Dog owners feeling guilty for leaving their pets alone at home for too long will son 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.

因狗狗长期独守空房而深感愧疚的主人们很快就能安心啦！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、忙着观看最喜爱的电视节目了。

UK-based pet food brand Wagg apparently¹ surveyed a number of pet owners and found that 91% of respondents said their canine² 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 which is currently in a trial and analysis period.

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%的主人称狗狗朋友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，他们已做出这个独创设备的模型，不过该模型正处于试验与分析阶段。

The oversized remote is made of waterproof³ 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 squeak⁴ when pressed and the device also features a hole through which a rope can be tied so dogs can carry it around the house.

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，它们很难真正损伤遥控器。遥控器有骨头状（开/关电视）、爪子状（换台）和网球状（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，该设备还专门配有绳孔，只要把绳子拴在狗狗身上，它们就能随时随地带着遥控器。

“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 reassure⁵ owners of their well-being⁶.”

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们怀有几丝愧疚，尽管它们独处的时间并不长。我们想推出某些既讨狗狗欢心，又让主人安心的产品。”

A remote control was apparently their best bet since research shows that canines⁷ are really into watching TV. “Our studies shows the average dog now watches more than nine hours of TV a week, showing technology is already playing a huge part in our pets’ lives,” Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas told the Sunday People.

这款遥控器显然是他们的拳头产品，因为研究显示狗狗真的很爱看电视。在接受《星期日人民报》的访谈时，伊莲娜·希斯基·道格拉斯表示“我们的研究显示，目前，普通狗狗每周会看9个多小时的电视，这意味着科技正在给宠物的生活带来巨大影响。”

After Wagg performs all its tests and perfects the dog-friendly TV remote control, the company plans to approach tech companies about getting the device into production. So you on your canine pet may soon be fighting over control of your TV set.

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。所以不久之后，你可能就又多了一个和你争抢电视的家庭成员。