Can music boost your pup’s performance?

Lots of people run with music in their ears, and recent studies show that moving to the rhythm of the beat can improve motivation and produce better fitness results. 

In people,  studies have shown that music can have profound effects on the mind and body: the right melody can enhance memory, soothe anxiety, and increase metabolism; the wrong rhthym can have ill effects.   “The Mozart Effect” was the term coined by Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis to describe the soothing and healing effects that resulted from listening to classical music.

It stands to reason that our dogs- with more sensitive senses than ours- can also be affected by their sound environment.

A study of sound

When a veterinary neurologist  teamed up with a psychoacoustic specialist and a concert pianist to study the effect of sound on canine ears, they discovered that slow music with simple melodies can reduce anxiety in dogs.  The work of these experts is chronicled in Through A Dog’s Ear:  Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion. 

Noise pollution?

Dr. Wagner, the veterinary neurologist from The Ohio State School of Veterinary Medicine, recommends that we listen to, and list, the noises our dog hears in the home on a daily basis.   If your list includes a lot of high level, background noise, then your pup may benefit from a reduction in overall sound.  Like the rest of us, dogs are more at ease when their sensory systems aren’t constantly bombarded with input.  

Could your pup benefit from mood music?

Try it and see! 

Consider these recordings:

Canine Lullabies: Heartbeat Music Therapy by Terry Woodford

While You Were Gone:  Music Pets Love by Bradley Joup

Relaxation Music for Dogs and Cats by Janet Marlow

Through A Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion by Joshua Leeds and Lisa Spector

Enjoy your peaceful pet!

Liz Devitt, DVM