Can music affect a dog's behavior? The research suggests yes! Keep reading to learn about the best songs for dogs.
A dog's personality, in general, often mimics...
…the personality of his owner. Put a good dog in a chaotic environment, and soon that good dog will be bouncing off the walls, biting and barking. Dogs, especially puppies, are a lot like kindergarteners. If allowed, the kids…or puppies…will soon be running the proverbial asylum and it’s tough to rein that back in!
Usually, the quieter I am, the quieter the students...loud teachers often have loud classrooms. My classroom was never loud.
But besides controlling the "temperature of the room", what other tools can you use to calm your pup?
We’ve discussed a number of things that might help calm a puppy or dog. A good chew to like a Himalayan Yak chew, for example, might help keep a dog busy. (Click here to see more Yak Chews.) We’ve also gotten great feedback from a few families who’ve tried the hemp oil supplements you can find here and here; or you can find other options here.
We’ve also talked about how crate training a puppy and how that can help by giving the dog a familiar, safe place to be during high-anxiety occasions. (Friends over to the house; fireworks; storms; separation anxiety; etc.)
Believe it or not, there's something else you can try...MUSIC!
Earlier this month, I was listening to the morning news (WBAP, Dallas – 08/11/22) and they cited recent studies suggesting that music can calm dogs. This of course caught my attention.
I guess I’d never really considered this, but it makes sense. Kind of goes along with what we said earlier…about controlling the asylum, and if it works, it could be great to use at home or while traveling!
So my next question was of course: What music works best?
Are any genres better than others?
According to some research, the 3 best genres for soothing your pooch are:
- Classical – and in fact, solo piano music with slower tempos and simple arrangements seemed to work best.
- Soft Rock
- Reggae
- “How Deep Is Your Love” – Bee Gees
- “No Woman No Cry” – Bob Marley
- “(Everything I Do) I’ll Do It for You” – Bryan Adams
- “I Want to Know What Love Is” – Foreigner
- “Dark Side of The Moon” – Pink Floyd
- “One In 10” – UB40
- “Hounds of Love” – Kate Bush
- “Desperado” – The Eagles
- “Many Rivers to Cross” – Jimmy Cliff
- “Love is King” – Sade
And by the way, there is a list of the 10 worst songs for dogs! Click here and scroll down to see this list. But, it’s logical! Good music for a workout perhaps, but not for your anxious pup!
Lastly, remember – you don’t want to play the same music over and over! Even dogs get bored of the same ol’ sounds and research shows that if you don’t change from time to time, their anxiety levels will begin to go back up!
Here’s a link to a new study about using music to help your dog relax! Terrific information. Study concludes that classical music was best and that it helped dogs rest more and BARK LESS! Here’s the link => https://shorturl.at/fjBDJ .