Jam on! Study finds this type of music makes dogs happiest

GLASGOW, Scotland — If a chewing treat or rubber toy isn’t getting the job done when it comes to exciting your pooch, turning on the radio just might do the trick. Just be careful as to which station you put on. A study finds dogs can be particular when it comes to the type of music they prefer.

Researchers out of the University of Glasgow in Scotland, along with folks at the Scottish SPCA, found that reggae and soft rock topped the canine charts, though certain dogs do seem to have various tastes. “We were keen to explore the effect playing different genres of music had, and it was clear that the physiological and behavioural changes observed were maintained during the trial when the dogs were exposed to a variety of music,” said PhD student Amy Bowman in a release.

The musical experimentation took place at the SPCA in Dumbarton, Scotland, where researchers studied how dogs there responded to different styles of music.

“Overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences,” said Professor Neil Evans. “That being said, reggae music and soft rock showed the highest positive changes in behaviour.”

Back in 2015, the Scottish SPCA also released a study showing classical music had a calming effect on dogs. Researchers at Colorado State University reached the same conclusion in a 2012 study. That study also found heavy metal boosted anxiety and unrest in dogs.

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Comments

  1. The more the music sounds like it comes from “animals”, the more animals will identify with the sounds. And Charles Darwin is smiling since some of us still look, think, and sound like apes or animals.

  2. ……AND the top song that made dogs the MOST happy …………………. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin !!!!

  3. The article neglected to mention that the dogs were significantly less happy with reggae if nobody was available to light their spliff.

  4. But what about birds? I had a yucca tree removed and in the process of getting rid of it, the workers found a nest with a baby bird in it. They brought a baby swallow to my wife in the house. My wife took care of it, feeding it cat food. No, the bird did not try to meow gratuitously. But it matured nicely in her care. When it started flying into mirrors and walls, we decided to release it to the cruel world outside. So, I got it to perch on my finger and I walked out to the backyard. Once outside, the now mature swallow left my finger perch and flew around in sheer joy. Then as we watched, it circled the house three times and headed south. We figured that our bird experience was over. However, a year went by and in the following Spring when we were outside again. We spotted a swallow circling our house. My wife said, “Look our swallow came back from Argentina!” Sure enough, when I put out my finger, it flew down to my hand and perched on my finger. We were amazed! I marched into the house with the swallow on my finger and the swallow quickly headed for the cat food. Then it flew up to my finger again, opened its beak and meowed at me. Yep, it was the same swallow. He didn’t even send a card from Argentina! Thinking of swallow and swallowing I wonder how hard it would be to swallow this one.


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