(Commonwealth Union)_ Humans have traditionally valued calming music as a kind of entertainment. Ideally, and as empirical studies have shown, the benefits of listening to music are highlighted in its impact on our memory and emotional stability. There is also evidence that melody can help us recuperate from certain illnesses and even physical accidents. As a result, the power of music therapy cannot be underestimated, as its effects on humans are extensively researched and verified. Can music, however, have the same effect on our dogs, given that humans and pets are both animals? Amazingly, the benefits of music therapy for people can be extended to our pets!
Lori Kogan, Regina Schoenfeld-Tacher, and Allen Simon conducted a study on the behavioural effects of auditory stimulation on kennelled dogs in 2012. They discovered that playing classical music to dogs kennelled in professional facilities had a positive effect on mitigating some of the psychogenic stresses provided by the kennel environment. According to the findings of this study, classical music not only alleviates behavioural changes in pets but also reduces anxiety and heart rates.
Did you know that pets respond to sensory cues such as sound? Because animals are acclimated to sound, music therapy can be used on them. Ideally, the music sends forth sound vibrations that are picked up by the animal’s brain and cause it to respond. This response has the ability to influence psychological changes.
A harsh music, for example, can create an adrenaline rush, but a calmer tone can relax their nerve systems. As a result, we realise that music therapy can be utilised effectively to reduce the stress levels of our pets in our homes, at the vet, in our automobiles and in animal shelters.
Pets are particularly sensitive, as their psychological state is easily influenced by typical stresses such as loud noises. How many times have you watched your cat rush under the table after a thunderclap, or your dog hide behind the bed during a storm? Even strangers have the capacity to cause anxiety in our pets. Anxiety, fear and destructive behaviour all have a negative impact on our pets’ health, safety and general quality of life.
Music therapy not only helps our beloved pets cope with these problems in a safe and non-invasive manner, but it is also incredibly successful.
Furthermore, because music therapy efficiently helps our pets cope with stress and anxiety, it has been demonstrated to reduce discomfort in animals suffering from chronic pain. Classical music, for example, helps them sleep more comfortably in a relaxing environment.
Pets respond to the same stimuli that we do, such as playing online games, watching movies in theatres, or simply listening to music. If you’ve recently taken your pet to the vet, you may have noticed relaxing music playing in the waiting area. The advantage is that, as science has demonstrated, relaxing music improves the psychological well-being of pets.
Sick animals are taken to the vet clinic for a checkup, and the calming music playing in the waiting area calms them down and lessens their nervousness. Animal shelters are regarded as having psychogenic pressures on animals, and classical music tends to help the animals in these shelters settle down.
