Dogs Like Reggae!

By JUICE Malaysia • 31 Jan 2017 in News

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Dogs are chill beings. Not all the time, actually most of the time they’re hyper af, but about 40% of the time, most of them are just chill. Hey, maybe that’s why they say, “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

Now, the Scottish SPCA and University of Glasgow have published a paper that suggests music affects dogs’ behaviour. After playing a variety of music to dogs at a rehoming centre in Dumbarton, researchers found that dogs were particularly interested in reggae and soft rock, as they “showed the highest positive changes in behaviour” while listening to these genres. Other genres tested were Motown, pop, and classical. The study also suggested that dogs appreciate all music, regardless of genre, spending “significantly more time lying and significantly less time standing.”

“We were keen to explore the effect playing different genres of music had, and it was clear that the physiological and behavioural changes observed were maintained during the trial when the dogs were exposed to a variety of music,” Professor Neil Evans said in a press release.

“Overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences,” he added.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity previously released research in 2015 showed the impact classical music had on a dog’s behaviour. Having shown that variety is key to avoid habituation, the Scottish SPCA will be investing in sound systems for all their kennels.

At present, both their Glasgow and Edinburgh centres are able to pipe music into their kennels, and in the future every centre will be able to offer a canine-approved playlist, with the view to extending this research to other species in the charity’s care.

Need more proof? Watch the ‘tube below: