We enjoy listening to it at home, at work, in the car, in the store, and almost any place we go. Music appears to hit upon our stressful lives pretty much every single day. No wonder, songs and tunes can be vitally important to many humans. It can make us calm, content, and happy despite our demanding lifestyles. But did you have any idea that your pooch can also be calmed by music? Recent studies have shown that by playing music, animals tend to become more calm and at ease even in new surroundings.

 What Music Do Dogs Like to Listen To?

Research conducted by Deborah Wells, an animal behaviorist, seems to back up the claim that dogs indeed like music. The result of Wells’ study revealed that pooches find specific types of classical music to be quieting and relaxing, while not being interested in pop music or radio shows. It looks like our furry friends also have their own preferences to music, just like we do.

In addition, the researchers of The Animal Science found that playing classical music with a ambient sounds like human conversation, dog barking, and birds chirping incorporated in the melody is considered to be one of the most effective tunes to relax Fido.

The kind of music that the dogs listened to made a difference. When the researchers played heavy metal music the dogs became quite agitated and began barking. Listening to popular music, or human conversation, did not produce behaviors that were noticeably different from having no sound at all. Classical music, on the other hand, seemed to have a 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. Wells summarized her findings saying, “It is well established that music can influence our moods. Classical music, for example, can help to reduce levels of stress, whilst grunge music can promote hostility, sadness, tension and fatigue. It is now believed that dogs may be as discerning as humans when it comes to musical preference.”