Dog Music: Music to Soothe Your Pooch

January 28, 2019 Photos by: Igor Chus/Shutterstock

What’s the soundtrack to your dog’s life? If your dog is anxious, there’s benefits to playing music. Turn on the dog music and let your pooch chill out.

Nothing is more soothing at the end of a long day than relaxing with your favorite music playing in the background. A good song can change your mood and your perspective, taking you from feeling stressed and overwhelmed to calm and at-peace. Not only is music great for your own stress levels, but it can be good for your dog as well! Keep reading to learn more about music to soothe your dog.

What Kind of Music Do Dogs Like?

If you listen to music a lot, you may notice that your dog reacts to it from time to time. Dogs have much more sensitive hearing than humans, so it only makes sense that they might respond to music. What you may not realize, however, is that a specific type of music actually has the power to soothe your dog. American singer, songwriter, and rapper Garrett Charles Nash recently made an effort to create music specifically designed to calm dogs. Gnash (his stage name) started the project to help his poodle Daisy who had trouble with anxiety and anger but for whom mediation didn’t work.

Through the process of trial and error, Gnash tested different types of music to see how Daisy responded. He started with reggae and fiddled around with different styles and arrangements. Eventually, he came to discover a few particular elements that seemed to provide a soothing effect:

• Simple arrangements
• Repetitive themes
• Lower frequencies
• Slow speed (40 to 60 bpm)

By piecing together the results of his trial and error experiment, Gnash developed a piece of music he titled, “Song for Daisy.” The piece spans over 15 minutes and it utilizes the elements listed above. It features a simple arrangement with repetitive themes and the frequency is low which has been shown to calm the canine nervous system. The speed is also slower, about 40 to 60 beats per minute which helps slow the dog’s heart rate for a calming effect.

Tips for Soothing Your Dog with Dog Music

Not only has “Song for Daisy” helped Gnash’s own dog, but it has inspired other organizations to use music to sooth pets. Rescue organizations, for example, have begun to use music to help keep dogs calm. The calmer the dogs, the quieter and less stressful the environment becomes on the whole. Not only are the dogs calmer, but visitors tend to stay longer, and adoptions rates increase as a result.

Here are some simple ways to use music to soothe your own dog:

• Place a small stereo or boombox near your dog’s crate or playpen when he is home alone to keep him calm.
• Play a soothing music station on your television or stereo during the day to prevent your dog from becoming overexcited.
• When you are anticipating a stressful event for your dog (such as strangers coming to the house), play soothing music to help keep him calm.
• Use a rotation of different types of soothing music to make sure that the calming effects last.

Music has the power to make you feel things in a way that nothing else can. If you’re looking for a simple and effective way to help your dog with anxiety issues, music could be the solution!

Kate Barrington

Kate Barrington is the loving owner of two cats (Bagel and Munchkin) and a noisy herd of guinea pigs. Having grown up with golden retrievers, Kate has a great deal of experience with dogs but labels herself a lover of all pets. Having received a Bachelor’s degree in English, Kate has combined her love for pets and her passion for writing to create her own freelance writing business, specializing in the pet niche.