AMC’s Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education recently hosted a Concert for Canines and Their Companions to celebrate the Human-Animal Bond. This en plein air concert with the Highline String Quartet was held in the 25th Street Plaza and attracted people and dogs for a musical respite from a damp and dreary afternoon. This concert gives me an opportunity to talk about how music impacts dogs.

Musical Highlights from the Concert for Canines and Their Companions

How Dog Ears Are Different Than Human Ears

We know dogs’ hearing is more sensitive than ours. Your dog can hear the car coming around corner, your footsteps in the hallway or an approaching thunderstorm before any human family member does. Dogs can also hear pitches twice as high as human ears, so they perceive music differently than we do.

Species-Specific Music

Sound behaviorist Janet Marlow of Pet Acoustics creates music scientifically tailored to the unique hearing of dogs, cats and other species. This species-specific music differs from human music by using instruments, frequency and decibel levels that are digitally modified in original compositions to accommodate the target species’ aural sensitivities. In a recent study, the Pet Acoustics music caused physiological and behavioral changes indicating a calmer state for dogs. Dogs listening to species-specific music were less active and had lower heart rates when compared to baseline.

In addition to Pet Acoustics, iCalmPet (previously known as “Through a Dog’s Ear”) has developed calming music for dogs using psychoacoustic rationale. These compositions are less demanding auditory arrangements using fewer musical instruments and applying natural principles of tone and rhythm. iCalmPet has both classical and reggae arrangements for dogs and a sample can be found on Spotify.

What Genre of Music Do Dogs Like Best?

Another study of dogs and music asked the question, what genre of music do dogs like best? Researchers played five different genres of music—Soft Rock, Motown, Pop, Reggae and Classical—to determine the preference among a group of kenneled dogs. The researchers found that dogs spend significantly more time lying and significantly less time standing when music was played, regardless of genre. Dogs were more likely to bark when music stopped playing. Heart rate variability was significantly higher, indicative of decreased stress, with the Soft Rock and Reggae genres, with a lesser effect observed with Motown, Pop and Classical genres.

Looking to calm your dog? Perhaps play a bit of Maga Dog by Bob Marley, Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men or Doggy Dog World by Snoop Dogg!