Handel and Hayden for Hounds
By Randy Kinkel, Announcer and Producer
I have to confess, I am an animal lover, as is my wife. When encountered on the street, we are much more likely to talk to the neighbor's dog than to the people. My screensaver at work is a picture of our two (2) rescue pooches. They have more toys than I ever had as a puppy (I mean… child) and they get to sleep on our bed, too. When we are gone Matzo drags our dirty clothes around the house and leaves them in various places. Oh, and Mitzvah is convinced the vacuum cleaner is an evil entity that will surely rip her to shreds.
If you do have a furry friend with such anxiety, some studies show that classical music, such as you’ll find on 89.5 KBACH and kbach.org may help.
A study a couple of years ago in the Journal Of Veterinary Behavior, lead author Lori Kogan of Colorado State University found that Mozart, Beethoven and the like may reduce stress in dogs. Her study found that classical music was more soothing than "psychoacoustic" music or specially-made Pet CDs designed to calm animals. Kogan said the study may be helpful for the welfare of animals in stressful shelter environments. "Social isolation or restriction, a major stresser for many dogs, can lead to the development of both physiological and behavioral problems," Kogan and her two research partners, Regina Shoenfeld-Tacher and Allen A. Simon, wrote in their research summary. The dogs were exposed to 45 minutes of three different genres of music while their behavior was recorded every five minutes. Classical music was linked to more relaxed and restful behavior, while heavy metal was linked to greater anxiety and unrest.
A study in the UK had similar findings; classical music has a calming effect on dogs in their rescue shelters, according to research carried out for the Scottish SPCA. During the study, dogs' stress levels decreased significantly after the music was played in their kennels.
The study was carried out by the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow, and involved two groups of dogs being examined over a period of two weeks. One group of dogs was observed in silence, while the other had classical music played into their kennels. The conditions were then switched in the second week. In both groups the dogs' stress levels, measured through heart rates, saliva samples and observation of behaviour, decreased significantly after listening to music. The dogs also spent less time standing and barking when the music was being played. The study has been published in the Journal Physiology and Behaviour.
I can tell you from my own experiences petsitting that Leaving K-BACH on for the animals seems to keep them calmer and happier, and less anxious. But I have no specific data to prove it! You can tune into our broadcast signal at 89.5 or 89.7 FM, or stream it on our website at KBACH.org to hear the best of classical music for you and your furry, feathered or scaled friend.
Thanks for listening!
Randy Kinkel
