FINDINGS: Dogs calmed more by classical music than audiobooks

 We always leave the radio on for our dogs whenever we go out. I usually leave light rock/Adult Contemporary music on, and sometimes Classical music. Now, there's new research showing classical music is the best. Here's the story from BBC News.

(left to right: Dash, Tyler and Cody listen to music when home alone. Credit; RG)

Dogs calmed more by classical music than audiobooks, new research shows 

By Robbie Meredith BBC News NI Education Correspondent

Classical music may help dogs settle when they are home alone, but playing audiobooks has no effect.

(Pic: Cody relaxing to adult contemporary music) 

That is according to a just-published research paper from academics at Queen's University in Belfast (QUB).

The study found that playing classical music had a "moderately-calming effect" when separated from their owners.

However, it ultimately found that music and audiobooks have "little value to dogs in situations of short-term acute stress".

Previous Scottish research suggested that classical music had a calming effect on dogs in rescue kennels.

Subsequent research suggested that dogs particularly preferred listening to reggae and soft rock.

(Pic: Tyler and dinosaur enjoy classic country music) 

But researchers from the Animal Behaviour Centre at QUB's School of Psychology decided to study if classical music or audiobooks reduced stress for domestic dogs when they were separated from their owners for a short time.

Some dog owners leave music, the radio or an audiobook on when they are out or away from home, for instance, as they think it makes their dog feel they have company.

(Pic: Dash snoozes to classical music)

To test whether classical music or an audiobook reduced that stress, they played 82 dogs involved in the study a Mozart Sonata and the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

They also played the dogs nothing while they were left without their owners for a short time in a research room at the university - the "control condition".

A variety of breeds were recruited for the study, all with the consent of their owners. Each dog's behaviour was observed and recorded on video while they were played the classical music, the audiobook and nothing.