Late last night, I noticed "DOGTV" in my DirecTV channel lineup, so of course I had to check it out. Up popped this screen:

I'd heard rumors about it, but now it looks like it's really happening. So I went to the Web page, and found that the promo includes one month of free DOGTV and various dog-related coupons. After that, your pooch will pay $4.99 a month for his own TV channel.

I couldn't find any programming info.

Some people find that leaving a TV or radio on for their animals while they are away helps sooth and calm them, especially if they are sensitive to noise and alerted if a butterfly passes gas within 20 yards of the front door. That totally makes sense, though I'm not sure running your TV all day while you're at work is the best remedy.

If you're considering adding DOGTV to your DirecTV package, preview it with your pooch before leaving him alone with the remote. If the mid-day soap opera marathon includes dogs yowling, it might be more agitating then soothing. Images of dogs running around ape-shit at the park might be entertaining if you're watching with your pooch, but if Fido is tearing around your living room unsupervised for eight hours while you're at work in response to the latest episode of Dog Park Raiders, who knows what you'll come home to. Perhaps there should be parental controls.

So, just as we all watch every single cartoon with our kids as we're told to (right? don't we?), we should watch every single show with our poochies. With all the cartoons I'm watching, I'm not sure I'll have time for this.

It might be worth checking out, though. $4.99 could be a steal, if it rocks your dog's world. Heck, it might rock your world, too, you crazy dog person.