[VMPhil]

The BBC digital DOGs were removed in the very very early days of digital broadcasting when it would have been only early adaptors who had the technology, who were perhaps more technical minded and also more minded to complain about things like that. BBC Choice eventually reinstated their DOG.

There was a very vocal anti-DOG/bug campaign online for many years in the early 2000s, and it seemed to encompass both "normal" viewers and geeks like ourselves. I always thought it was a peculiarly British thing because no other country seemed to mind as much about DOGs, not even America who'd had them on their major terrestrial channels since the mid-90s or so.

But, we also had widescreen SD which most other countries didn't really have. This meant if the DOG was in the 4:3 safe area, as most graphics were until the late 2000s or so, on a widescreen set it would appear to be floating in the middle of the screen. And perhaps that was part of the reason why we complained more about it. But also the DOGs back then seemed to be a lot bigger, brighter and colourful.

I think, thanks to HD, nowadays they are a lot smaller and tucked away in the corner of the screen.

Personally, I can't say they've ever really bothered me. I think like most people I just tune them out. Which probably negates the whole point of them in the first place.