Finland gripped by national broadcaster’s puppies live stream

It’s dark outside. The news cycle is relentless. But Finland ’s national broadcaster has a solution: Adorable puppies , available any time, night or day.

Yle has been drawing millions of people to its website with “ Pentulive ” – Finnish for “Puppy Live” – a 24/7 live stream of Hilkka, a Lagotto Romagnolo dog, and her brand-new litter of puppies as they sleep, play and suckle enthusiastically.

Courtesy Breeder home album/Julia Kiiskinen - Yle

Hilkka gave birth to the two females and four males on October 10. The webcam was switched on shortly after, and the puppies will remain in the spotlight until they leave for their new homes in December.

Given that puppies need up to 20 hours of sleep a day, the action can be limited, which may explain why “Pentulive,” now in its sixth season, has been labelled “ slow TV ” – a concept first trialed in Norway in 2009 with the Norwegian public broadcaster’s airing of a seven-hour train journey.

Nonetheless, viewers who tune in to the home of the anonymous breeder have been promised the chance to witness some of the “puppies’ milestone moments,” according to a Yle press statement: from opening their eyes to learning to walk and having their first playtime outside.

Despite Finland’s tiny population – just under 5.66 million – the “Pentulive” webpage had 6.5 million page views last year, according to Yle, and its social media channels attracted 20 million views. And based on viewing figures so far, this year’s puppies look set to outperform.

One of the world’s northernmost countries, Finland is preparing to usher in its long, dark winter. Temperatures can drop as low as -50°C (-58°F) and in parts of the country north of the Arctic Circle the sun does not rise above the horizon for weeks on end.

So it is hardly surprising that residents enjoy a cozy distraction from the bitter conditions outside.

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The puppy-cam was first launched in 2021 by Yle science reporter Pirjo Koskinen as part of a series on canine science. She told CNN in an email that the idea was, in part, “to shed light on a dog’s crucial first few weeks,” adding: “What happens at the breeder’s – much like with human children – influences the rest of the dog’s life.”

Distraction from the harsh reality of daily life is part of “Pentulive“‘s appeal, Koskinen believes. “It is all about caring, love, and nurturing – all those positive aspects of humanity that often get pushed aside by a constant stream of unpleasant news,” she said.

“‘Puppy Live’ offers comfort and relaxation amidst the rush of everyday life; it’s a wonderful escape from the human world into a ‘puppy bubble.’”

Sonja Mutanen, a doctoral researcher studying media and animals at the University of Eastern Finland, explained its particular appeal to Finns.

“For many viewers, these live streams are a much-anticipated highlight of the dark Finnish winter months,” she told CNN. “This kind of feel-good content can foster a sense of belonging and emotional well-being, which is important during late autumn and winter when people tend to stay at home more.”

Miiamaaria Kujala, adjunct professor of comparative cognitive neuroscience at the University of Helsinki, said in an email to CNN that a live feed affects us in a completely different way from the short reels that are now commonplace on social media.

Screencapture from Yle stream

“The live stream offers something that appears to be missing from many of the modern busy lives: something real, genuine and fragile,” she said. “Pentulive is life-paced: It contains very calm periods and unexpectable action periods. As a live feed, it likely provokes more intense emotional responses from the observers … but it is also immensely calming to observe a sleeping puppy.”

It also provides a “sense of continuity as it follows the puppies growing older,” she said, adding: “They’re not just random animals, you learn to know them individually.”

Courtesy Emily Bray/Canine Companions for Independence

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This is the second litter for 5-year-old Hilkka, who is currently on leave from her role as a “school dog,” where she provides emotional support for pupils.

So far, the fluffballs have only been given nicknames by their breeder, but on Saturday they will be officially renamed. The viewing public will narrow down a selection of names, from which the puppies themselves will “choose” – by sitting in a circle of sealed envelopes and snuffling at the one that appeals.

