It begins with a somber string sweep in a low note, then transitions into birdsong before returning to the ambient strings. This goes on for twelve hours.
The target audience for this music is dogs, not humans; to the untrained ear, it may seem like one of the sleep playlists that have been increasingly popular in recent years. This calming (or annoying) muzak really contains canine-friendly frequencies that can help with separation anxiety or stress reduction.
Dog-themed music is far from a novelty; instead, it is quickly emerging as a lucrative new genre, with the production business RelaxMyDog at the fore. The service, which was established in 2011 by businessman Amman Ahmed and producer Ricardo Henriquez, has 10 million monthly users: In September alone, their work was streamed for 600 years.
This is the busiest time of the year for RelaxMyDog because Bonfire Night, Diwali, and Thanksgiving all coming up. There are several pharmaceuticals and herbal cures to relax pets, but Ahmed, 31, says he wanted to create something that was entirely natural and used music. We initially had a team of two, but we now have 12 employees working for us in Manchester, the UK, El Salvador, and India, and our readership is now worldwide. We expect our content to benefit roughly 15 million pets this year.
There is a devoted fanbase because to the positive response to their music and sibling firm RelaxMyCat, which was created in 2012. We receive comments from owners requesting that music be played at their pet’s funeral because their dog or cat used to like listening to it, adds Ahmed. “Our information integrates into these creatures’ daily life.
Ahmed is evasive when describing the hazy musical formula that underlies their success, though. According to him, it includes “a variety of frequencies that dogs can hear paired with music that is designed to be calming to people, so if the human is comfortable, that energy can be transmitted on to the dog as well. Instead of using scientific research to inform their compositions, he claims that “the finest research comes from actual users,” who regularly provide feedback through their 600,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel.
One of these comments was that dogs seemed to enjoy reggae music, which sparked the creation of a new series of dog reggae. A 2017 study from the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow supports this conclusion. The study discovered that while listening to classical music initially helped to relax the dogs, after a few days they started to get bored. Reggae and soft rock were discovered to be the greatest genres for lowering heart rates, stress, and barking. Gilly Mendes Ferreira, the director of research at the SPCA, hypothesizes that this is because “certain genres have a rhythm that is similar to the dogs’ own heart rate.” This soundtrack imitates how a stressed-out puppy will cuddle up to its mother and utilize her heartbeat as a source of comfort.
When I leave the house, I leave the radio on Classic FM for my dogs, and they seem to like it. They’ve undoubtedly never voiced a complaint.
The SPCA last year worked with producer John McLaughlin, widely known for his work with Westlife, Blue, and 5ive, to develop Paws, Play, Relax, a charitable album created for dogs, taking the research a step further. According to McLaughlin, “I’m sure many others thought our initiative was barking crazy, but it made perfect sense to me. “Dogs require entertainment just like people do, and who doesn’t enjoy some reggae? Even more, McLaughlin created dog-centric lyrics, culminating in lines from love ballads like, “I was barely holding on / But I knew you were the only one / From the moment I saw you.
McLaughlin is pleased with the outcomes: “We held a listening party where a number of my friends’ dogs visited the house and it clearly works.” Some of those dogs might be quite animated, but this album helped to quiet them down.
On November 3, Classic FM will air a special show dedicated to animals, showcasing songs with pet-related themes like John Barry’s Crazy Dog. Despite the research showing that dogs prefer Bob Marley over Mahler, the show’s host Bill Turnbull, who also has three dogs, claims that his pups appear to like Classic FM when he leaves the house. No, they have never voiced a complaint.
With owners reporting an 87% success rate, RelaxMyDog is now aiming higher. “Our goal is to become the Netflix of the pet world; we want to be Petflix.
In order to better engage the dogs, Petflix uses dog-themed imagery like treks through a forest with a purple filter and, of course, their favorite music. Its success is yet unknown as it only debuted in October, but for the time being, Ahmed is concentrating on a more well-known, seasonal objective: “We’re releasing a Christmas album and I want it to reach No 1.
What type of music soothes dogs?
