Study reveals best music to keep your pet calm on long car rides – and it’s not the songs you’d expect
THE top 'soothing' songs most likely to keep your dog calm on long car journeys include 'How Deep is Your Love', by The Bee Gees, and Bob Marley’s 'No Woman No Cry', according to experts.
Sam Sutton, senior lecturer of music at the University of West London, revealed Bryan Adams’ '(Everything I Do) I’ll Do It for You' and Foreigner’s 'I Want to Know What Love Is' are also among the top dog-calming tunes.
“Dogs were exposed to a variety of sounds and styles to assess physiological and behavioural changes.
“The interesting thing they witnessed was that dogs displayed positive behavioural changes when exposed to certain music types.
“Reggae and soft rock appear to have been the canine tunes of choice.
“Perhaps the combination of pristine studio production and pleasing sound aesthetics contribute to what makes the dog’s playlist of choice.
“Reggae is often associated with sunshine and chilling out, so perhaps this type of soothing emotional response is shared with our canine companions."
The study also found that while a well-tuned 68 per cent of dog owners are aware certain types of music cause their dog distress, 28 per cent had no idea it could upset them at all.
Top 10 calming songs to play your dog whilst travelling:
'How Deep Is Your Love' – Bee Gees
'no woman no cry' – Bob Marley
'(Everything I Do) I’ll Do It for You' – Bryan Adams
'I Want to Know What Love Is' – Foreigner
'Dark Side of The Moon' – Pink Floyd
'One In 10' – UB40
'Hounds of Love' – Kate Bush
'Desperado" – The Eagles
'Many Rivers to Cross' – Jimmy Cliff
'Love is King' – Sade
Sam Sutton also named the 10 tracks to avoid playing around dogs, including ACDC’s 'Back In Black', Metallica’s 'Enter Sandman', and Motorhead’s 'Ace of Spades'.
He added: “Since a dog's hearing range is wider than the human’s, you may want to avoid any music with whistling as this could trigger their natural sense of response and curiosity."
Adrian Murdock, from justhooit, said: "It is heart-warming to see 81 per cent of dog owners would change their in-car listening habits to ensure their furry friends don't go barking mad on the motorways if caught in traffic jams."
Top 10 worst songs to play to calm your dog whilst travelling:
'Black Dog' – Led Zeppelin
'Back In Black' – ACDC
'Paranoid' – Black Sabbath
Chop Suey!' – System Of A Down
'Duality' – Slipknot
'Enter Sandman' – Metallica
'Smoke on the Water' – Deep Purple
'Runnin’ with the Devil' – Van Halen
'Ace of Spades' – Motörhead
'Master of Puppets' – Metallica
But the research, carried out via OnePoll, found 36 per cent of dog owners could not identify the signs of stress and anxiety while their dog was travelling.
And 26 per cent were unaware stress and anxiety could cause harmful illness for their dogs by lowering their immune system.
Blue Cross behaviourist Becky Skyrme explained her top tips for introducing dogs to car journeys.
She said: “Becoming familiar with car travel from the earliest possible age will really help them to learn that cat travel is a normal everyday event. For slightly older dogs, or for dogs that are worried about travel, there are lots of other things you can do.
"Some dogs experience motion sickness and this can be greatly helped by speaking to your vet. Otherwise, its all about helping your dog to feel safe, secure and comfortable in the part of the car they will be traveling in.