Want To Calm Fido Down? Try Music!

Classical Best, Researchers Say; The Slower, The Better; Helps Canines Cope With Anxiety

(CBS)  It's said that music can calm the savage beast, and now, researchers are saying that may or may not be true -- but it DOES seem to apply to the family dog! At least -- slow, classical music.

Concert pianist Lisa Spector noticed that, when she practiced her piano, her rambunctious dog calmed down.

"The vibrations that a piano brings on -- I've never met a dog in my entire life who just doesn't totally love the -- those sounds," she told The Early Show's resident veterinarian, Dr. Debbye Turner.

Spector shared her observation with sound researcher Joshua Leeds, and they began creating music just for Fido.

"Our goal," Leeds explains, "is to be able to use the music and sound to help dogs be able to just deeply relax."

Leeds then conducted a study with a veterinary neurologist, Dr. Susan Wagner.

"There have been studies," Wagner says, "on people that show that noise pollution creates stress. And we know that chronic stress creates disease."

The study found that, when slow, simple classical music was played for shelter dogs, more than 70 percent became noticeably calmer. The findings are published in their book, "Through a Dog's Ear".

"What we found," Leeds says, "is the slower the music that we played, the more relaxed the dogs became."

Spector says they simplify the music for canines, by lowering the music an octave -- lower frequencies slow one's heart rate -- and by playing it in solid chords, so there's not as much for the ear to absorb all at once.

What's more, Turner points out, dogs appear to have musical preferences!

Says Leeds: "Rock music, jazz, heavy metal made them more anxious. Classical slowed them down. It just relaxed them in a way that the other music seemed to irritate them."

Turner tried out the theories on some dogs at Canine Ranch Doggie Daycare in New York.

When she played rock, the dogs were very active, even feisty, Turner reports. Jazz might relax humans, but it seemed to make the hounds hyper. As for rap -- "Let's just say I enjoyed it more than they did."

But, within moments of playing the simple music created by Spector and Leeds, the dogs relaxed, some even laid down.

"These dogs just relax like you wouldn't believe," Wagner observes.

They've dubbed that type of music "psycho-acoustic music" and believe it can help dogs who suffer with behavioral issues, such as separation anxiety.

"What we found," Wagner says, "was that twice as many of the behaviors, the anxiety behaviors, were reduced with the psycho-acoustic music, as compared to the play list from the classical music station."

Asked if she was saying a dog with separation anxiety can be cured by listening to that music, Wagner responded, "Well, it may or may not -- we have had dogs cured just with the music."

It remains to be seen, Turner notes, how much that music can help a dog with anxiety.

But, according to Leeds, it sure can't hurt!

"The only way that this music could hurt the human being or dog is if they ate the CD!" Leeds exclaimed.

[shaferg]

WHEN I AM GONE ALL DAY I ALWAYS LEAVE MUSIC ON FOR ANY ANIAMAL CATS OR DOGS AS THEY NEED SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. IT WOULD BE A BAD DAY SAY 8 TO 12 HOURS WITH NO SOUNDS OR HUMAN VOICES OR NO NOISE AT ALL THAT WOULDE BE PRISON FOR ANY ANIMAL !!

[cats2cats]

I''m glad to hear that about Amazon, and will not buy anything on line from them again if they''re selling info about animal fighting. I''ll contact them to complain about it. I will buy the cat music CD on the "Dog''s Ear" site when it''s available. Thanks to "Dog''s Ear" for coming up with a great idea!

[lisaspector]

Hi - This is from Lisa Spector, the pianist on all of the Through a Dog''s Ear recordings.

For all of you requesting music for cats, that music is in the works. There is no harm in playing Through A Dog''s Ear for cats, but we are finding that the music that relaxes cats has some different components than the music that relaxes dogs. Please go to www.ThroughADogsEar.com and submit your request for cat music under "Share your Stories" and I will keep you informed of product release dates.

Also, please note that we are taking pre-orders for Music for Driving with your Dog and Music for the Canine Household, for a release date of April 1st. Those CD''s will initally only be available at www.ThroughADogsEar.com

I have been collecting comments from all over the world from people who I don''t know who have been testing Music to Calm Your Canine Companion. The results have really been overwhelming. See music comments at www.ThroughADogsEar.com - Music: Music Testimonials.

Thanks everyone!!

Woof,
Lisa

[centrestage-2009]

The BEST relaxing music I have ever heard is made and performed by brilliant pianist and composer, Charles Segal. Go to www.CharlesSegal.com and you''ll see what I mean.

[kbbk78]

PLEASE-Do not buy this CD & book through Amazon. They carry dog & *** fighting material all in the name of a dollar. Maybe they want you to play the calming CD during dog fight training - who knows. I did contact Amazon as did others, they don''t seem to care if they lose customers over it. THANKS

[kbbk78]

PLEASE-Do not buy this CD & book through Amazon. They carry dog & *** fighting material all in the name of a dollar. Maybe they want you to play the calming CD during dog fight training - who knows. I did contact Amazon as did others, they don''t seem to care if they lose customers over it. THANKS

[zeusandco]

If you are a Pet Store, Rescue group, Distributor or in any way pet related resaller and need to purchase the book or CD to resell please contact:
Zeus and Company.

www.Zeusandco.com

We are the Exclusive Distributor for these products to the pet trade in North America.

[galindo1950]

I''m still waiting to get a copy of the recipe for the appetizer Russ Mitchell displayed on the early show Feb. 19th...thank-you

I have 2 standard pooodles. The one I resued, suffers from seperation anxiety. She gets up on the kitchen counters the table looking for anything that is mine. She has gotten to the point of destroying my things. As soon as the CD is available I''ll be the first in line. Sandra Thorp

[shellyvic]

Here is the Music CD on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Through-Dogs-Ear-Joshua-Leeds/dp/B000Z7OTBY/

Here is the book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Through-Dogs-Ear-Behavior-Companion/dp/1591798116/