DVD For Dogs: While You Are Gone Relaxing Dog Video, Dog Movie for Separation Anxiety

I bought this DVD for my large breed mixed rescue who has SERIOUS separation anxiety issues. I work from home, and I thought this would be a good way to keep him entertained in the other room while I was working. After the mixed reviews I wasn't sure if he would go for it or not, but since this DVD had more bird scenes than others I figured it was worth a shot (my dog loves watching birds). I also have a little shih tzu that is just the sweetest little thing, but she is more independent so if she enjoyed the DVD, that would just be a perk. Well...this definitely wasn't what I expected!!!! LOL The intro features some shots of various dogs and barking, plus the occasional dog whistle sounds (I think that's the sonic sounds they refer to in the DVD writeup--the dog whistles go off periodically to get your pooches attention back to the screen). Next up was the beginning of our "virtual walk" which is literally a path scene then closeups of various animals. The first set of animals was a group of squeaking prairie dogs. My mixed breed dog was interested, but the shih tzu turned into a little MONSTER! I have NEVER seen anything like it, she is normally the sweetest, calmest little dog I have ever seen. Instead, she was a snarling, growling demon who belonged in a cage match. She snapped at me, the other dog, and ran around like a possessed maniac. Needless to say, I fast forwarded ahead. The next scenes were pretty much all various types of birds--ducks, flamingos, chickens/rooster, then some wild birds. Again, I got a reaction I wasn't expecting...the little shih tzu was peaceful, the large breed was interested, but the pair of finches in my living room? Shrieking, chirping, and *ahem* lovemaking ensued. This must be like Barry White for birds because for about 5 minutes of each set of bird scenes (especially the chickens and wild birds) all my finches did was chirp and chase each other around their cage, occasionally catching each other, at which point I would recommend you cover your child's eyes unless you want to explain what kind of playing they are doing. Again I skipped ahead--the coyote scenes and farm animal scenes didn't produce any reactions of note. The virtual fetch caught my shih tzu's attention. She sat transfixed, though she was "hiding" behind the coffee table to watch. All in all, I think the nature sounds alone are worth it, though I would warn anyone to put it on while you are home a few times to make sure you don't get any surprises. I wish you could make a playlist to play only the scenes your dog likes on a loop, or even just loop one scene (obviously I need to bypass the prairie dogs haha). Instead, the entire DVD is only one constant track so you can't skip scene to scene (unless you just fast forward).

I picked this up from the library on a whim, popped it into the DVD player, and ordered my own copy from Amazon half an hour later.My family has two rescue dogs, both of whom we adopted as puppies. Lady is 2 and Maisie, whom we got two months ago, is 6 months. Maisie (whose first four months of life were probably not great) has had problems with separation anxiety, so I've been experimenting with ways to soothe her. While this DVD isn't a magical fix, it's pretty darn close. She was curious when I started the DVD, but by the time the prairie dogs came on, she was absolutely transfixed. I've never seen anything like it! I didn't know she was capable of sitting so still! Lady is a bit older and more mellow, so she didn't pay much attention at first. By the second loop, however, she had been sucked in as well.Parts of this DVD are a little weird -- like the "fetch" simulation and the random bit where a woman dreamily reads an essay about her dog -- but my pups were fascinated by all the scenes and sounds of other animals. The prairie dogs are definitely their favorite part, but Maisie also likes the chickens, geese, goats, cats and horses. She's pretty sure she would like at least one of each. I think the DVD also incorporates the sounds of dogs barking and high-pitched tones periodically to make sure dogs who are watching keep paying attention. (It works!) You can set it up to play on a continuous loop, which is great.This DVD will not magically solve all your dog-related problems. It intrigued both of my dogs and seems to be helping my rescue pup get over her separation anxiety, but it is no substitute for professional training. However, if you're looking for ways to keep your dog occupied -- whether or not you're home -- it might be helpful. I suspect its effectiveness varies from dog to dog, but if your dog has shown any interest in the TV and you're looking to keep him or her occupied for an hour or two, it's definitely worth a try!

too many noises that distracted - rather than relaxing the pup. He tuned out right away, and he likes to watch TV. Some others may like it tho!

My dog, bored from surgery recovery, definitely liked the visit to the dog park that begins this program. The prairie dogs went on too long and the virtual walk in the woods was silly -- the camera should have gone lower to the ground as a dog's point of view.Just a program of dog park activity alone would be better in my dog's opinion.Seldom watch TV but played around with comcast "on demand" programming area -- hit search, keyed in "dog" and another time "dogs" and found 20+ shows with these words in the title. Winnowing out "Straw Dogs" and the like, I found "Cupid Dog," and should be but am apparently not too cool to say I watched it with her more than once. My dog and I also liked "A Dog of Flanders," charming kids' classic. Both had more than enough dog CUs and dog sounds to do the job of alleviating the boredom of being confined to one room for weeks. The best find from Luna's POV is TOO CUTE, which can be found On Demand under Animal Planet. Trust me on this one -- KILLER cute. I think it's an ongoing series, haven't checked yet - we watched two full episodes which followed litters of puppies and kittens from birth to romping age at various homes around the country as well as two very very brief clips of baby sloths being bathed and exercised, which are going to be the cutest thing you ever saw.I am not sorry to have bought this DVD though. It will be used, and it will be passed along to other dogs and help them too I'm sure. Mostly I'm glad I bought it because it gave me the idea to look for TV for the dog to watch.

It's not necessarily a calming DVD..my dogs got somewhat aroused so it's not something I would leave on while they are alone. We still enjoyed it and gave me an opportunity get the dogs used to some scenes and sounds

Wonderful, interesting video for my little Cockapoo. We already knew she responded to animals on TV, but this video presents everything in a gentle, peaceful way. Just great !