Pet parents and vets know that canine stress can often be triggered by sounds in their environment. In fact, a dog's hearing can be two times sharper than human hearing.
Well, a company called Pet Acoustics claims to have come up with science-based music that will reduce dog anxiety.
Photo: Pet Acoustics
The company's founder, Janet Marlow, says a study analyzed the pulse rate, heart rate variability, and activity levels of different dog breeds while listening to the canine-specific music, comparing the biometrics of each dog when the music was playing and when it wasn't. A collar on each dog collected the vital signs and behavior patterns in real time.
Twenty dogs were exposed to music played from a Bluetooth speaker placed nearby. Each was offered as a volunteer by their owners, and every dog's daily schedule included rest, walks and play activity. All were of different breeds, including a West Highland terrier, beagle, long-haired chihuahua, cavalier King Charles spaniel, French bulldog, Lagotto Romagnolo, Pomeranian, English springer spaniel, border collie, labradoodle, poodle and a German shepherd. Their ages ranged from six months to 12 years.
The stress scores were significantly lower when the dogs were listening to the music as compared to periods with no music. The peer reviewed study is published in the Summer issue of The International Animal Health Journal.
The company also has versions for cats, birds and horses. The dog edition, a Bluetooth speaker preloaded with canine music, is $59.99 on Amazon.