Pump up the tunes. Music soothes the stressed-out beast… or in this case, an anxious pooch.
Whoever said “music hath charms to sooth the savage breast” absolutely nailed it according to researchers at the University of Glasgow!
Working in conjunction with the good folk at the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, they ran a two-week study on rescue dogs being sheltered at a re-homing center. While half were observed in silence, the other half had classical music pumped into their kennels. The process was changed up the second week, with the first group now receiving the musical treatment.
Related:Could Music Ease Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety?
You got it…. Stress levels decreased significantly when music played.
The boys were apparently more “in-tune” with the selections than the girls and overall the canine audience spent less time standing around barking when music was played. Heart rates were monitored, saliva samples taken and behaviour observed to arrive at the results and by the end of the first week, the conclusions also proved that like us, our best friends need to switch it up a little. They’re looking for a little variety here, not the same old, same old. Hmmm…. Maybe “How Much is that Doggie in the Window”, “Hound Dog” or better still, “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
Related:Dogs Listen To What We Say And How We Say It
So while heart rates and behaviours typical of kennel stress returned to normal by the end of the week, it was clear the classical music did have a positive impact in this study which forms part of a series of animate and inanimate environmental enrichment techniques that are being used with kennels to try to minimise the stress experienced by dogs.
Here’s a thought: I wonder if their “Bach” is worse than their bite? Okay, somebody stop me!
[Source: Business Standard]
