Believe it or not, when you watch TV, chances are your pets watch along with you. Dogs in particular are good at recognizing other animals on the TV screen, including other dogs. They can even discern the sound of barking coming from the screen. There is even a HDTV cable channel, called DogTV, geared especially toward dogs.
One dog in particular had an especially heartbreaking moment while watching “The Lion King” animated feature with his owner.
Dog Reacts to The Lion King
Couple Josh Myers and Hannah Huddleston had just settled in to watch a movie with their new do pit bull pup, Luna. Everything was proceeding normally until the animated movie got to the part where Simba’s father Mufasa falls to his death during a stampede… Luna seemed touched by the raw emotions of the moment, crying out as Simba tried to wake his father to no avail.
Do Dogs Watch TV?
Believe it or not, dogs, and other animals, can perceive images on your television screen. Unlike humans, however, dogs register images more quickly. So, on older TVs with a slower frame rate per second, the picture seems to flicker. The faster frames per second of more modern HDTV and 4K UHDTVs allow a dog to perceive the images more clearly.
Dogs react to the TV in numerous ways depending on their breed, temperament, and personality. Some dogs will even bark when they hear another dog barking on the TV screen, and might even look around trying to find where the strange dog is.
The Scene in Question
For Luna, the scene that really got her attention is the one where Mufasa has fallen, was thrown to his death by his brother Scar. Simba approaches him trying to get him to wake up to no avail. It was at this pivotal moment in the film that Simba took his first steps to becoming the adult he would later in life. It was also at this moment that Luna made a bittersweet connection with a Disney animated feature.
Life Mimicking Art
You see, Luna never had a true father in her life. She was one of 12 pups born to a pit bull female at a local shelter. It was at this shelter that Josh and Hannah adopted her. And while her mom, brothers, and sisters did happily end up adopted by others, their respective owners still bring them together occasionally for a play date.
This Dog’s Sweet Reaction
As Simba tried to wake his father on the TV screen, Luna at first begins to whimper. And then, as Simba lies down by his father’s side, Luna laid down too, a moment of solidarity with cartoon lion. Maybe in her own way, Luna was sympathizing with Simba in the only way she knew how.
The Bittersweet Moment Caught on Film
Josh caught the bittersweet moment on his phone and decided to post about it on his Facebook. According to Myers, Luna was only four months old at the time. That’s a lot of maturity for one so young, even for an animal. You can watch his sweet and heartfelt video below.
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