When it comes time to leave your pet at home alone, or for stressful holidays like Fourth of July, it’s almost instinctive to turn the radio on for them. If you’ve ever wondered if you’re really making your pet feel better, or just comforting yourself, the science is in.

It turns out, music actually does have benefits for our pets. A 2020 analysis of available data (there’s currently very few studies on dogs and music) found that it may have a positive impact on their health. At least, depending on the type of music.

It was clear from analysis that dogs do not care for rock music or metal. These elicited raised cortisol levels, barking, and other negative behavioral responses. Slow wind music or string music raised pets’ curiosity and caused them to be more likely to explore.

Music has had a profound effect on animals, but there’s still a lot more research that needs to be done. There’s evidence that music is helpful to a wide range of animals, but most research has been done with dogs. In order to tailor music therapy to other animals, they will have to be tested individually for their likes and dislikes.

How music therapy can help pets

This is a relatively new industry, but there’s already companies who are developing music specifically for our pets. Companies like Zoundz Music For Pets™ are on top of the latest research, to help create species-specific music designed to keep your pet calm and happy.

When played in high stress environments such as animal shelters, music has been shown to reduce barking, pacing, and other signs of anxiety.

Comparing different sounds and how dogs respond to them both using behavioral changes as well as physical changes like cortisol levels, helps researchers determine what music different animals prefer. Surprisingly, it’s not Classical music which has been a common offering with pet music solutions on popular streaming music platforms.

To deliver maximum calming effects, pet music should feature species-appropriate tempo, sound frequency, and instrumentation. If you know your pet is going to be in a potentially stressful situation, you should try a solution like Zoundz Music For Pets, that’s backed by the latest scientific findings.

When to use music therapy

Music therapy is wonderful for rescues, veterinary hospitals, grooming salons, boarding facilities, and other settings that are naturally stressful to dogs. They are also great for home use helping a new dog settle in, during stressful holidays, or when there is a change in the family.

Music therapy also needs to be tailored to the individual pet. Cats appreciate different music than dogs, and even things like head shape and structure of a dog breed can make a difference in how they perceive music.

Music therapy is a relatively new field of study, but it shows a great deal of promise. Music has been shown to alleviate stress in pets, help them feel more relaxed in uncomfortable environments, and help them adjust to new homes.

If your pet ever has moments when they are fearful or stressed, give Zoundz Music For Pets a try. You may be surprised to see how much you and your pet can benefit from the calming sounds of Zoundz! Download the app to your phone and try it out for free!