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Pilot launches YouTube channel to entertain his dog
Six years ago, Luca Carano left his puppy Luna alone in their Barcelona apartment while he and his girlfriend went out for dinner. Concerned the dog would feel lonely, he created Siesta Dog TV, a YouTube channel featuring animated videos designed for canine viewers.
Carano, now based in Bologna, Italy, produces 10-hour cartoons showing dogs playing in an animated New York City or watching duck ponds. The videos use calming classical or ambient music and emphasize blue hues, which dogs see more clearly than other colors. One of his videos has garnered 3.5 million views.
"I've seen how Luna enjoys these videos, and I get so many comments from people who say they feel great leaving their dog alone with my videos because it calms them,"
Luca Carano, creator of Siesta Dog TV
Rising demand for pet-friendly entertainment
Carano's channel is part of a growing trend of digital content aimed at dogs. Other platforms, such as Four Paws TV, Cartoon Dog Music, Puppy Dreamscape, and Sleepy Cats, offer videos of puppies playing, squirrels in close-up, or loops of squishy toys. The surge in popularity reflects changing attitudes toward pets, experts say.
"People are more closely attached to their dogs than ever before and treat them like children, worrying about leaving them alone. There's also more awareness about separation anxiety affecting dogs,"
Nicholas Dodman, director of the Center for Canine Behavior Studies
AI simplifies content creation
Advances in technology have made it easier to produce dog-friendly videos. Carano uses AI for some of his content, though he also hand-draws animations. He notes that dogs don't distinguish between AI-generated and traditional videos.
"Technology allows us to set videos anywhere we want, like Hawaii," he says. Other channels, such as DogTV, use AI sparingly, preferring a more hands-on approach to ensure quality.
Do dogs actually watch TV?
Research on whether dogs benefit from television is mixed. A 2023 study from Queen's University Belfast observed 50 shelter dogs and found they spent only 10.8% of available time looking at screens, quickly losing interest.
"The dogs directed relatively little attention toward the television monitors and habituated to their presence within a short period of time,"
Study from the Canine Behaviour Centre at Queen's University Belfast
The authors emphasized that social interaction with humans and other dogs remains the most critical form of enrichment for dogs.
Conflicting findings
Other studies present a more optimistic view. Research from Auburn University, published in July 2025, surveyed owners of 453 dogs that already watched TV. The findings suggested that dogs engage meaningfully with on-screen content.
"Dogs experience a meaningful, object-filled world when they view television. Engagement with television could provide dogs with an enriching experience,"
Auburn University study
Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, an assistant professor at the University of Glasgow, found that dogs watch videos in short bursts rather than sustained periods, though her research involved only two dogs.
DogTV focuses on wellness
Beke Lubeach, CEO of Arizona-based DogTV, believes television can reduce stress in dogs. She cites a Purdue University study showing that kennel dogs who watched videos spent less time pacing and more time grooming and resting.
"Our videos help lower stress in dogs. While we are testing AI, we don't believe shortcuts belong in pet wellness,"
Beke Lubeach, CEO of DogTV
DogTV enhances colors like red and green to make them more visible to dogs. The channel also offers exposure therapy-style content to help dogs overcome fears of fireworks or car rides.
"The more dogs see these experiences in a controlled environment, the less anxious they'll be when they encounter them in real life,"
Beke Lubeach
Tailoring content to different dogs
Lubeach notes that preferences vary by breed and temperament. Some dogs may relax watching scenes of dogs resting in a field, while others prefer more stimulating content, such as dogs playing in a park. For less active or senior dogs, TV can provide mental stimulation.
"Video content is mental exercise for senior dogs and lazy dogs. If they aren't being physical often, they still need to exercise their minds,"
Beke Lubeach
