Classical Music Soothes Stressed Dogs
An SPCA rescue centre has installed a sound system to play
soothing classical music to stressed dogs.
The animals respond well to the gentle strains of Beethoven and
Mozart, but are not fans of pop or dance music. It seems the dogs
preferred the sound of a symphony to modern music. Pop music is
actually more stressful to them because of the pounding beats.
Staff at the kennel say they now hear Bach rather than barks as
they do their rounds. The system was installed to relax the
animals, which have been rescued or abandoned, as music is
proven to have a calming effect on both animals and people.
It's a very stressful environment for the dogs to be in a kennel
situation, so anything that can help is worth a try.
Whale sounds and panpipes are also played for the dogs, and they
listen to talking on the radio so they get used to hearing
people. It definitely works. It's quieter in the kennels now
because if one dog barks when it's quiet they all start, but if
music is, playing they don't.
The cost of the music system was met through fundraising
efforts.
And.......
Music made especially for your
dog.................
"Animal Communicator" Kim Ogden-Avrutik,
pictured on the Ask the Animals CD cover, helped Haynes
create the CD.
, March
12, 2005 ยท The music world offers myriad genres: classical,
rock, hip-hop...but what about canine? Musician and producer Skip
Haynes wants to give dogs a reason to prick up their ears. He talks
with Scott Simon about his CD, Ask the Animals: Songs to Make
Dogs Happy!
Haynes created the album in conjunction with an "animal
communicator," Dr. Kim Ogden-Avrutik, who served as a sort of
translator during focus groups to test out the music. Among the
revelations: Some kinds of percussion (too much like gunshots) and
the word "no" (not popular among many species) are not popular
among dog listeners.
Notable titles on the disc include "I'll Be Back," "I Love
Food," and what Haynes says is the album's No. 1 hit,
"Squeaky-Deakey!" Haynes says that by being in the room when the
album is played for the first two or three weeks, owners can create
a positive association with the music that later calms pets down
while the owner is out.
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