You can utilize music to promote relaxation and calmness in your dog, but hold on! It has been demonstrated that some musical styles are more calming for your dog than others. The most calming music for dogs in shelters is reggae and soft rock, while canines in stressful situations might also benefit from listening to classical music. Therefore, play some Bob Marley if you’re feeling bored with another Mozart symphony.
The best way to relieve stress and anxiety appears to be through variety within the aforementioned categories. Dogs become accustomed to the background noise after around 7 days of listening to the same type of music and start to exhibit increasing stress. Change up the radio stations you leave on for your dog, allowing him listen to some Fleetwood Mac, Bob Marley, and Mozart. For various playlists featuring pets, follow Preventive Vet on Spotify. Here is a compilation of our favorite tracks to help pets relax called Soft Rock for Dogs:
There is even music made especially for dogs, whether it’s for dogs who are generally anxious, for dogs who have separation anxiety, for dogs who have a fear of thunder, or for dogs who need help getting to sleep at night. Watch how songwriter Gnash created a song for his stressed-out dog Daisy:
For pups, anxious dogs, or dogs afraid of loud noises, two of the most popular recordings are Canine Lullabies and Through a Dog’s Ear. YouTube also has a wide variety of calming dog music alternatives. Dogs may have varied tastes, but the most effective relaxing elements in music are the length of the notes, the simplicity of the tones, the regular rhythms, and the speed.
Products that feature calming music to lower anxiety are becoming more prevalent. One such item is the Calmz Nervousness Relief System, which makes the claim that it can calm dogs’ anxiety using acoustic and vibration treatment. If you want to experiment with devices like this one, be careful while introducing the wearable speaker to your dog and keep an eye out for any signs of stress brought on by the vibration of the item. Reviews of the Calmz show varying degrees of efficacy. Some dog owners claimed in reviews that the vibration mechanism made their dog more agitated, that the music was too loud for their dog, or that the harness didn’t fit properly.
Always think about the risk that a new anxiety treatment you try can unintentionally make your dog feel even more worried.
To find out which items will work best for you and your dog, it is advisable to visit a veterinarian behaviorist, a licensed dog trainer, or a behavior consultant.
What musical genres do dogs like best?
According to studies, dogs seem to like reggae and soft rock over other types of music.
A study by the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow contends that dogs’ behavior is influenced by music.
At a Dumbarton dog adoption center, researchers played a range of music to canines while monitoring physiological and behavioral changes.
According to Prof. Neil Evans, when the dogs were played reggae and soft rock, the greatest favorable behavioral improvements were noticed.
The study, he claimed, revealed that each dog had its own musical preferences, even though these genres stood out.
“Overall, the response to different genres was mixed,” said Prof. Evans, “highlighting the likelihood that, like humans, our canine friends have their own unique music preferences.”
Is it advisable to play music for dogs?
If you’re a dog owner and an audiophile, you undoubtedly wish your dog shared your taste in music. Your dog probably hears you blast your music every day, whether you want to listen to the newest pop tunes, country music, or the classics. But what if your dog had the ability to request music? You could be surprised by their response.
Canines hear a considerably wider spectrum of frequencies and tones than we can recognize when it comes to the differences between our ears and those of dogs. This explains why we are completely deaf to the sound of a dog whistle, yet your dog can hear it and become agitated by it.
Dogs can hear a lot of noises, so they don’t actually hear much variation in particular notes. Pups shouldn’t be able to distinguish the difference between playing the same notes in the same key and a different key, according to theory.
You can get lost in a YouTube rabbit hole of canine howl-along videos to the tunes of their masters. Some dogs enjoy howling along to their owner’s music, whether they are playing the saxophone or the radio. The fact that the song is pitched at a level they can understand and follow helps them communicate, not necessarily because they love the song.
Just keep in mind that a dog will always mirror the character of its owner. Your dog will mimic your behavior if you become slightly more excited or hyper when listening to a particular genre of music.
Try the classics if you’re looking for the ideal music for your dog. And when we refer to the “classics,” we mean Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach performed softly. Compared to faster-paced heavy metal music, which may excite puppies, or typical pop music, which seems to have little effect on dogs, studies have found that classical music has a relaxing effect.
