A study of canine behaviour by the University of Glasgow (UoG) and the Scottish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has found that dogs prefer listening to reggae and soft rock music.
PhD researcher Amy Bowman played classical, Motown, pop, soft rock and reggae to a group of dogs, and then measured their stress levels. The results showed that dogs found reggae and soft rock the most relaxing, although each dog seemed to have its own individual musical taste.
‘Overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences,’ said UoG professor of integrative physiology Neil Evans. ‘That being said, reggae music and soft rock showed the highest positive changes in behaviour.’
It follows on from a 2015 project that found playing classical music to dogs can improve their wellbeing and prevent habituation. As a result of the study, SSPCA plans to invest in sound systems for all of its kennels.
