New puppy livestream starts

Hilkka the Lagotto Romagnolo gave birth to six puppies on a Finnish programme dubbed the 'Big Brother for dogs'.

24/7 livestream for six puppies

The Finnish programme follows a curly brown pooch as she looks after a litter of four female puppies and two males.

6.6m viewers in six days

The website has recorded 6.6million visits in the past six days alone.

Pentulive series

It is the sixth series of the show named Pentulive, meaning Puppy Live, aired by Yle, the national public service broadcaster in Finland.

Eight-week livestream

The canine version of Big Brother will follow Hilkka and her six pups 24/7 for eight weeks.

Remote filming

It is filmed from inside the home of a breeder, with three cameras and lighting installed inside the puppies' whelping box.

Remote control

It is controlled remotely by a directorial team in Helsinki.

Last year's success

Last year's programme featured an English springer spaniel named Muru. Her litter of 11 puppies drew in one million viewers, around the same number that tuned into the evening news show that day.

Science journalist

Pirjo Koskinen, a science journalist at Yle who came up with the idea for Pentulive, told The Times that the public's response to the programme had been unexpected and overwhelmingly positive.

Mental health benefits

She said: 'We know that Pentulive helps to deal with loneliness, stress and sleepless nights. It's even been said to relieve physical or mental pain.'

“We know that Pentulive helps to deal with loneliness, stress and sleepless nights. It's even been said to relieve physical or mental pain.”

Classroom use

Ms Koskinen said that the livestream was played in classrooms while children studied for exams and had helped people bond with elderly relatives suffering from dementia.

Human connection

She added: 'I think Pentulive brings out the best aspects of humanity. One explanation could be that there has been so much negative news since we started in 2021, with Covid and the war in…

“I think Pentulive brings out the best aspects of humanity. One explanation could be that there has been so much negative news since we started in 2021, with Covid and the war in Ukraine, for example. Maybe people crave something opposite to all that.”

Pentulive bubble

What we call 'the Pentulive bubble' is about loving and caring, the miracle of birth and growth and puppies doing funny things.

“What we call 'the Pentulive bubble' is about loving and caring, the miracle of birth and growth and puppies doing funny things.”

Interactive elements

The show now features interactive elements such as a live chat, an online game where viewers can predict when the puppies will reach key milestones and a weekly podcast.

Slow TV concept

Pentulive is said to draw on the Scandinavian concept of 'slow TV', an idea that hours of mundane footage offers the antidote to the world of fast-paced media.

Emotional impact

Miiamaaria Kujala, adjunct professor of comparative cognitive neuroscience at the University of Helsinki, said: 'The livestream offers something that appears to be missing from many modern busy lives: something real, genuine, utterly vulnerable that taps…

“The livestream offers something that appears to be missing from many modern busy lives: something real, genuine, utterly vulnerable that taps your evolutionary meaning as a protector.”

Emotional response

Pentulive contains very calm periods and unexpected action periods. As a live feed, it likely provokes more intense emotional responses from the observers.