Remember that a dog’s taste in music may also depend on the breed. The hearing range and heart rate of a little lap dog compared to a large Great Dane may be very different, which will affect how they really hear the music.
When dogs are alone at home, some owners like to play music for them. Despite how absurd it may seem, there seem to be some advantages to this. Some dogs experience anxiety when their owners leave them alone. Not only can background music make them feel less alone, but it can also help block out outside noises that might stress your dog out when they are alone.
Overall, you shouldn’t modify your musical preferences to suit your dog. Whatever music you want to listen to at home, they are content to be with you. Just keep in mind to occasionally play some classical music. Who knows? You and your dog could find the cultural influence appealing!
Do dogs prefer stillness or music?
It depends, adds Radosta in response to the question of whether dogs enjoy music. According to research, music may be therapeutic for stressed-out pets.
A seminal 2002 study tested how shelter dogs reacted to dialogue, stillness, heavy metal, pop, and classical music. Researchers discovered that dogs could relax to classical music. The puppies switched between standing and barking and relaxing while lying down. A other study found that sick dogs who were listening to harp music had better respiratory and heart rates than those who weren’t.
However, a recent study discovered that audio books, not classical music, were the sound that calmed shelter dogs the best. How come? According to Radosta, having a repetitive sound to block out ominous noises like hospital equipment or other dogs barking is probably having the most influence.
Does soothing music soothe dogs?
In today’s expanding dog market, there are thankfully lots of alternatives to soft rock music, mainstream music, and TV for worried dogs.
- Physical exercise An unimpressive amount of action during the day can frequently be the cause of worry, especially in young puppies. Dogs require constant mental stimulation because they are very intelligent animals. You can do this by running at the dog park or taking your dog for a long walk. Your dog may experience sleep deprivation, but exhausting them will reduce their anxiety and allow them to sleep for a longer period of time.
- Canine Diffusers
- Aromatherapy is not only used on people! Many dog-friendly companies have developed synthetic liquid pheromones that may be distributed throughout the home to reduce your pet’s anxiety. There are collar and spray versions of these choices as well.
- CratesCrates are designed to be secure places for your dog, and with the right instruction and commitment, you can teach your dog to run to it when left alone (excellent for separation anxiety) or when they are feeling frightened, like during a big rainstorm. The best choice is a crate that is spacious enough for your pet to spin around in because constricted, small places can make them more anxious. In order to encourage them to utilize the crate when under stress, it might also be helpful to place an item of clothing bearing your fragrance inside. For increased comfort, it is advisable to put the crate in a room with little traffic or a secure area of your home.
- Pet beds
- Many companies have developed soothing beds for dogs expressly for anxious behavior as a result of the expanding dog market. You may find a wide range of options by conducting a quick Google search, from large, plush mattresses shaped like doughnuts to high-end orthopedic beds designed to reduce pain in older or arthritic dogs. Dog mattresses that enclose the animal in a thick covering of artificial fur and have a rounded, puffy shape designed to feel like being swaddled are becoming increasingly popular options.
Overall, there are numerous ways to attempt to assist your dog in overcoming their anxiety difficulties, whatever the source may be.
Before attempting to help your dog at home, you must first take them to the veterinarian because there may be an underlying medical condition that is causing their anxiety.
Spend a lot of time with them so that you can use up all of their energy and give them the affection they so richly deserve.
For more guidance, you might also find it helpful to speak with a qualified dog trainer.
At some time throughout your dog’s life, you might wonder, “How can I better calm my dog?” As said above, there are numerous techniques you can do to assist in calming your dog.
However, a practical method is to let your dog listen to soothing dog music to reduce anxiety issues.
I realize it may sound absurd, but your dog can benefit from listening to music by becoming more relaxed.
Dog-friendly, calming music provides several advantages for your dog’s wellbeing.
It can be used to lower their heart rates and have a favorable impact on canine anxiety and other stress-related issues, such as those caused by separation anxiety or noise phobia, for example.
If you liked this post on how music can help dogs with separation anxiety and other problems, you might also like some of our other topics.
If you have a younger dog, you might also find this post about how to handle a nervous puppy helpful, or this piece about how to relieve stress in dogs could be interesting to read for dogs of all ages.
