Dog's Life

On the Tele

Tuning in for some great fun

Finding a shared interest with your dog can be an exciting moment since it means you and your best friend get another chance to hang out. That's why nothing beats watching your favorite TV shows side-by-side!

For Canonsburg, Pa., resident Kim Lee and her yellow Labrador Retriever, Carly, watching TV is one more thing in the long list of what they do together. "Carly has always been a curious and gentle companion," Lee says. "She wants to help me with everything I do from putting on my shoes to getting balls out from under the couch to bringing in the groceries." So a mid-day TV break with Carly is just what Lee looks forward to. "In the afternoon we sit down on the couch. She gets a good view of the TV while I scratch her back. It's a simple pleasure of life."

But this seven-year old pooch didn't always sit during her shows. "When Carly was little, anytime a dog was on the TV she would circle the television trying to figure out what was going on with those pups. She would stand behind the TV for a few minutes and wait for them to bound through the wall from the television set on the other side. It gave me hours of entertainment when she was little."

Although the show on-air isn't too important to these TV enthusiasts, "Carly really likes shows that have home videos of animals on them," laughs Lee, who enjoys watching Carly get involved in the shows. "Carly often will bark at the front door if a doorbell rings on TV."

But Carly isn't the only one who gets involved in what's on TV—a four—year old Beagle named Charlie from Chicago, Ill., also watches TV this way. "He could care less about what show is on TV—unless someone knocks on a door or rings a doorbell on the tube," says Charlie's owner Luke Kavlie. "Then, he'll jump up and run to the door barking and howling the entire way. I guess you could say he makes every show reality TV."

Although Charlie doesn't have a particular favorite show—besides getting involved in the action—watching TV with Kavlie is still a favorite moment for him because it means he gets to hang out with his best friend. "Charlie can be seen curled up behind my legs," Kavlie says. "This is his favorite spot."

Just like Charlie, the best part of watching TV for Lee and Carly isn't what show is on, it's the time they get to relax together. "I think my favorite part about watching TV with Carly is knowing that she has been through everything with me," Lee says. "She has been my friend through moves, cross country trips, late-night study sessions and the list could go on. Sometimes life is about just sitting and being together, and with her, TV gives us time to do that."