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Music can soothe, upset, or put your dog in a playful mood, depending on the type of music and the volume.
..like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences.
1. Make sure that the speakers and the overall sound system you are using is of good quality. If the speakers pop or have static, your dog will experience that as part of the music itself and can get surprised by the sounds.
2. Make sure that the sound is not too loud. If you are going to leave your dog listening to music alone for 6-10 hours, you need to be certain that everything is just right.
3. For the health of your dog and the sound system itself - it is always best for all of them to be as high and as hidden as possible. Chewing on electrical wires could result in serious injury.
What is Music to a Dog's Ear? - It is not the lyrics or the melody. It's all about familiar and unfamiliar sounds. Over 15,000 years ago, two species roamed the earth without each other. Human and wolf eventually teamed up to help each other thrive in a helpful and protecting way. In fact, wolves were the first animals to ever be domesticated by humans. These wolf ancestors actually had an incredible sense of smell, which remains in wolves today. While hearing is the second-best sense for both dogs and wolves, wolves still have a stronger ability to hear than dogs. Wolves can hear up to six miles away, and they can hear a wider range of frequencies than dogs.
There is a good reason that dogs do not have such a strong ability to hear: they don't need it as much as wolves do. Some hunting dogs have stronger hearing than others. However, ultimately, dogs just don't need to have such strong hearing. But don't be fooled, dogs still have much better hearing than humans! Dogs can hear between 67 hertz and 45,000 hertz. Humans, on the other hand, can hear between 20 hertz and 20,000 hertz. Today, dogs are capable of hearing very specific things. When dogs hear songs, they hear each instrument according to its frequency. That is why some songs affect them differently than others.
The Science of Dogs' Hearing Dogs are able to hear so well because of a number of special evolutionary features. First of all, the wide range of frequencies they can hear contribute to their ability to pick out and respond or react to specific songs. Dogs also have a whopping eighteen muscles in their ears, compared to humans who only have six ear muscles! Dogs use these powerful muscles to adjust their ears according to the sound they are hearing. When they are looking for something, they may adjust their ears in the direction of the noise they are hearing. When they hear a loud noise, their ears will perk straight up. These features were put in place thousands of years ago to help dogs be ready for anything. Dogs also use their ability to associate sounds with events and moods to predict what is going to happen next. They can tell what a song means once they get to know it based on the environment when the song is played.
Dogs Who Knew Their Tunes Dr. George Robinson Sinclair was an organist at Hereford Cathedral in London. He owned a Bulldog named Dan and was friends with the well-known composer, Sir Edward William Elgar. Elgar and Dan became friends too when Elgar noticed that Dan had an excellent sense of musical quality. During choir practices, Dan would growl at choir members who sang out of tune, which, embarassing as it was for the choristers, greatly endeared him to Sir Elgar. But Sir Elgar wasn't the only composer to notice that dogs have quite the musical taste.
Richard Wilhelm Wagner owned a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Peps. He provided Peps with a special stool in his study so he could help with composition. How so? As Wagner composed he would sing or play the piano, all the while keeping a sharp eye on Peps' reaction. Some tunes would give rise to an easy tail wag, while other tunes would evoke a more nervous or excited response. Based on his observations, Wagner devised the "musical motif," a motif that associates specific musical keys with particular moods or emotions in opera. These are just two of many reports that led scientists to search for further answers. Can we pinpoint what genre of music dogs like? Or at least certain keys or tempos? The study says we can!
Psychoacoustics is the study of the perception of sound in humans whereas bioacoustics is the study of sound in non human animals. Decades of research has shown how music and sound techniques affect human brain waves, heart rate and breath, but until research was done by the animal behaviorist Dr. Deborah Wells, little was known how sound affected animals. Wells conducted a study in dog shelters in Northern Ireland and San Francisco and discovered that like people, different types of music influenced dogs' moods, with classical music seeming to ease tension and stress while rock music caused the dogs to become more agitated. Interestingly, she concluded that dogs may be just as discerning as humans when it comes to musical preference.
In 2003, Joshua Leeds, a leading psychoacoustician from Los Angeles, was approached by concert pianist and animal lover Lisa Spector. Together they began to research the idea of using simple sound to create soundtracks that were easy for the canine nervous system to absorb. They found that classical music was gentle on the system because the form and patterns were easy to perceive - be it baroque, classical or romantic.
This allowed for "passive hearing" to take place rather than "active listening". Joshua and Lisa selected appropriate pieces of classical music and modified arrangements by changing the tempo and using different orchestrations to regulate the amount of high and low frequencies. High frequencies tend to arouse or "charge" the nervous system while low frequencies tend to calm or "discharge" the nervous system. Some pieces were performed with a solo piano while others included cello, oboe and English horn - all adding to the tone of the piece.
In addition to their talents, veterinarian Dr. Susan Wagner coordinated the testing of hundreds of dogs in animal shelters, veterinary clinics, grooming facilities and private homes. Dr. Wagner discovered that not all classical music produced the same effects but that psychoacoustically designed classical music was more effective at inducing canine relaxation and sleep and doubled the abatement of canine anxiety behaviors. She also found that Joshua and Lisa's music not only calmed dogs but relaxed humans as well. Armed with a mountain of data Joshua and Lisa created "Through a Dog's Ear", a truly groundbreaking series to calm dogs in almost every situation.
Clinically-Tested Noise Sensitivity Treatments Thanks to the years of research they have already done for Through a Dog's Ear there is more than enough proof that their music does indeed have a calming effect on the dogs and cats that are exposed to it. From this solid foundation Victoria crafted a modification protocol for dogs that fear the noise of fireworks, thunderstorms and city sounds. The Canine Noise Phobia Series combines bioacoustic music with graduating sound effects of the offensive noise which gradually helps change dogs from actively listening to a sound, to passively hearing it. The change in how dogs listen to sounds reduces their fear considerably and in some cases completely cures them of their phobias and sound sensitivities. As you read this you might not notice the sounds around you, but stop reading for a moment and you will begin to hear sounds that you were passively hearing all the time but were not actively listening to. Now go back to reading again and eventually you will go back to passively hearing the sounds around you rather than actively listening to them. This is what happens after dogs go through the modification protocols with the music and sound effects.
