Heavy Metal? Not for Dogs!
I think we all know that having music
on in the background can affect our dogs’ behaviour – but did you know that the
kind of music makes a difference?!
Recent research saw dogs video-ed while different genres were played to
them including a compilation of popular music (e.g.Britney Spears and Robbie
Williams), classical music (including Grieg's “Morning,” Vivaldi's “Four
Seasons,” and Beethoven's “Ode to Joy”) or heavy metal rock bands such as
Metallica.
According to this article in Modern Dog
Magazine, heavy metal music is “not their thing because the dogs became quite
nervous and restless and began to bark when it was played. Classical music, on
the other hand, seemed to have the most calming effect on the dogs. While
listening to it, their level of barking was significantly reduced and the dogs
often lay down and settled in place.”
But the latest research went further - as
well as monitoring behaviour, they fitted heart rate monitors to the dogs and
also took regular urine samples to check the level of stress hormones. The dogs were
exposed to a different style of music each day and interestingly, they found
that
stress reduction effects didn't
disappear over time, the way it had been shown to do when one category of music
was played all of the time.
University of Glasgow professor Neil
Evans noted that not all dogs responded to the music to the same degree. “Overall, the response to different genres was
mixed, highlighting the possibility that, like humans, our canine friends have
their own individual music preferences. That being said, reggae music and soft
rock showed the highest positive changes in behaviour.”
But I heard years ago that dogs prefer
talk radio in the background while cats prefer classical music?!
Does your dog bark all
day?
Most dogs settle down after a few
minutes once left alone but some continue to bark all day long – leading to
irate neighbours. This has been called ‘separation
anxiety’ but in reality, it’s pent-up energy and boredom. This common sense article on ThatMutt.com
suggests 9 great practical tips to alleviate this including: Run, Bike or
Rollerblade with your dog first thing in the morning; Buy a dog backpack; Buy a
kennel (not as a punishment, as a treat); Ignore a dog that cries or barks
(difficult, I know) and Don’t make a big deal of leaving or arriving home. See the article for details on each of these
and for the remaining tips.
Could
your dog be a blood donor?
Unlike
the UK, Ireland doesn’t have a blood donation and storage facility for dogs so
we rely on our local vet who has to source blood for his or her canine
patients. According to Pete the Vet,
many vets keep a list of patients whose owners have offered their pets as blood
donors. So, next time you visit your
vet, why not discuss your dog being a blood donor?
(Photo: Bark Post)
