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IT is often said that music is a form of therapy — an escape from life’s stressors and, of course, entertainment at its best.
But did you know that animals, too, find music therapeutic? Reports suggest that dogs respond well to classical music.
However, these canines appear to have two favourite genres that help them relax—reggae and soft rock. But is this true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
According to a study by the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow, your beloved canine would likely feel at ease with a Bob Marley song playing in the background.
The research, according to The Guardian, found that while classical music had an initial calming effect on the dogs, the pups get bored of ye olde Mozart after a few days. They seem to much prefer reggae and soft rock and it helps them reduce stress, with less barking and a slower heart rate.
The SPCA’s head of research, Gilly Mendes Ferreira, speculated that this may be because these genres have a rhythm similar to a dog’s own heart rate.
"When a puppy is feeling stressed, it will snuggle into its mother and use her heartbeat for relaxation, so this music mimics that effect.”
Meanwhile, in a BBC report, Professor Neil Evans from the University of Glasgow confirmed that reggae and soft rock showed the most positive behaviour in dogs, although responses varied with other genres.
Evans said: “Overall, the response to different genres was mixed, highlighting the possibility that, like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences.”
Why not try some reggae beats the next time your dog is stressed? Or simply turn up the volume to Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” to drown out the sound of fireworks during festive celebrations?
References:
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/135846/
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/02/pet-sounds-why-your-dog-loves-listening-to-bob-marley
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-38757761