Why Canine Psychoacoustic Music Works With the Canine Noise Phobia Series, even though dogs can still hear the offensive noise they are able to passively hear it rather than actively listen to it, effectively tuning the sound out. Active listening contributes to fear of certain sounds. When a dog actively listens to a sound that scares him, his nervous system becomes overwhelmed and his ability to think, problem solve and learn is severely compromised because of stress. His body's fear mechanisms, essential for survival, take over, and physical manifestations of that fear occur such as rapid heart rate, pupil dilation, shallow breathing, increased blood pressure, sweating and restlessness. Passively hearing a sound means that the body is no longer overwhelmed and can function at a normal level even when the sound that previously elicited a fear reaction is present.
Prevention as Well as Treatment The Canine Noise Phobia CD's also works in preventing noise phobias from ever forming in puppies or adult dogs that are gradually exposed to the music with sound effects immediately accompanied by positive associations such as food, toys, massage, chew time, a game or simply spending quiet time with a family member. Exposing and preventing sound phobias from ever occurring in a way giving puppies a sonic inoculation. When used properly and in conjunction with other positive behavior modification therapies, these techniques also work to prevent the development of sound sensitivities and phobias in adult dogs too. This teaching protocol is called "Sensory Education". Using classical music and reconstructing the tempo and tone as well manipulating frequencies is essentially taking sound therapy techniques used for people, to benefit animals as well.
Can Music Be Harmful to Dogs? Just as some music can improve your dog's mood, other types of music can have a negative effect on them. One study by Deborah Wells showed that dogs who listened to loud, chaotic music like grunge or heavy metal displayed signs of agitation, stress, exhaustion, and anxiety. Exposing your dog too long periods of music that causes him stress and anxiety can have a harmful effect on him and even cause aggression and depression. When choosing music for your dog, use your better judgment and remember, the calmer the better. If the music is too loud - even soft classical music your dog is sure to love, it may be harmful to their hearing and could cause them unnecessary stress. Always play music at a comfortable level and if it seems loud to you, it is probably even louder for Fido.
Portable Music Player for Dogs The latest creation of Through a Dog's Ear is called iCalmDog, a portable player for the calm dog on the go. iCalmDog comes with four hours of clinically tested calming music on automatic repeat and is the size of a Labrador's paw. It is a dog's security blanket at home or can be taken to the groomer, vet clinic, dog sitter's, on vacation, to the boarding facility and beyond. iCalmDog includes music that has been clinically demonstrated to relieve canine anxiety issues, so for a trainer like myself who regularly works with stressed out dogs, it is a blessing. Check it out for yourself!
REASONS TO USE CALMING MUSIC FOR DOGS & PUPPIES This article proudly presented by WWW.TOPDOGTIPS.COM
For a lot of people - dog owners and otherwise , the idea of using music to calm your pet feels plain silly. The truth is, calming music for dogs can be very effective, especially for dogs with big anxiety problems. Just as we can often use certain genres and types of music to calm our nerves, to shed off some of our stress and to get a break, so can our dogs. Besides, while composed music is not something found in nature, various sounds and even bird songs are. And, just like some of those sounds can be surprising and scary to an animal, a lot of them can bring them peace and serenity. A gentle bird's song, the sound of a light breeze through the trees, the slow murmur of the river and other similar sounds can be very soothing. There are a few other possible reasons why a dog would need help to calm down.
What Exactly Is Calming Music for Dogs? Dogs and people process and understand music and sound differently. Do not forget that, just like us, our dogs have their own individuality. Try multiple songs and performers from each genre and see which works best for your pet. There are multiple things that play a part in this:
1. Dogs Hear Things that We Can Not Dogs hear a lot of things that our human hearing simply can not detect. In the 60's and the 70's, a lot of people claimed that rock'n'roll contained hidden satanic messages. Today we can all agree that this is nonsense, but you know what a lot of random songs and music tracks do contain a ton of high pitches and sounds that do not bother us because we can not hear them. Unfortunately, these sounds can really irritate a dog, according to research. And, while this is not enough of a reason for you to stop listening to your favorite music every once in a while, it certainly means that you should be careful what you play for your dog while you are out of the house. This is especially true if your intention is to calm your pet.
2. Dogs Do Not Understand Lyrics For us, music is much more than just sounds. Being capable of abstract thoughts, for us a lot of songs and music have additional meaning that is outside of the simple nature of the sound - we detect meaning in the melody as well as in the text. A person can listen to some heavy, brutal metal song with very strong riffs and an awfully aggressive lyrics and feel to it, and this can actually be calming for the listener. It is all a matter of what the song means to the person listening to it on an abstract and personal level. This won't matter for a dog, however. Play heavy metal for Fido everyday and the result will be anything but a calm and relaxed canine. As a side point, if you have an overly stressed dog at home, but you love more "stressful-sounding" genres like metal, i is a good idea to use ear plugs when you want to listen at home. Yes, your dog will still hear the music with his great hearing, but the fact that it is not booming all over the apartment will make a huge difference.
3. Not all "Calming" Music is the Same! The above point does not mean that anything that sounds "soft" will be calming to a dog. A ballad can have a lot of dramatic feel attached to it, it can also have several twists and turns in the melody. All of this can be stressful for a dog, or at the very least, not have the calming effect you are looking for. Simply put, when looking for calming music for dogs, make sure that it has a tranquil, pleasant feel to it. You do not want anything too abrupt or unexpected and nothing that would lift an ear.
