Channel for dogs shows we’re OK

Published 10:06 pm Sunday, July 28, 2013

Things are pretty good. If you doubt that statement, just turn on your television and (if you have DirecTV), you can watch a preview of the all-new DOGTV until August 14. (After that it costs money.)

What the very existence of such a thing says about us is this: We’re pretty well off, if our free markets now addressing problems we’re not really sure even exist. We think dogs can see and process some images on television, provided the frame rates are high enough.

“You can really use TV to entertain pets,” claims Ron Levi, founder of DOGTV, in an interview with ABC News. “We have created programs where every frame, second and sound have been tailored to fit the way dogs see and hear the world… Everything we included in our content is something research tells us dogs like to see, like other dogs and moving objects.”

One Humane Society of the United States official is cautiously optimistic about the effect that channel can have on lonely or scared pets, when their owners are away.

“This channel is a grand experiment that has a lot of potential to do America’s dogs a lot of good,” says Kirsten Theisen, director of pet care issues. “We are hoping the science behind the channel is accurate and that the developers will follow up to see how to improve dogs’ quality of life.”

Even if the science isn’t accurate — or even if the real problem being addressed here is the guilt of pet owners who work long hours — this is something to be celebrated. It shows clearly that as a society, we’re making progress.

In 1948, Abraham Maslow wrote about a “hierarchy of needs.” Humans are natural problem solvers, he said, and that’s a good thing — because humans have plenty of problems to solve.

Though his theory has been modified and adapted over the years, the premise is sound. Humans tend to address their problems in order.

“The human brain at the base is driven by a basic instinct to survive with food, drink and shelter,” explains Steven Denning, writing in Forbes. “The second level is made up of the safety needs. The third level in Maslow’s model comprises the social needs like family, affection, relationships, work groups, and community. The fourth level comprises the ego-centric needs of achievement, responsibility, and reputation…”

American society has largely addressed the problems of food and shelter.

Sure, the food stamps program needs extensive reform, and government attempts to address housing issues usually end in failure.

There are still hungry and homeless people — but there are not so many that they consume society’s energies.

Social needs are also largely met through our families and communities; it’s debatable where social networking has been a plus.

But the fact we’re now worried enough about our dogs to create a television channel for this is actually a good sign.

If the government had created DOGTV, this would be a different discussion.

But the “invisible hand” of the markets did it.

That fact shows we’re making progress.