On a daily basis, we become immune to the noise that surrounds us. Common household items like a vacuum cleaner, coffee grinder or a television turned up too loudly can produce a large amount of noise…especially for your pet. Since our house pets can have ears much more sensitive than our own, it is important to be cognizant of the noises in their surrounding environments and to adjust accordingly to help keep them healthy and happy. The intensity of a sound can influence your pet’s health and demeanor more than you know and can lead to behavioral and health issues, fear, aggression and anxiety. Recently, a few veterinary and psychoacoustic experts have teamed together to test the benefits of music therapy on distressed pets. The experts tested animals in veterinary hospitals, animal shelters and in pet owners’ home to determine how playing certain types of music can reduce anxiety and speed healing in dogs.

Doctors and experts found in their testing that slower, less complex music like rearranged pieces by Bach and Beethoven were effective in soothing animals and reducing their anxiety. Pet music therapy can take a little time to catch on but be patient as sometimes animals need time to associate the sound of a tune with good times with their owners. In the long run, playing a CD designed for pets can have a calming effect on your best buddy…and yourself. Calming background music has been found to be an effective tool for lowering the anxiety level in both pets and owners. Also, taking time to assess the noise level in your home can be a great benefit to your pet and yourself as well. Give your home a ‘sonic inventory’ test to determine if your living conditions may be too noisy. When you have about 30 extra minutes, take some notes regarding: all the sounds you can identify (refrigerator, vacuum, street traffic, etc.), notice your pet’s reaction to these sounds, rate the sounds according to your pet’s response and identify which sounds in your home you can avoid, turn down or mask.

By taking the time to become aware of the noises in your home, you can help to create a more comfortable and soothing environment for your pet…and you. A home with less noise can drastically reduce behavioral issues and music therapy can calm your pet along with helping their healing process. Along with listening to calming music with your pet, another exercise you both may enjoy together could be a one or two-hour noise break. When you have a chance, maybe on a Sunday morning, play a comforting CD and escape from the regular intrusion of daily noises in you and your pet’s lives. The break from the psychological stress through music therapy can make for a happy home environment when you take a moment to relax and quiet down with your pet.

By David Greenwood