THE REASONS Some dog owners are fortunate never to be faced with them, but others aren't as lucky. Here are some of the most common reasons that pet parents use calming music for dogs:
1. Separation Anxiety Separation anxiety is one of the most common reasons why a dog would need to listen to calming music. A lot of dogs have to spend multiple hours per day alone at home, five days a week, every week. This is something quite unusual for a dog, since by nature, they are very social animals. For a wild dog to spend 10 hours alone each day, it would be a disastrous and possibly life-threatening situation. So, it should not come as a surprise if your dog happens to have separation anxiety. The centuries of domestication have reduced such cases quite a bit, but separation anxiety is still a fairly frequent condition. Not only is it frequent and damaging for your dog's physical and mental health, however, but quite often it is very damaging for your home's furniture. Dogs can become destructive when left home alone. You could hire a dog sitter to visit your pet during the day or send him to doggy daycare. You could try getting a second dog or other pet to keep Fido company during the day, but what if that doesn't work? Anxiety-related dog raining methods, and dog anxiety medication can also be used to help pets suffering with separation anxiety. Another option is using a variety of dog supplies to calm down your pet, like a dog anxiety vest. But, these treatments will cost money, may or may not work, and take time before they become effective. Would not calming music for dogs be an easier option? Not to mention, it won't cost you anything and it is actually scientifically proven to work on canines to relax and calm them down.
2. Health Issues Health problems are another probable cause of stress and anxiety in your dog, particularly when you are not around to calm your pet yourself. Some of the solutions to separation anxiety simply do not apply in this case, and while medications are usually necessary with health problems, in these cases the addition of calming music for dogs can also help relieve a lot of your dog's stress.
3. Stress Stress over recent life changes, maybe a favorite family member just left the household recently, whether due to death or simply moving out? Maybe a new member just joined, whether we are talking about a new adult or a birth, dogs usually handle the birth of babies quite well, but not always. Calming Music for DogsOr, maybe the whole family just moved to a new house and the whole process just stress your furry friend way too much. When your dog is stressed, soothing music can be of great help, especially if the dog's listened to it before. Even if the entire surroundings of your dog have changed in recent months, the presence of familiar sounds and music can give him the much needed anchor to keep calm and adapt to his new home.
4. Hyperactivity Due to lack of training and good upbringing, a lot of dog owners have a problem with hyperactive dogs that bark too much, especially when they are home alone. Hyperactivity in the car is also a common problem for a lot of dog owners. In situations such as these, having a selection of nice, calming music for dogs is always nice.
5. Shelters If you work in a dog shelter, then you can understand that the dogs are often quite stressed. This is quite common, and what is worse is that even just one overly anxious dog in a shelter can drive half the other dogs in there to have severe anxiety as well. This is why a lot of modern and ahead of the curve dog shelters use calming music, among other techniques, to make sure that the dogs are in the best possible mood and state of mind. I mean, who's going to want to adopt a dog that is stressed out and anxious?
Dog-oriented music is fast becoming a successful new genre, with the production company RelaxMyDog at the forefront of the trend. One 2017 study from Psychology & Behavior reported which types of of music dogs love most. The research found that while classical music had an initial calming effect on the dogs, after a few days they became bored. It found that two genres, Soft Rock and Reggae, caused dogs to be more relaxed and less stressed than others. For the study, researchers examined the effect of various genres of music on the stress levels of kenneled dogs. To do so, they looked at the physiological and behavioral response of 38 dogs over five days and played five genres of music for them: soft rock, Motown, pop, reggae, and classical. When dogs heard soft rock and reggae, their Heart Rate Variability (HRV) - the time intervals between heartbeats was higher, which meant decreased stress. Although the dogs' barking habits did not change while the music played, the dogs were more likely to bark when the music would end.
With no pun intended, music is all about scale: Humans like music that falls within our acoustic and vocal range, uses tones we understand, and progresses at a tempo similar to that of our heartbeats. A tune pitched too high or low sounds grating or ungraspable, and music too fast or slow is unrecognizable as such. To most animals, human music falls into that ungraspable, unrecognizable category. With vocal ranges and heart rates very different from ours, they simply are not wired to appreciate songs tailored for our ears. Most studies find that, try as we might to get their legs thumping, animals generally respond to human music with a total lack of interest. Dog breeds vary widely in size, vocal range and heart rate. However, large dogs such as Labradors or mastiffs have vocal ranges that are quite similar to those of adult male humans. The prediction is that a big dog might be more responsive to human music than a smaller dog such as a Chihuahua.
Indeed, some dogs do appear to respond emotionally to human music. The study also found that the effect of habituation: acclimation to a new stimulus, like a certain genre of music on dogs may be reduced by increasing the variety of music. In other words, if your dog seems stressed by a certain type of music, you might want to play a mixture of different genres, making sure to include the type of music you want your dog to like throughout. Then, slowly increase the number of times that specific type of music is played in the mix until your dog is okay with it. Genres such as reggae and soft rock usually have a slower tempo, which some dogs may find more relaxing. This also explains why songs with more beats per minute, like hard rock, heavy metal, or anything with a heavy bass or too many digital noises - tend to cause more excitement or anxiety.
In an earlier study, from 2012, a team of researchers from Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine researched the effect of certain types of music on kenneled dogs' stress levels, including heavy metal. They observed 117 dogs over a 4 month period to see how they responded to heavy metal, classical, and another type of classical music that was designed specifically to soothe dogs. Classical music was found to relax them and caused them to sleep more, while the heavy metal caused them to tremble and increased their agitation and stress levels. The music that had been specially designed for them had no significant effect on their behavior. Music can soothe, upset, or put your dog in a playful mood, depending on the type of music and the volume. Also, remember that dogs' ears are much more sensitive than humans', so be sure not to play any music too loudly. Pay attention to your dog's reaction when you are around. Some dogs have been known to howl along to their favorite songs. If your dog shakes, whimpers, or pants as music is played, it is making them anxious and needs to be changed, lowered, or turned off.
