An easy and surefire way to calm a dog who’s anxious, perhaps because you’re not home, is to leave on some music. A number of studies suggest that dogs find music calming. But not just any music.
Which types of music to play, and which to avoid
Not surprisingly, dogs do not like heavy metal. Megadeth and Led Zeppelin are not the way to go. In fact, when researchers at Queens University in Belfast tested different types of music on 50 dogs who were living in a shelter, heavy metal led to increased barking — and not the happy, falling-backwards-into-a-mosh-pit kind. Yet another study, this one conducted by investigators at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, showed that 117 dogs exposed to heavy metal music were inclined to experience more nervous trembling.
Classical music, on the other hand, had a soothing effect. When dogs listened to it, they settled down. Some even fell asleep. (Cue the Brahms and Chopin tapes.)
But the music doesn’t necessarily have to be classical to do the calming trick. In a study of 38 kenneled dogs in the UK, it was found that the canines seemed relaxed with any of five different types of music: soft rock, Motown, pop, reggae, and classical. The soft rock and reggae appeared particularly salutary. When dogs listened to those genres, their heart rate variability became significantly higher — a signal that the dogs were in a calmer state. When an animal is relaxed, the increased variation between heartbeats indicates greater resilience and flexibility in switching emotional gears. (In an agitated, fight-or-flight state, the variation between heartbeats goes way down.)
Still other research suggests that solo piano and harp music soothes anxious canine souls. In one study, 60 minutes of “harp therapy” decreased measures of discomfort, restlessness, and anxiety in hospitalized dogs. Even their respiration rate went down, unlike the respiration rate of a canine control group.
Practical applications
Whether you’re going to be out of the house for a while or not, consider putting on some music with your dog in mind. She might enjoy it more than the television. She can’t get the plot lines of your favorite TV shows, but to a certain degree she can experience the mood of the music like you can. Just keep the following tips in mind.
1. Play the music at a much lower volume than you normally would, even low enough that you barely hear it. Dogs have exquisitely sensitive hearing, with the ability to pick up sounds four times farther away than we can. The right volume for you is much too loud for your pet.
2. Use different playlists. Just like you, dogs don’t want to keep hearing the same music over and over. They may not even want to hear all classical music or all soft rock. A study in Scotland showed that dogs like classical music, but they stopped responding to it in as little as a day. Thus, make sure that even within a playlist the genres are varied. This is especially important if you’re going out. Remember, your dog can’t turn it off if she has had enough.
3. Nothing harsh or booming. Just as dogs have been shown not to appreciate the discordant chords of heavy metal, they probably will not enjoy unconventional tonality or disconcerting sounds in classical or other music. Keep it fairly melodious.
4. Don’t only put music on when you’re going out. Yes, your dog might very much appreciate having soft music on in the background when you’re not home. After all, the sounds of silence can feel deafening. But if you play music only in your absence, your dog will begin to associate it with your not being there, and that could make her feel uneasy.
