TV for dogs

Nestlé Purina has created the first-ever television commercial especially for dogs. The commercial to be screened on Austrian television uses different sounds – including a high-frequency tone – to capture the attention of four-legged friends and their owners. Nestlé Purina asked their experts in pet behaviour, based at St Joseph, Missouri, in the United States, to help them understand what sets dogs’ tails wagging. They discovered there were some sounds which really appealed to dogs. The first is a ‘squeak’ which is similar to the sound dog toys make. Both dogs and people can hear this. The next sound is a high-frequency tone, similar to a dog whistle, which humans can barely hear. And the third sound is a soft, high-pitched ‘ping’ which can be heard by dogs and people. Created by Nestlé Purina for its dog food brand “Beneful”, the TV commercial was first broadcast on German TV channels, national Internet sites and the “Beneful” website during the summer months.