Try playing classical music to relax your dog if they are anxious, having separation anxiety, or need to sleep. If you need to drown out loud noises like construction or fireworks, however, reggae or classic rock may work better since they tend to have louder bass in their songs. There are three factors in his music for calming dogs: Tone (resonance), Tempo (entrainment) and Pattern. Short, choppy tones tend to be more excitatory than long, continuous tones. Some kinds of music or other sounds do indeed seem to have a positive effect on kenneled dogs, especially sounds with long, extended notes, pure tones and relatively slow tempos. What is important is not whether the music is "classical" or "heavy metal," but whether it includes a set of acoustic features that appear to be universally associated with soothing or stimulating internal states. Logic would say to avoid deep base tones and loud percussion as these are the types of tones that typically have an adverse effect of dogs - similar to the sound of fireworks, thunder. Those features include:
1) Longer notes tend to be calming, staccato short, repeated notes stimulating - think saying "Sta-a-a-a-a-y" to a dog versus "Pup-pup-pup-pup" when calling to come.
2) Pure tones & regular rhythms are associated with positive states, harsh, noisy ones & irregular rhythms with negatives states - think about a high, clear repeated whine from a puppy who wants attention versus a low, "noisy" growl from a dog warning another off a bone.
3) A tempo matching an animal's resting heart rate or respiration tends to be calming.
On the other hand, Dr. Cornelius points out that faster-tempo hard rock and heavy metal music have been shown to cause an increase in restlessness, anxiety and agitation.
Animals have very good absolute pitch, but they don't have relative pitch. They can learn to recognize a sequence of notes, but if you transpose the notes to a different key, so that the sequence uses the same relative notes but the key is different, they can't recognize the relationships between the notes anymore.
Classical Music: Classical is an all-time favorite for dogs. Listening to classical can reduce their anxiety levels, improve their mood, reduce blood pressure and be a regulator in response to stress. The rhythm and melody of classical music are what your canine's find soothing.
Rock: When it comes to rock music, your dog will surely enjoy grooving to soft rock music. But it is not hard rock. Hard rock and heavy metal induces almost the same kind of anxiety and stress in dogs. A little soft rock would not harm your dog, but will rather bring in positive behavioral changes in them. It eases them, lowering their heart rate by 40 - 60 beats per minute and putting them in a positive and happy mood.
Reggae: Your dog does not like reggae, they love it! If you are combining a playlist for your pet, reggae should be on top. Relating this to the SPCA study, when reggae music was being played, dogs showed a significantly positive change in their behavior. They were seen to be relaxing, lying down and closing their eyes, which could clearly show results of how much dogs love listening to it. Now both, you and your dog can enjoy listening to Bob Marley together!
Pop: Dogs are not really a fan of pop music. How this was measured is by the dogs' reactions at the shelter home. Pop music is not very soothing, neither is it very hardcore, but dogs do not really react to pop music. It can be said that they neither enjoy it nor get stressed. Experts have guessed the reason behind this is because pop music is more commonly played than any other genre, and the sound of pop music sounds more like human voices to dogs.
Heavy Metal: Be sure of the fact that your dog hates heavy metal type of music. Studies have shown that heavy metal music induces shakiness and barking among dogs, preventing them from getting any sleep. In essence, your dog's reaction to heavy metal would be the same as your parents do. If you love heavy metal and own a dog, make sure that you blast your Metallica songs in your headphones and not in front of your dog.
Motown: Because dogs are awesome, and they love whatever's being played. Motown's not all that bad for your dog. It has a similar reaction in dogs just like reggae. Your dog is definitely going to dace to Motown at times!
The investigators tested 38 dogs housed in an animal shelter. The number of measures taken on each dog was quite extensive. In addition to monitoring each dog's behaviour when exposed to various types of music, the researchers also strapped heart rate monitors on each of the dogs in order to measure heart rate variability, which is generally understood to be a measure of the amount of stress that an individual is feeling. Furthermore, regular urine samples were taken in order to measure the amount of stress hormones being produced by each dog. For six hours each day the dogs were exposed to a broader range of musical styles than had been used in previous studies. The dogs got to listen not only to classical music, but also to soft rock, Motown, pop, and reggae. A major difference between this and previous research is that the dogs were exposed to a different style of music each day.
Perhaps the most significant finding was that any kind of music seems to have something of a relaxing effect on the dogs - remember no heavy metal or hard rock was used in this study, since the previous work had shown that those sounds actually agitate the dogs. Behaviourally, the dogs spent more time lying down or quietly standing rather than pacing when the music was on. There was no effect on the amount of barking during the music, however the dogs barked a lot more immediately after the music was turned off, as though they were complaining about its absence. When the researchers looked at the heart rate variability measures, although all forms of music reduced the dogs' stress level, the largest stress reduction was found for soft rock and reggae. One of the most important findings was that by rotating through the various types of music over the five day period, they discovered that the stress reduction effects didn't disappear over time, the way it had been shown to do when one category of music was played all of the time.
Just as in humans, age seems to make a difference. The older dogs, eight years or more in age, showed little benefit from having music played, suggesting that they much preferred quiet to a continued background of musical sound. I could empathize with that since when I was much younger I preferred having music playing all of the time and I had a bit of a love affair with various forms of rock music. Nowadays, however, I am just as happy to surround myself with silence or the more gentle sounds of single voices in soft pop or country music.