外面天色已黑，新闻铺天盖地。但芬兰国家广播公司提供了一个解决方案：可爱的小狗，随时恭候，无论白天黑夜。

芬兰广播公司 (Yle) 通过“Pentulive”（芬兰语意为“小狗直播”）吸引了数百万用户访问其网站。该直播全天候 24 小时播放拉戈托罗马涅罗犬 Hilkka 和她刚出生的一窝小狗的睡觉、玩耍和热情地吃奶的画面。

由 Breeder 主页专辑/Julia Kiiskinen - Yle 提供

Hilkka 于 10 月 10 日产下两只雌性和四只雄性幼犬。网络摄像头随后开启，这些幼犬将一直出现在镜头前，直到 12 月它们前往新家。

鉴于小狗每天需要多达 20 小时的睡眠，它们的活动量可能会受到限制，这或许可以解释为什么现在已经播出到第六季的《Pentulive》被贴上了“慢电视”的标签——这个概念最早于 2009 年在挪威进行试验，当时挪威公共广播公司播出了一段 7 小时的火车旅程。

不过，根据芬兰广播公司 (Yle) 的一份新闻稿，收看这位匿名饲养员家中直播的观众将有机会见证一些“小狗的里程碑时刻”：从睁开眼睛到学习走路，再到第一次在户外玩耍。

尽管芬兰人口稀少，不足566万，但据芬兰广播公司（Yle）报道，“Pentulive”网站去年的页面浏览量却达到了650万，其社交媒体渠道的浏览量更是高达2000万。而根据目前的浏览量来看，今年的小狗们有望取得更佳的成绩。

芬兰是世界上最北端的国家之一，即将迎来漫长而黑暗的冬季。气温可低至零下50摄氏度（零下58华氏度），在北极圈以北的部分地区，太阳会连续数周不升起。

因此，居民们喜欢在舒适的环境中消磨时间，以躲避外面的严寒天气，也就不足为奇了。

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幼犬直播摄像头最初由芬兰广播公司（Yle）科学记者皮尔约·科斯基宁（Pirjo Koskinen）于2021年推出，作为其犬类科学系列报道的一部分。她在给CNN的一封电子邮件中表示，此举的部分原因是“为了揭示狗狗生命最初几周的关键时期”，并补充道：“就像人类的孩子一样，狗狗在繁殖场的经历会影响它余生的发展。”

科斯基宁认为，《Pentulive》的魅力之一在于它能让人暂时忘却日常生活的残酷现实。“它传递的是关爱、爱和滋养——所有这些人性中积极的方面，往往被铺天盖地的负面新闻所掩盖，”她说。

“‘小狗生活’让您在忙碌的日常生活中享受舒适和放松；这是一个逃离人类世界，进入‘小狗泡泡’的绝佳机会。”

东芬兰大学研究媒体与动物的博士研究员 Sonja Mutanen 解释了它对芬兰人的特殊吸引力。

她告诉CNN：“对许多观众来说，这些直播是芬兰漫长冬季里令人期待的亮点。这种令人愉悦的内容可以增强归属感和情感幸福感，这在深秋和冬季尤为重要，因为那时人们往往更多地待在家里。”

赫尔辛基大学比较认知神经科学兼职教授米亚玛利亚·库亚拉在给 CNN 的一封电子邮件中表示，直播对我们的影响与现在社交媒体上常见的短视频完全不同。

截屏自Yle流媒体

“直播提供了一种现代忙碌生活中似乎缺失的东西：真实、真挚而又脆弱的事物，”她说。“Pentulive 的节奏与生活节奏相符：既有平静的时刻，也有意想不到的精彩瞬间。作为直播，它可能会引发观众更强烈的情感反应……但观看一只熟睡的小狗也能让人感到无比平静。”

她还说，随着小狗们长大，影片也展现了一种“连续性”，并补充道：“它们不仅仅是普通的动物，你会逐渐了解它们每个人。”

图片由Emily Bray/独立犬伴侣组织提供

研究发现，幼犬天生就具备与人互动的能力。

这是 5 岁的希尔卡 (Hilkka) 的第二胎，她目前正处于休假状态，不再担任“学校犬”的角色，在学校里，她为学生们提供情感支持。

目前为止，这些毛茸茸的小家伙们都只是由它们的繁育者起了昵称，但本周六它们将正式更名。届时，公众将从一系列候选名字中选出最终的名字，然后小狗们将围坐在一圈密封的信封旁，嗅闻自己喜欢的名字，最终“挑选”出属于它们的名字。