The Living Arts
Anxious?
How about your dog?
by Carolyn Parfet
Dogs are truly marvelous creatures. They are our closest animal companions: they live with us, travel with us, sleep with us, and some even eat with us. They’re no longer simply “man’s best friend” —they have become part of the family, too. But are our busy lifestyles toxic to our canine companions? According to psychoacoustic specialist, Josh Leeds, 1 in 7 dogs suffer from some form of anxiety due to all the chaotic noise with which we surround ourselves.
Leeds has written a book, with the help of Dr. Susan Wagner, a veterinary neurologist, entitled Through A Dog’s Ear. This book explores the world as we have come to know it and the affect of sounds on our furry playmates and specifically how music will calm them. During a seminar he was teaching on psychoacoustics and how music affects the human nervous system, Leeds was approached by international concert pianist and Julliard graduate, Lisa Spector, in December 2003. Her question was simple: can we apply the same techniques we use for humans and apply them to calm our dogs? This question led to two years of clinical testing, and the results were phenomenal.
Spector and Leeds went to a recording studio and recorded four hours of music ranging from re-arranged, simpler classical music to more complex music. Leeds brought in Wagner and together they tested the music on dogs and studied how it affected their nervous systems. They found the dogs reacted more calmly to the simpler, slower music than the faster, more complex music. After testing for two years, Leeds and Wagner decided to write a book on their findings, and four years after Spector brought the idea to Leeds, the book was finally published, along with a CD comprised of piano music specifically for our canine companions.
How do you know if your dog is anxious? Of course, there are obvious signs, such as outright refusal to get into a car and howling when you leave the house. But there are less obvious signs, too, such as lip licking out of context, looking away, increased panting, yawning when not calm, and/or nervousness.
Leeds and Spector challenge you to take a “sound inventory” of your house. Sit down with pen and paper, and write down every noise you hear. Watch your dog, and pay attention to which noises cause a reaction.
During my chat with Leeds and Spector, they assured me that the music will help in calming a dog’s anxieties. However, you can’t just turn on the music and expect it to work miracles. If your dog has separation anxiety, for example, and you turn on the CD Through A Dog’s Ear as you leave, the dog will associate the music with your leaving. If, however, you listen to the CD while your dog is happy – at home, in the doggy bed, in your bed – your furry friend will associate it with a feeling of happiness, and will be less stressed when you leave the house while the music is playing.
Leeds and Spector have come to the conclusion that although Through A Dog’s Ear works wonders for dogs, it often puts humans to sleep, so they decided to produce two new CDs. The first is entitled Driving Edition – Music to Calm Your Dog in the Car which will not only help keep your motoring dog happy, but will also help to keep you alert, too. The second is called Music For the Canine Household and is designed to be used when you are at home with your dog and will not cause you to fall asleep.
Leeds and Spector have decided not to limit their music to dogs that are already part of a family, and have set up the “shelter program” for dogs awaiting adoption, as well. If the applying shelter has an adequate sound system, they are willing to give away music to be played for the dogs there, and as a bonus, to be sent home with the dog once they are adopted.
Carolyn Parfet is a musician who lives at home with her cats and dogs. Her favorite activities include, but are not limited to, reading, writing, making music, and analyzing homonyms. If you are interested in applying for the shelter program, visit ThroughADogsEar.com.