HOW DOES MUSIC AFFECT A DOG This article proudly presented by WWW.ENTIRELYPETS.COM and Danielle Moraviec
Music can have a powerful effect on us all. Whether it's pumping adrenaline from your favorite rock anthem, a soothing relaxation from a classical number, or a little lift from a bouncy country tune, music can really affect our mood and behavior. While we know the powerful effects music can have on people, the question is: what about our furry companions? Can music have the same effect on dogs? Dogs have much better hearing than us. In fact, they can perceive frequencies almost twice that of humans and can hear sounds approximately four times farther away. Ever wondered why your dog bizarrely runs to the front door frantically before you ever hear the doorbell ring?
What could they possibly have heard that you didn't? Well.. turns out a lot! People are able to perceive frequencies of sound waves between 20 to 20,000 hertz and from about 20 ft away, our dogs can hear hertz up to 40,000 and can listen to sounds up to 80 feet away. It can be easy to forget how this may affect our dogs. As they have little control over their environment and with their increased sound sensitivity, music may have a greater effect on dogs than we ever imagined.
CLASSICAL MUSIC Dog behavior does appear to be affected by music. Classical music has long been a genre found to have a positive effect on canine behavior. Research by veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner determined that classical music had a calming effect and lowered the heart rates and brain activity of dogs in her study. Deborah Wells, a psychologist from Queens University played music for shelter dogs in different genres and also found that classical music provided a soothing effect. Furthermore, dogs in kennels were most likely to sleep when listening to classical music, as described in a study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior.
You do not have to look far to see the effects of classical music on dogs for yourself. A YouTube video went viral in 2017 when a stray dog in Turkey appears out of nowhere in the middle of an outdoor classical concert. The elderly dog walked to center stage and plopped down next to a very surprised looking violinist. An entirely voluntary decision, the dog with no connection to any of the human participants was displaying fascinating canine behavior. One can only assume that the dog wanted to be near the music purely for its own enjoyment or relaxation?
OTHER GENRES Bowman and the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in collaboration with the University of Glasgow researched that reggae and soft rock were actually more calming than classical music to dogs. They also found that music, such as rock, increased anxious agitated behaviors, including accelerated body shaking, and physical signs of nervousness. In all cases documented, pop music seemed to have the least effect on dogs concerning behavior. Even though many of today's domestic dog breeds have little resemblance or characteristics of their ancient wolf ancestors - they do still retain some traits. One of which is the use of sound for communication. It appears as though music creates some kind of response in dogs that encourages them to "speak". Perhaps music really does sooth the doggy soul. Scientific analyses suggest that canines have a sense of pitch. Through recordings of wolf ancestors, we can see that different members of a group will change the tone of their "singing" when joining in a chorus. They all appear to want to sing in a slightly different pitch that goes along with the others. This is similar to what is observed in the many videos found on social media of our furry friends singing along to the latest chart hits.
Behaviorists suggest that music could benefit our dogs during training and other situations. Playing music has long been thought of as an effective method to calm dogs during what can be a stressful situation such as fireworks or traveling in the car. A newer suggestion is to play classical music during a doggy training session. As you are teaching your dog a new trick play some calming music and it is suggested to help your dog concentrate more. So music really does affect our dogs, their advanced hearing anatomy and inherited traits have led to this species having an essential connection to music. Whether it's to communicate with their companions, ease their stress or to help write the next famous symphony, dogs and music appear to have a symbiotic relationship. Throughout history, dogs have helped in making music, perhaps now it's time to focus on using music to help our dogs.
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PUPPY SOUND SOCIALIZATION This information courtesy of WWW.ANIMA-PLUS.COM and ANIMAPLUS
In addition to exposing your puppy to a variety of experiences, people and environments, we also suggestion exposing your companion to various sounds. Since sounds are often the source of fears in dogs, getting your dog used to some noises will help prevent him from being scared of them later. How to accustom your dog to life sounds? Use the socialization sounds playlist! The audio clip below contains a variety of sounds your dog may hear during his life: car noises, thunder, lawnmower, baby crying, etc. By having your puppy regularly listen to this sounds playlist, it will gradually become accustomed to certain noises and will therefore be more confident when having real encounters with these noise for the first time.
Here is how to use the socialization sounds playlist: Play the audio clip below at a very low volume to get started.
After a few play, gradually increase the volume, never going highr than the puppy can easily cope with.
Do not leave the puppy alone while the noises are playing. Play with him and feed him treats to ensure a positive association with the noises.
Play the sounds playlist everyday until your puppy is able to accept the noises played at a volume comfortable for humans. Then continue to play the playlist once a week until your puppy is 1 year old.
Dogs howl to all kinds of music, from live singing and instrument playing to a wide range of recorded music. Scientific analyses suggest that canines have a sense of pitch.
Recordings of wolves have shown that each will change its tone when others join the chorus. No wolf seems to want to end up on the same note as any other in the choir. This is why a dog howling along with a group of singing humans is instantaneously noticeable. He is deliberately not in the same register as the other voices, and seems to revel in the discordant sound he creates.
Like the wolves they are descended from, domestic dogs use howling as a means of group communication. Dogs also howl as a form of pack bonding when they are in physical or emotional distress, and they often howl to claim a territory as their own. Dog behavior experts assume that howling to music is closely linked to that bonding behavior. Hearing certain high-pitched sounds like music or a fire engine triggers the howling instinct in many dogs. What kind of music makes dogs howl?
There are certain types of music that can trigger howling more than others. Noted dog behavior expert Stanley Coren reports that dogs are most likely to howl in response to wind instruments, and especially reed instruments, like the clarinet and saxophone. Also, the violin and the human voice! The kind of human music that most often induces dogs to howl is produced on wind instruments, particularly reed instruments such as clarinets or saxophones.
