Dog with Ears Down

If you are an audiophile who is also a dog owner, you probably hope your pup enjoys the same music you do. Whether you are blasting the latest pop hits, prefer country music or stick with the classics, your dog likely gets a blast of your music on a daily basis. But what if your dog could make musical requests? Their answer might surprise you.

Dog Ears vs. Human Ears

When it comes to the difference between our ears and dogs’ ears, canines hear a much wider range of frequencies and tones than we can perceive. This is why your dog can hear and be irritated by a sound of a dog whistle while we can’t hear it at all.

Because of this large perception of sounds, dogs can’t actually perceive a large difference between individual notes. Theoretically, if you played notes at a certain key and then played the same notes but in a different key, pups would not be able to tell the difference.

Howling Along

You can disappear down a YouTube rabbit hole of videos with dogs howling along to their owners’ favourite songs. Whether their owner is wailing away on a saxophone or cranking a tune on the radio, some dogs like to howl along. The reason isn’t because they necessarily love the song, it’s that it is at a pitch they understand and can communicate along with.

Just remember that a dog is always a reflection of its owner. If certain types of music cause you to be a little more hyper or agitated, your dog will take their cues from you and react in a similar way.

Classical Music

If you are searching for the perfect music for your pup, try the classics. And when we say the classics, we are talking about Beethoven, Mozart and Bach played at a relatively low volume. Studies have shown that classical music has a calming effect for dogs compared to faster-paced heavy metal music which may agitate pups or regular pop music which appears to have no effect on dogs.

Keep in mind that a dog’s musical appreciation may also be breed-related. A small lap dog compared to a giant Great Dane may have a vastly different hearing range and heart beats, which will affect how they actually hear the music.

Music as A Companion

Some owners like to play music for their dogs when they are alone at home. As silly as this may seem, there actually appears to be some benefits to this. Some dogs are filled with anxiety when left alone by their owners. Playing music in the background will not only help them feel less alone, the tunes can help muffle sounds from outside that may cause your pup stress when they are by themselves.

Overall, there is no need to change your musical tastes to fit your dog. They are happy to be with you no matter what music you choose to listen to when you are at home. Just remember to throw on something classical every once in a while. Who knows, the cultural impact of it may appeal to both you and your pup!