the tv barking, but the lion came towards the camera and she went running backwards, but kept barking.  It was funny early on, but it gets old quickly.  She's very keyed into the sounds of dogs on tv as well, so if she can't see them, she'll hear them and bark.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Oh no, that bank commercial, you get to hate them after a while.