Sometimes dogs can be induced to howl by a long note on the violin or even by a human holding a long note while singing. Perhaps these sound like proper howls to the dog and he feels the need to answer and join the chorus. Probably the most famous human-dog duet ever recorded involved the President of the United States in 1967. President Lyndon Baines Johnson had developed a strong bond with a white mixed-breed terrier bearing the unassuming name "Yuki."
Once, while cameras rolled, Johnson sat in the oval office of the White House, with Yuki on his lap, and gave an impromptu performance. The president first sang a Western folk song and then a bit of an operatic aria, both hideously off key, while Yuki accompanied him with gleeful and vigorous howls. The press reports describing this duet were rather demeaning, and music critics suggested that having the dog howl part of an opera was equivalent to having the president make disparaging comments about classical music. Johnson, however, enjoyed "singing" with the dog and was not the least disturbed by the furor it caused. He even proudly displayed one article that described their performance, noting.
Can Dogs Determine Pinch? This uncanny ability to determine pitch and tone in songs has proved useful to musicians across history. In fact, some of the most influential artists have their dogs to thank for some of their best work. Richard Wilhelm Wagner used to play alongside his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Peps. He noticed that Peps would respond differently to different melodies depending on their keys. This led him to the discovery of the concept of matching music to emotions. The result was how he described his work, such as the opera Tannhauser. Within Tannhauser, the key of E-flat major is linked to the concept of holy love and salvation whereas E major is tied to the feelings of sensual love and debauchery. Peps little tail wags and barks led to some of the most amazing musical performances.
Similarly, Dr George Robinson Sinclair, the organist at Hereford Cathedral in London, had a Bulldog named Dan. Dan was responsible for keeping participants of an attending choir in tune. When they sang out of tune, he would growl at choristers. The love of musicians have for their dogs has led to musical performances being dedicated to them. Composer Nurock created many performed including Howl in 1980 at Carnegie Hall, Sonata for Piano and Dog in 1983, and the Expedition in 1984. All of which were arrangements for both Siberian Husky and Jazz Trios. In each of the pieces dogs howled, barked and yipped along to the music.
Can Dogs Really Sing? Howling has a high-pitched piercing quality that can be found in lots of music. So while you think your dog is singing to a song he might be hearing what he thinks is another dog in the distance calling out to him and he is just trying to answer back. Howling is how dogs talk to each other which traces back to their wolf ancestry. Recordings of wolves have shown that each will change its tone when others join their group so they won't sound alike. That goes the same for dogs howling along with a group of singing humans.
They purposely "sing" off key so they stand out. In fact, you can tell one dog from another by the tone of their howl. And, it is not just high pitched music that can get a dog howling but high pitched sopranos, sirens and ringtones. So, as much as we want to believe dogs can sing, they are really just howling in reaction to high pitched noises. Veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner believes that it has more to do with higher-register notes in the theme song. Dogs do not like hearing high-pitched sounds. The higher pitched, upbeat and complex theme could make them howl. That would be my hypotheses. He may not really be singing, but he is so darn cute - it is worth a click.
However, if your dog begins to bark and starts looking agitated or a little amped up, your music choice may be too hyper for him and may be causing them anxiety. In this instance, it is best to turn the music down or even off.
DOG HEARING MUSIC SIGNS This article proudly presented by WWW.WAGWALKING.COM
Dogs actually do have quite an interesting perspective on music. They appear to have different song preferences and reactions to various songs. As with other sounds, dogs often form associations between songs and events. This is how they form memories. Sounds help them predict what happens next, and dogs love to be prepared for the next thing. So, if you play a song to go along with happy events, you'll notice that your dog gets excited when that song comes on. They may start panting excitedly, barking, or jumping up in excitement when they hear that song.
Research has shown that many dogs react to music according to the tone of the music, just as humans do. For example, when dogs hear heavy metal, they will become frustrated and start barking. Classical music, on the other hand, has a much different effect on dogs. This genre produces feelings of peace and calm within dogs, just like it frequently does with humans. You will notice your dog possibly barking less and being less rambunctious. When dogs hear normal conversation and typical pop music, they usually do not have much reaction. Dogs are quite aware of their surroundings at all times, but there are some sounds they are used to or not phased by. In these moments, you may notice that your dog will perk their ears up for a moment, only to return to their nap or play session.
Body Language Here are some signs you might notice when your dog is reacting to music:
Alert Barking Panting Jumping Up Howling Ears Up
Appearing Less Anxious
Stopping what they are doing to Listen
Being Quiet
Training a Dog to React to Music Training your dog has numerous benefits. Learning new things helps dogs develop their brain capacity even further. It helps them keep their wits as they age, and most importantly it increases the bond between you and your human. To train your dog to react to music, the first step is to start exposing them to music. In order to best teach your dog about your favorite music, it helps if your dog creates positive associations between the music you play and the experiences you are both having.
If you want your dog to react happily to happy songs, you can teach your dog to mimic your mood by simply acting happy and enjoying the music. Your dog will react to your reaction in a happy way. Over time, they will associate this music with the happy memories you form together when this music is playing.
If you want your dog to follow a command when a song plays, you can teach them the command while the song is playing and provide treats and positive praise when they respond in your desired way. Some people can even train their dogs to dance to songs according to specific choreography! This takes consistent training, but it is definitely possible. You can start training your dog to act specifically to music at any age. Starting at a younger age can be a bit easier, but dogs can learn new things all throughout their lives. The most important thing to remember is that training your dog should be a regular practice. When training sessions end in hugs and a nice game of fetch, positive memories will foster an even stronger relationship between you and your pup. Dogs respond very well to positive reinforcement, while they do not respond as well to negative punishment. So, the best way to train them is by rewarding positive behavior and ignoring the negative behavior.
