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K-9 Corner: Music calms the savage, and not so savage, beast

November 14, 2007|HELEN PALMER

A reader wrote: "A friend of mine took your [dog training] class years ago and told me that if you want a smart dog, you must play classical music. Is this true?"

Your friend must have been in the kindergarten puppy training class because it was only in that class that we tried to stimulate all the pups' senses including hearing. In one meeting we brought in crushed ice and introduced the pups to the feel and smell of the cold stuff even though the weather was usually quite warm. Also in the texture category, we encouraged the pup to walk through sand, over a wooden board that was elevated two inches off the floor and grass. Most pups were familiar with vinyl flooring and concrete.

In another session, we gave the pets an opportunity to smell various scents: mild cheeses, perfume (which they don't like), and wildlife scents like squirrel, rabbit and deer.

Then, we introduced music. Classical music is a favorite for young animals, but oldies and soft contemporary music also are acceptable. If the owner dislikes classical music, try bluegrass, country or some other easy listening recordings. Why? It so happens that dog trainers, animal shelters and dog boarding kennels are finding that certain kinds of music seem to soothe and relax the animals in their care.

This phenomenon also is experienced by newborn and premature babies. One pediatrician insists that the parents of all his "preemie" patients play Bach, Beethoven and Brahms during the day to keep the infants calm and breathing rhythmically. No jazz or rock and roll for these little ones.

Soothing melodies

Kennel owners report the same thing: A calming melody can soothe. Some farmers play soft music in their hog barns during farrowing and nursing the little pigs. One farmer stated that the sows ate better and took better care of the piglets in this calming environment.

In one study on the effects of music on animals, it was concluded that the soft music overrides other distractions. Music from the radio is often recommended to calm dogs suffering from separation anxiety. By tuning to a public broadcasting station, the music is usually classical or easy listening and reporters' commentaries also are soothing.

You should avoid stations that have call-in talk shows because some callers are angry and the dog cannot understand why the voice is so loud and angry.

It has been discovered that service dogs often get stressed from their work and need time out to relax and unwind. Some dogs can actually show signs of burnout. It has been proven that soft, calming music will slow the heartbeat and respiration and relax the muscles of these working dogs.

Any dog required to work should have daily time-outs to rest and take it easy. This applies to not only service dogs, but to dogs being trained and shown, used in hunting or herding or any other kind of work that requires long periods of concentration. Play some soothing music as the dog loosens up and unwinds.

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