DOGTV offers streaming television designed specifically for dogs
DOGTV is a streaming service created specifically for dogs, using colour, movement, music and sound frequencies intended to suit canine sensory perception. The service offers both 24/7 streaming and on-demand programming, with content designed around relaxation, stimulation and enrichment.
For South African dog owners, DOGTV is more than a novelty: its app is available through the South African Apple App Store, with subscriptions currently listed at R154.99 per month or R1,499.99 per year.
DOGTV is also running its DOGUST promotion during August 2026. The company’s website advertises 35% off its annual subscription, reducing the displayed US-dollar price from $74.99 to $48.74 per year for purchases made before 31 August 2026. However, the promotion is displayed in US dollars and DOGTV does not state on the page that this promotional price applies to South African subscriptions.
What is DOGTV?
DOGTV is essentially a streaming television service built around the sensory characteristics of dogs rather than humans.
According to DOGTV, its programming has been developed with pet experts and is intended to provide three broad types of content: relaxation, stimulation and exposure. The company says its videos are adjusted for the colours dogs can see and use audio designed around canine hearing.
The service includes a mixture of 24/7 live streaming and on-demand content. The catalogue shown by DOGTV includes themes such as countryside scenes, forests, household noises, birds, puppies, different dog breeds and content aimed at noise-related fears.
This makes DOGTV different from simply leaving an ordinary television channel running while a dog is home alone.
Why does DOGTV make programmes specifically for dogs?
Dogs do not perceive television in exactly the same way humans do.
DOGTV says it researched more than 50 studies to understand how dogs experience television, including their colour perception, sensitivity to movement and responses to different sounds and music. It uses those findings as part of its approach to producing canine-oriented programming.
The company’s science page says its individual episodes are generally three to five minutes long and are colour-adjusted for canine vision, with soundtracks produced for dogs.
DOGTV also says its music can use tempos between 50 and 70 beats per minute and that its programming incorporates particular sound frequencies that the company says can have a calming effect on dogs.
That does not mean every dog will react to the service in the same way.
Do dogs actually watch television?
There is independent evidence that many dogs do interact with screens, although their responses vary.
A 2024 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science surveyed 1,246 dog owners and found that 86% reported that their dogs watched screen content. Among those dogs, 78% were reported to approach the screen and 76% vocalised in response to content. The researchers also found that age, breed type and visual status could influence how dogs interacted with video.
The study is useful context for DOGTV because it supports the basic premise that dogs can respond to video content. It does not, however, establish that DOGTV itself will reduce anxiety in every dog.
A more recent study examining television viewing habits in companion dogs also found that the type of material shown and the behavior displayed by the dog were important factors in screen interaction. The researchers reported that aspects of a dog’s temperament could help predict its television-viewing behavior.
For owners, the practical lesson is straightforward: a dog being interested in television does not necessarily mean that every type of television content will be relaxing or useful for it.
DOGTV’s current subscription options
DOGTV’s website currently lists several ways to access the service.
| Plan | Price displayed | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Free access | $0 | Limited content |
| Monthly | $9.99/month | Unlimited access |
| Annual | $74.99/year | Unlimited access |
| DOGUST annual promotion | $48.74/year | 35% discount shown on DOGTV’s website |
DOGTV says its paid subscriptions have no contract and can be cancelled. The website also offers limited free viewing without requiring a credit card or sign-in.
The DOGUST promotion is advertised as running until 31 August 2026 and is described by DOGTV as a 35% discount on its annual plan. The promotional price displayed by DOGTV is in US dollars.
What does DOGTV cost in South Africa?
South African customers should check the price displayed by the platform they use before subscribing.
The DOGTV listing on Apple’s South African App Store currently shows:
- Monthly subscription: R154.99
- Yearly subscription: R1,499.99
The App Store listing also states that subscription pricing can vary by region and that the applicable price is confirmed before purchase in the app.
This is important because the $48.74 DOGUST promotional price should not be converted directly into rand and presented as the South African price. The promotion’s applicability to South African subscriptions was not confirmed by the information available on DOGTV’s website.
How South Africans can watch DOGTV
The DOGTV app is available through the South African Apple App Store and supports iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. The listing also states that the service can be accessed through smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and computers, although the exact availability of individual platforms and subscription pricing can vary by region.
For South African households, the service is therefore best viewed as an internet streaming option rather than a conventional television channel.
That also means the quality of the experience will depend on the home’s internet connection and the device being used. DOGTV does not publish a specific South African data-use figure in the material reviewed for this article, so owners should not assume that streaming it continuously will have a negligible effect on a capped mobile or fixed-data package.
Is DOGTV a replacement for human interaction?
No.
DOGTV’s own positioning is centered on enrichment, stimulation and helping dogs when they are left alone. It should therefore be viewed as an additional activity rather than a replacement for exercise, interaction, training, play or appropriate care.
This distinction is particularly important when considering DOGTV’s claims around stress and anxiety.
The company describes its service as being designed to help reduce stress and anxiety, and says its programming has been developed with pet experts.
Independent research shows that dogs can engage with television, but the 2024 study also cautioned that because many owners reported excitement in response to screen content, owners should determine whether video is appropriate for their individual dog when the animal is left alone.
In other words, DOGTV may be useful for some dogs, but owners should watch how their own animal responds rather than assuming that dog-focused television will automatically have a calming effect.
A useful test before paying for a subscription
The simplest approach for a South African dog owner considering DOGTV is to test the free content first.
DOGTV currently provides limited free access, including relaxation and stimulation content, without requiring a credit card or sign-in.
Owners can observe whether their dog:
- calmly watches or listens to the content;
- becomes interested without becoming agitated;
- ignores the screen completely;
- becomes excited by barking, animals or other sounds;
- repeatedly approaches the television; or
- shows signs of stress or frustration.
A dog ignoring the screen is not necessarily a problem. DOGTV itself acknowledges that dogs have different interests and attention spans, while independent research indicates that factors such as age, breed and temperament influence screen interaction.
DOGTV brings pet entertainment into the streaming era
DOGTV is an unusual example of how streaming technology is moving beyond conventional human entertainment.
The service applies familiar streaming concepts — live channels, on-demand video, mobile applications and subscription billing — to a specialised audience with very different sensory requirements.
For South African dog owners, the more interesting question is therefore not simply whether dogs can watch television. Research indicates that many can and do interact with screens. The more useful question is whether a particular dog benefits from a particular type of content.
DOGTV provides a structured way to test that proposition, with programming deliberately produced around canine vision, sound and behavior rather than simply repurposing ordinary television.
South Africans can access DOGTV, including through Apple’s local App Store, but should check the final price and terms shown at checkout. The company’s current DOGUST promotion runs until 31 August 2026, although its advertised US-dollar promotional price should not be treated as a confirmed South African price.