Recent studies have shown that playing music reduces stress in dogs at animal shelters, with less barking, lower respiratory rates and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This should not come as too much of a surprise, as the effect music has on human emotions has been a subject of study for quite some time. Music therapy is used as a natural anti-anxiety remedy and to help with sleep disorders, and it is easy to use the same technique for your puppy or adult dog.
Music is most commonly used as a tool to help dogs who suffer from anxiety issues, including separation anxiety when you leave him with a sitter and anxiety caused by outside noises and other forces, such as thunder, construction and fireworks. If you have a particularly hyperactive dog, you can also play music in an effort to keep her calm. In order to ensure that your dog has a positive association with music, start by playing songs during moments when she is in a calm, happy state, such as during meal time. It's crucial that you do not allow the music to become a predictor of a stressful situation, as you may then run the risk of your dog associating the sound with a coming stressful event. Once you establish the positive association, you should gradually introduce music when your dog's stressor is present.
When this is done incrementally, it doesn't take long for a dog to build that association. If you follow these steps, music can work as a security blanket that brings your dog comfort during times of stress. Classical music can also be used to help keep your dog calm and focused in a training environment. Soothing tunes can help your furry friend recuperate when he is sick or recovering from surgery. Does your dog get scared during thunderstorms or fireworks? Do they suffer from separation anxiety? Does hearing noises outside make them nervous? Turning on some music or some form of "white noise" for your dog can help relieve their stress.
Dog Sound Therapy Sound therapy is still considered pretty new. One of the best-known applications is an ultrasound that uses the "echo" of high-frequency sound waves to take diagnostic pictures inside the body, doctors even use it to break up kidney stones with vibration instead of surgery. Over the last 20 years, music therapy has become a staple of the human mental health profession and is often used with troubled children and brain-disordered patients. It is also helpful for stress relief for people in general. Therapeutic harp music helps relieve pain that drugs do not, soothes an emotional upset, and has become of particular help in hospice situations for human patients. One of the pioneers, Susan Raimond, also promotes the therapeutic effect of harp music on animals. The sound of harp music calms fractious dogs and cats and offers almost a natural sedative effect so that the upset animals become quiet, lay down and go to sleep.
When to Play Calming Music for Your Dog? Your dog can benefit from music in a variety of situations, including:
During the adjustment period after you first bring home a new puppy or dog
Whenever you leave your dog home alone
When your dog spends time in their crate, puppy zone, or in their safe space.
During thunderstorms or fireworks
Helping a restless puppy or dog fall asleep
At the veterinary clinic during exams
While riding in the car to help ease travel anxiety
If you are planning on leaving music on for a dog that suffers from separation anxiety, you want to make sure you also play it at other times when you are home. You do not want your dog to learn that when you turn on the music it means you are leaving, adding another stressful trigger to their anxiety.
Music Therapy for Puppies Puppies and music can be a positive, therapeutic mix. Music can mask scary noises like thunder and fireworks, or upsetting sounds like a trespassing mail deliverer that put your puppy's tail in a twist. It can even be helpful for separation anxiety or for a lethargic pet. The cadence of certain sounds influences the body's natural rhythms and can speed them up and energize the listener, or slow them down to calm them. A hyperactive or fearful puppy can be soothed with music or distracted with nature sounds like water running from a fountain. Lethargic pets that need to exercise can be energized with chirping squirrel sounds or fast music to get them up and bouncing to the beat. Puppies are even more sensitive to sound than people are.
Puppy hearing is very acute, so it doesn't have to be loud music to have an effect. Sound causes physical changes in the body. Brain waves change with different kinds of sounds and music with a pulse of about 60 beats per minute slows the brain waves so the listener feels more relaxed and peaceful and shifts the consciousness into a more alert state. This rhythm also slows breathing, which calms the mind and improves metabolism. Even the heart wants to follow the pulse of the music, faster rhythms energize the listener as their heartbeat increases and blood pressure rises, while slower tempos simply calm them. Listening to music releases endorphins - natural painkillers that are produced by the brain and reduces the levels of "stress hormones" in the blood.
The simplest way to treat puppies with music is to put on music or turn on the radio. Choose the music you like pets seem to respond best to music their owners enjoy because of the bond you share. Soft music with a slow, steady rhythm helps calm agitated puppies. It can help arthritic pets relax their muscles and increase their range of motion. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes for the music to take effect. Many pets enjoy Mozart or other classical music. New Age, soft jazz, southwest music with flutes and nature sounds, or even ballad-type country music can be soothing. The music should be melodic and the tempo even and slow. You can play calming music anytime your pet feels stressed - even all day long as a background to help keep them calm.
Turn up the volume to energize your pet. Moderate to loud music with a more driving beat energizes the emotions and can encourage lethargic pets to exercise and lift depression. Rock music, even the driving energy of rap may get a puppy's tail moving, but any up-tempo music from classical to contemporary has the power to energize. Again, play the music for at least 10 to 15 minutes at a time to get your pet in the right mood. Any music that you play on a regular basis helps your puppy identify that sound with your comforting presence. Even if your puppy doesn't suffer from separation anxiety, familiar music can help if you need to be away from home, because you can play your favorite music to help your pup feel better about your absence.
Snoop Dogg, Charlie Wilson, Justin Timberlake - Signs
Pulp - Common People
DOG MUSIC THERAPY: PREVENT BARKING & SCARY SOUNDS FEAR This article proudly presented by WWW.PREVENTIVEVET.COM and Cathy Madson
Using Music to Help Prevent Barking If your dog barks at any noise they hear outside, you can play music or turn on a fan or white noise machine, to help mask the sounds. It is normal for dogs to alert bark when they hear something outside, and noise masking can be a great management tool. This can lessen the amount of barking your dog does while alone or at nighttime - something you and your neighbors will appreciate.
