Watch For the Love of Dogs Without a TV Licence (Free on ITVX)
- → ITVX on demand does not require a TV licence (TV Licensing, 2026)
- → For the Love of Dogs is available on ITVX: free with a registered account (ITV1)
- → TV licence required only for live TV (any channel) or BBC iPlayer (Communications Act 2003)
- → No subscription needed: ITVX is free (ITV1)
- → Watching abroad? You will need a VPN to access ITVX outside the UK (geo-block)
1 About For the Love of Dogs
Alison Hammond is preparing to dish out the dog treats and set tails wagging as she is announced as the new presenter of the award-winning ITV series, For the Love of Dogs . Alison will be heading to…
| Detail | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ITV1 | TVmaze |
| Streaming service | ITVX | ITV1 |
| Genre | Drama | TVmaze |
| Premiered | 2012-09-03 | TVmaze |
| Rating | 6.9/10 | TVmaze |
| TV licence required? | No | TV Licensing |
2 Does ITVX require a TV licence?
No. Watching on-demand content on ITVX does not require a TV licence. This was confirmed by TV Licensing and is established in the Communications Act 2003.
The key rule: a TV licence is required if you watch or record live television on any channel, or if you use BBC iPlayer for any content. Catch-up and on-demand services like ITVX, Channel 4, and My5 are specifically excluded from this requirement when used in on-demand mode.
See our complete guide to VOD and TV licence rules for the full legal position and common edge cases.
3 How to watch For the Love of Dogs without a TV licence
Five steps to watch For the Love of Dogs for free, on demand, with no TV licence needed:
Step 1: Go to ITVX
Open https://www.itvx.com in your browser or app. ITVX is free to use and requires no TV licence.
Step 2: Create a free account (if you do not have one)
Registration on ITVX is free and takes under 2 minutes. You only need an email address.
Step 3: Search for For the Love of Dogs
Use the search bar to find For the Love of Dogs. All series should be available on demand.
Step 4: Select an episode and press play
Choose any episode and start watching. No licence check, no subscription required.
Step 5: Check you are not watching live
To stay licence-free, use the on-demand (catch-up) version of ITVX, not the live stream. Watching any live TV, including on ITVX, does require a TV licence.
4 What does and does not require a TV licence
| Activity | Licence needed? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Watch live TV (any channel, any device) | Yes | Communications Act 2003 |
| BBC iPlayer (any content, live or on demand) | Yes | TV Licensing, 2017 |
| ITVX on demand | No | TV Licensing |
| Channel 4 on demand | No | TV Licensing |
| My5 on demand | No | TV Licensing |
| Netflix / Disney+ / Amazon Prime | No | TV Licensing |
The BBC iPlayer rule was introduced in September 2016 and extended the licence requirement beyond live television for the first time. All other on-demand services remain licence-free. Read our full explainer on what counts as a TV receiver and our complete TV Licensing guide.
5 Watching For the Love of Dogs from abroad
ITVX is geo-blocked outside the UK. If you are travelling or living abroad, you will see an error when you try to access it. A VPN with a UK server routes your traffic through a UK IP address, bypassing the geo-block.
See our full guide: how to watch UK TV abroad in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a TV licence to watch For the Love of Dogs?
Is ITVX free without a TV licence?
What actually requires a TV licence?
Can I watch all of For the Love of Dogs on demand?
Can I watch For the Love of Dogs abroad without a TV licence?
Methodology
This guide was produced by the tvlicencechecker.co.uk research team. TV licence rules sourced from the Communications Act 2003 and TV Licensing’s published guidance. Show data from TVmaze API. Sources consulted: 5. Research date: June 2026. Update schedule: when TV Licensing guidance changes. Limitations: rules apply to UK residents; different rules may apply in other jurisdictions.
Sources
- TV Licensing. “BBC iPlayer and the TV Licence.” Accessed June 19, 2026.
- UK Parliament. “Communications Act 2003.” Accessed June 19, 2026.
- TV Licensing. “Do I need a TV Licence?” Accessed June 19, 2026.
- TVmaze. “For the Love of Dogs on TVmaze.” Accessed June 19, 2026.
- ITV1. “ITVX.” Accessed June 19, 2026.
