Study: Dogs dig classical music

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FORT COLLINS, Colo., Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A Colorado State University professor said his research indicates dogs are soothed by classical music while heavy metal makes them anxious.

Lori Kogan, associate professor at CSU's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and lead author of the study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, said she and her team exposed 117 dogs to three types of music: classical, heavy metal and psychoacoustic classical music specifically designed to sooth animals, Postmedia News reported Friday.

Kogan said the dogs listening to classical music, which were of varying breeds, were generally more relaxed and restful than dogs in the no-music control group, while those listening to heavy metal displayed increased anxiety and unrest. Kogan said the psychoacoustic music had only a minimal calming effect on the canines.

"I did thousands of behavioral assessments over a period of four months ... So the likelihood that this is an error is pretty small," Kogan said. "It does fly in the face of what [Pet CD advocates] talk about, which is that more simplistic music should be more relaxing. The plus side is that you can download classical music for free."