Using Music to Help Your Dog Get Used to Scary Sounds For dogs that already get anxious or are fearful of certain noises like thunder or fireworks, you will want to work with a certified dog trainer to start a desensitization and counterconditioning plan. For puppies and dogs who haven't yet shown anxiety or fear of loud noises, it's worth it to introduce noises in a positive way to prevent noise phobia or anxiety from developing.
Renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell partnered with Through a Dog's Ear to create audio tracks that combine calming music with low volume sound effects like fireworks, thunderstorms, and city sounds. These are great tools to introduce a puppy to new sounds in a positive way, or use in a desensitization training plan.
The Sound Proof Puppy App is another great way to proactively expose your puppy to new sounds during their socialization period. It's available on the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
DOG vs HUMAN EAR This article is proudly presented by and Alexandra Santos
A dog's ear canal is, by far, a bit deeper than humans one and surely more curvy and twisted than our own. This makes it a perfect hiding place for parasites, yeast, and mites, making the cleaning of them imperative. Trapped debris can also result in infections and the development of masses in the ear, the removal of which can be rather smelly and unsightly. Dogs have twice as many muscles for moving their ears as humans do. 18 different ones are involved when a dog moves their ear(s).
The canine's ear canal is long indeed, consisting of three parts, the pinna or outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear, creating many blind spots that can be neglected if not careful. The existence of these blind spots within a dog's ear will make it important for owners to really ensure that they are well and thoroughly cleaned.
Unlike a human ear canal, a dog's is rather L-shaped, which means waxy build-up can more easily occur in the little elbow of that "L" shape.
The ear canal in the dog travels vertically downward and then travels horizontally toward the brain. The human ear canal travels horizontally toward the brain.
Compare the schemes of Human's vs Dog's structures:
HUMAN EAR STRUCTURE
DOG EAR STRUCTURE
Human hearing: Our ears are placed laterally and cannot move independently. Our cerebral cortex decodes the sound waves captured by our outer ear and carried along the middle and inner ear to the auditory nerve, and transforms them into identifiable sounds.
We can localize a specific sound somewhere in the environment, but will no longer be able to do so if we loose our sense of hearing in one of our ears. Our brain is less devoted to sound than it is to vision, which places us at a disadvantage when we compare our hearing abilities to a dog's hearing abilities. We detect more or less the same amount of low pitched sounds as dogs, but not nearly as many high pitched sounds, which renders our hearing less acute. The human hearing range is from 20cps (or 20Hz) up to 20,000cps (or 20kHz) and we cannot hear over as great a distance as dogs can.
Dog's hearing: The ear's most important function is hearing, but it is also an important organ of balance. Dog Versus Human Hearing RangeSome dogs have erect ear flaps and others have long, floppy ones. Hearing ability is superior in dogs with erect ears, which act as amplifiers for incoming sounds, and in those who can swivel their ears in the direction of the sound.
Dogs can hear sounds over a wider range of frequencies and a greater distance than man.
They may find high pitched noises, such as the ones emitted by vacuum cleaners and other household appliances, uncomfortable or even painful. Worth bearing that in mind with respect to dog care.
According to Dr. Bruce Fogle, the range of hearing for dogs is 40,000cps or 40kHz. They are better than us at detecting higher notes, and have the ability to move their ears independently, so that one ear can locate the sound and both ears can then catch the maximum number of sound waves. This is how dogs are endowed with the ability to hear over a greater distance than us.
Many people have also wondered why dogs can hear a whistle that apears silent to humans. This is simply because dogs can hear at frequencies higher than the human hearing range, which stops, as previously stated, at around 20kHz. If the pitch of a dog whistle is set above that frequency then a dog will be able to hear it where a human will not. There are some sources that state a dog's hearing range goes from 40cps (40Hz) to 60,000cps (60 kHz), so plenty of scope to find a frequency outside of the human hearing range.
Music absolutely has an effect on pets' moods and this can be used to benefit their mental health. It has not been until recently that humans have begun to learn more about the influence of music on the emotional state of pets and if they have a similar response as people. However, research suggests that yes, animals do react well to certain types of music.
Although, their musical preferences might differ from that of their owners. Concert pianist Lisa Spector and psychoacoustics researcher Joshua Leeds believe dogs, for instance, prefer classical music played slower and one octave lower than normal. One significant study, by Dr. Kogan from the Colorado State College of Veterinary Medicine, examined the effects of calming music on dogs in anxiety-provoking environments. The study looked at the behavior of 117 dogs who listened to heavy metal and classical music. It concluded that classical music provided a calming effect while metal caused agitation.
Despite these findings, there is still much to know about the effects of music on animals. Areas of the brain, the auditory cortex and multiple parts of the limbic system, come into play. These areas help regulate emotion. As a pet or human for that matter, listens to classical music, cortisol levels - the stress hormone lower in the blood. This provides the calming effect. While researchers are not certain on the specifics of relaxing music's influence on the brain, they know what the overall effect is on animals. Calming music and other sounds alter physiological processes in the autonomic system. This system in is charge of a pet's fight or flight mode and can cause an animal to panic or calm down. When relaxing, an animal will be less vocal, sleep better and have a slower heart rate.
While there has been some research on dog music, less is known about cat music and the effects of soothing sounds on our feline friends. Some folks speculate it is because they are uninterested in sound and music, but others hypothesize it's because cats have sound preferences that are different from that of dogs and humans. As mentioned earlier, dogs seem quite taken with classical music. Humans on the other hand gravitate toward rhythms similar to that of a mother's heartbeat.
But cats? They like rhythm and sounds that they hear after being born. You might be unsurprised to learn that some of these sounds include purring and bird chirping. Interested in trying out some music therapy on your pets? You might find that classical music helps with your dog's anxiety when you are away from home or when fireworks are going off. For cats, you might want to try a nature sounds recording full of bird chirping. There are plenty of specific dog music and cat music recordings available for purchase online as well.
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