Dog owners feeling guilty for leaving their pets alone at home for too long will soon be able to take comfort in the fact that at least the animals won’t be bored. They’ll be too busy changing TV channels and enjoying their favorite shows thanks to the world’s first dog-friendly remote control.

U.K.-based pet food brand Wagg surveyed a number of pet owners and found that 91 percent of respondents said their canine friends regularly watch TV with them. Inspired by this interesting finding, the company teamed up with Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, an expert in animal computer interaction design at the University of Central Lancashire, to create the world’s first remote control for dogs. They came up with a prototype for the ingenious device.

The oversized remote is made of waterproof hard-wearing plastic, so while pooches can chew on it like any other toy, they’ll have a tough time actually causing any damage. It has three large, raised, paw-friendly buttons shaped like a bone, paw and ball which dogs can press to turn the TV on or off, change the channel and even “pawse” a show for later viewing, in case they need a potty break or a short nap. The buttons squeak when pressed and the device also features a hole through which a rope can be tied so dogs can carry it around the house. “We know that people can feel a little guilty about leaving their dogs in a room alone for a short while — whether it’s to pop to the shops or cook dinner in the kitchen,” said Wagg spokesman Dan Reeves. “We wanted to create something that would keep the dog entertained and reassure owners of their well-being.”

A remote control was apparently their best bet since research shows that canines are really into watching TV. “Our studies shows the average dog watches more than nine hours of TV a week, showing technology is already playing a huge part in our pets’ lives,” Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas said.

After Wagg performs all its tests and perfects the dog-friendly TV remote control, the company plans to approach tech companies and get the device into production.

因狗狗独守空房而深感愧疚的主人很快就能安心啦！因为世上首款狗狗专用遥控器能让它们摆脱无聊的生活。这些可爱的小家伙们恐怕要忙着换台观看喜爱的电视节目了。

据称，英国宠物食物品牌沃格曾邀请众多狗主参与调查，据反馈，有91%的主人称狗狗经常和他们一起看电视。受这个有趣现象的启发，该公司联手中央兰开夏大学的动物计算机交互设计专家伊莲

娜· 希斯基· 道格拉斯，创造了首款狗狗专用遥控器。

目前，他们已做出这个设备的模型。尺寸巨大的狗狗专用遥控器由防水耐磨塑料制成，因而狗狗可以像咬其他玩具那样咬

它，却很难真正破坏遥控器。遥控器有骨头状（开/关电视）、爪子状（换台）和球状

（想小便或打盹时，可暂停以稍后观看）的凸起按钮，狗狗能很轻松地按压这3个巨大的按钮。按压按钮时，遥控器会发出吱吱声，此外，该设备还配有绳孔，只要把绳子拴在狗狗身上，它们就能随时随地带着遥控器。

沃格的发言人丹· 里维斯说，“我们发

现，主人急匆匆出门购物或在厨房做晚餐

时，会对独守空房的狗狗心怀愧疚。我们想推出讨狗狗欢心，让主人安心的产品。”

这款遥控器显然是个好主意，因为研究显示狗狗很爱看电视。

伊莲娜· 希斯基· 道格拉斯表示“我们的研究显示，目前狗狗平均每周会看9个多小时的电视，科技给宠物的生活带来了巨大影响。”

完成所有测试并优化狗狗专用电视遥控器以后，沃格打算联手科技公司生产这一设备。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)

    Words to Learn 相关词汇

   【遥控器】yáokòngqì remote a control device operated at a distance by means of radio or infrared signals

    【吱吱响】zhīzhīxiǎng squeak give forth a short, shrill cry or sound