Does your dog recognize you... on TV (well, in a video) or in a picture hanging on the wall?

We catch Emily watching TV all the time. I know many people don't think dogs watch TV. They think the dog may be interested in it because of the noise or the movement and that the dog's eyes can't really see the images. Well, that's just not so at our house. Emily is clearly watching TV. I don't know what she thinks of what she sees, but she likes shows with people and, of course, dogs. And, it's obvious to me that she's not just watching flickering objects on the TV monitor. She's engrossed in whatver is going on there - she is watching.

Animal Planet recently published this article, Would my dog recognize me in a picture? by Alison Kim Perry and it struck a nerve with me. In a good way.

The research done by Veterinary Behavior Solutions DVM, Beth Strickler, seems to show that yes, our dogs can recognize us in pictures. Sometimes. "Dogs can distinguish between different people based on the person's appearance at that time, meaning that sometimes a dog can identify his owner's head in the photo. But if in another photo his owner's head is blocked, the animal might have a problem figuring out who she is."

She goes on to say that dogs generally depend on more than 'sight' to identify things. Hounds, like our Chester and Emily, may use their nose more than their eyes. I know Chester is always sniffing - us, our clothes, our furniture, the air... and he certainly needs to use scent as an identifyer. Emily is supposedly a sight hound, however. She watches...everything. Her expressions are amazing! (image)