Music can be like a balm to our stress and anxiety. Think of the calm spa music you hear during a massage. But music can also hype us up—just ask someone at a dance club or football stadium! Like us, our dogs can be impacted by music.
Multiple studies have been done on music therapy for dogs, though there is certainly room for further investigation. So far, it seems that classical music has a calming effect on stressed dogs. In several studies, kenneled dogs listening to classical music spend more time resting and being quiet than dogs listening to other genres. One study also found a positive association between calming behavior and reggae or soft rock music. Importantly, some dogs appear to develop resistance to the calming effects of music if the same playlist is used repeatedly, so you may need to switch it up to reap the benefits.
On the other end of the spectrum, kenneled dogs have shown increased barking and body shaking when listening to heavy metal music. Higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been detected in the urine of dogs listening to soft rock compared to other genres, though the same study found dogs listening to soft rock had more relaxed behavior compared to most other genres. It has also been noted that low-pitch music may increase dog stress due to its association with the low vocalizations of aggression. Dogs listening to pop have been noted to have increased activity and vocalization when compared to dogs listening to classical music.
As a side note, music that has been specifically designed for dogs has not shown a benefit when compared to other genres in published research.
Although this is a general summary of what research has shown in dogs so far, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Some studies have shown that any auditory stimulation is better than nothing. Others have shown that auditory stimulation (including classical music) has no effect.
- Dogs are individuals. Like us, it’s possible that dogs have musical preferences, accounting for some of the variation seen in studies.
- Some studies rely on the perception of staff working with the dogs. It’s possible that the humans involved perceived a false benefit from music that made the humans themselves feel calm.
If you’d like to try calming music for your puppy, it seems like classical and maybe reggae are your best bets right now. Make sure to switch up the playlist so your bestie doesn’t get bored!
Calming music not achieving the results you were hoping for? Teach your pup the commands “settle” and “calm.”
