Perhaps you have already heard of CDs and playlists explicitly formulated for babies.
Even some prenatal tracks for pregnant women can hold against their belly to have their baby listen to it in the womb and help them grow into intelligent adults.
If this can help babies in the womb, can music affect your dogs too?
How does music affect your dog’s moods and emotions?
A recent advertisement on Spotify featured a playlist geared towards dogs.
Weird? Not quite.
Studies confirmed that dogs like music. However, what kind of music do dogs enjoy, and how does each music genre affects them will vary from one dog to another.
Just as music can affect our moods, it can affect the moods and emotions of our furry friends too.
From the studies conducted on the effect of music on dogs, it was found out that dogs who listened to pop music did not seem to have any reaction.
The heavy metal or rock tunes prompted barking and agitation while playing classical music seemed to have a relaxing and calming effect on dogs.
However, some fur parents reported their dogs feeling calmer and more relaxed when listening to soft rock and reggae than when listening to classical music like Beethoven and Mozart.
Why is this?
How Music Genres Effect Dogs?
Soft rock and reggae music
A study examined the effect of various music genres on the stress level of dogs in a kennel.
Five days, five different genres of music were played for 38 dogs, and these genres are soft rock, Motown, reggae, pop, and classical.
When the dogs heard reggae and soft rock playing, their Heart Rate Variability or the time interval between each heartbeat was higher.
This means that the dogs’ system’s stress levels are decreased.
The dogs have also spent more time lying down and less time standing, which means they were more relaxed while listening to this genre.
Genre and soft rock also have a slower tempo, and dogs find this more relaxing.
Soft rock or reggae is also a good option if you try to drown out loud noises that can make your dog stressed, such as construction noises or fireworks.
Just make sure that you will set it at the right volume to agitate your dog even more.
Hard rock and heavy metal
Songs with more beats per minute or anything that contains heavy bass, digital noises, and loud, upbeat sounds have been found to cause anxiety in dogs.
A team of researchers from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine conducted a study on 117 dogs for four months.
They found out that heavy metal music caused the dogs to tremble and made them agitated.
Which is an indication of an increase in stress levels.
Classical music
Classical music is known to help your dog relax if they feel anxious, have separation anxiety, or are in dire need of rest and a good night’s sleep.
Even though soft rock and reggae stood out on this list, what works for one dog might not work on another.
So it is best to try what works for your dog and stick to it.
If they like classical music better, then go for it.
The only way to know what genre your dog prefers is through trial and error.
So observe how your dog behaves when it hears each type of music and choose the one that seems to relax and calm them down.
How to Create A Playlist for Your Dog?
It would be best if you put in as much effort to create a playlist for your dog when you make a playlist for yourself.
Listening to music can affect not just the mood of humans but the emotions and feelings of our furry friends too.
Here are essential tips you must consider when trying to create a playlist for your pet:
1. Be patient
As previously mentioned, you will have to go through a trial-and-error process, which means you will have to be patient.
Finding the genre that suits your dog’s taste may not be easily accomplished.
So you must stick it out until the end.
Do not try to rush and decide for yourself what you think your dog wants – play different genres on different days.
Watch closely how your dog will react to it, and choose from there.
2. Volume is important
Aside from the music genre, the volume of music is also of utmost importance.
You must remember that your dog’s ears are much more sensitive than your ears.
And it might cause them more harm than good if you will continuously blast loud music through your speakers.
Watch the music volume you will be playing for your furry friend, and make sure not to play any music loudly.
3. Pay attention to your dog’s reaction
It is the most crucial step.
If you see your dog shaking, whimpering, or panting as a type of music is played, this means that this genre is making it anxious and stressed, and you must change it.
Decrease the volume, or you can also decide to turn off the music in the end.
Key Takeaway
Yes, dogs can appreciate music.
But it is not easy to tell what type of music your dog prefers.
Just like humans, dogs have their preferences when it comes to music.
It would be best if you kept an open eye out for the tell-tale signs.
You must also remember that the type of music you will be playing will significantly affect your dog’s mood and even their health.
So, make sure to be a keen observer and closely watch how your dog reacts to your playlist.
If your dog seems happy and attentive to the music you are playing, it is most likely okay with hearing.
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