{"id":556401,"date":"2026-01-31T13:53:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T13:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/556401\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T13:53:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T13:53:12","slug":"what-music-lovers-should-know-about-sharing-sounds-with-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/556401\/","title":{"rendered":"What music lovers should know about sharing sounds with pets"},"content":{"rendered":"

People use music to set moods<\/a>, create a desired atmosphere and evoke memories of family and friends. The right song at the right time can have similar effects for some dogs.<\/p>\n

Pet owners, trainers and animal shelter workers sometimes use music as a training tool, a distraction from triggers and to create a relaxing environment for dogs kept in kennels<\/a> or left alone at home. But researchers say music is context-dependent, meaning the effects vary based on dogs\u2019 temperament, the setting, the type of tune and the volume at which it\u2019s played.<\/p>\n

Social media videos of dogs howling to music, relaxing to the sounds of specialty playlists or TV channels while their owners are at work<\/a>, appearing to clam down while boarded, and getting exposed to the same song to assist with crate training show some of the ways music is integrated into pets\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n

While some trainers consider music to be a helpful, many animal behaviorists, who study animal psychology and understand complex behaviors<\/a>, suggest additional research is needed to prove how much of an effect music has on dogs and in what situations. Here is how experts suggest making music a potentially paw-sitive experience:<\/p>\n

This article is part of AP\u2019s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Music as a support strategy<\/p>\n

Many factors cause dogs to experience stress and anxiety, and there are as many behavioral responses. Dog behavior specialists and veterinarians say separation anxiety, noise phobias<\/a> and other fears are common sources of stress and can exacerbate negative behaviors like aggression, submissive peeing or barking, or medical conditions that may a professional diagnosis or medication.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic may promote more relaxation for dogs, but it would not be the first thing I turn to if I want to reduce stress in dogs,\u201d said Seana Dowling-Guyer, a lecturer at Tufts University\u2019s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and associate director of a research program aimed at improving the lives of dogs in shelters or at risk of being given up by their owners.<\/p>\n

Prior to her work at Tufts, Dowling-Guyer worked with shelter animals. The goal was to find them homes<\/a>, but she noticed that dogs<\/a> barking, jumping or getting excited in their enclosures sometimes \u201cput off potential adopters.\u201d The shelter staff tried to create a calmer environment playing music. Worker debates over the type of music to play is what led Dowling-Guyer to further research on the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was interested in the practical application, not just for owners, but for veterinary offices, groomers or other situations where dogs were sometimes stressed or mildly uncomfortable,\u201d she said, adding that music is not meant to be or should be considered a cure for anxious behaviors or conditions or be considered a replacement for more formalized training.<\/p>\n

Not all dogs like all music<\/p>\n

High Country Humane, an animal shelter in Flagstaff, Arizona, plays classical and instrumental music on the kennel floors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really stressful here, and the classical music seems to help calm the dogs down,\u201d shelter manager Megan Boyer said. \u201cEverybody is a little bit less amped up. It\u2019s a stress reliever for the dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dog music compilations typically include elements of the music that\u2019s designed to help humans relax or sleep but takes into account biological differences in how dogs hear and process sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cDog-calming music is simplified classical music. It\u2019s slow, repetitive, has a predictable structure and gentle notes. In an unpredictable environment, any kind of predictability using sounds could be soothing to an animal,\u201d said Aniruddh Patel, a Tufts University psychology professor who studies music cognition in humans and other species. <\/p>\n

But not all dogs like classical music or exhibit the same behaviors when exposed to similar genres, experts say. Lori Kogan, a Colorado State University professor who studies human-animal interactions, says \u201cdogs tend to habituate to what they are used to\u201d as opposed to innately preferring some types of music over others.<\/p>\n

Citing similar human curiosity about the musical preferences of cows, Kogan said, \u201cI don\u2019t think cows are born liking country music. What\u2019s happened is that the people they interact with play country music, and the animals have come to associate that music with positive things.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to know if music will help your dog<\/p>\n

Many pet owners leave a TV on or music playing when they go out to stimulate or distract their dogs while they\u2019re gone, Dowling-Guyer said. She recommends switching up the playlist or programming so pets do not get bored or come to associate a negative event, like their owners leaving, with a specific song.<\/p>\n

Tawny Keiser, a 46-year-old family practice manager in the San Diego area, says a dog television channel on YouTube has become a fun diversion for Margarita, her 10-year-old pug who suffers from separation anxiety.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe recognizes the television and will sit and watch it. She\u2019s engaged, and often gets really excited and jumps off the couch to sniff the screen,\u201d Keiser said, adding that Margarita also loves dog cartoons<\/a> that feature background music.<\/p>\n

Paying attention to how a family pet<\/a> reacts when you turn on home speakers can provide useful information. It\u2019s important to watch for signs of discomfort, like lip-licking or panting, to determine if a dog doesn\u2019t like the sounds, Dowling-Guyer said.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, there is no harm in playing music for a pet, experts said. Don\u2019t be discouraged if your dog doesn\u2019t seem to engage with it, Dowling-Guyer said. <\/p>\n

She also wants dog owners to be wary of trainers who say music is a solution for behavior concerns, saying \u201cthat is usually a red flag.\u201d<\/p>\n

The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, a certifying board for specialist veterinarians, says pet owners may encounter services or advice that can inflict lasting physical and emotional damage on pets if certain training techniques are improperly applied. Experts suggest seeking trainers with the proper licensing, advanced degrees such as a doctor of veterinary medicine, or certification to address animal behavior, which can come from recognized organizations like the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists or the Animal Behavior Society. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"People use music to set moods, create a desired atmosphere and evoke memories of family and friends. The…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":556402,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[3425,5643,11029,3384,276,13672,4439,4654,171,30042,57,210,1165,2739,243496,975,7926,235115,61,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-556401","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-animals","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az-state-wire","11":"tag-be-well","12":"tag-california","13":"tag-co-state-wire","14":"tag-colorado","15":"tag-dogs","16":"tag-entertainment","17":"tag-flagstaff","18":"tag-general-news","19":"tag-health","20":"tag-lifestyle","21":"tag-massachusetts","22":"tag-megan-boyer","23":"tag-music","24":"tag-pets","25":"tag-send-to-apple-news","26":"tag-u-s-news","27":"tag-united-states","28":"tag-unitedstates","29":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115990050290861081","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556401\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}