Pipe in music to decrease stress levels in your kennel.

Pipe in music to decrease stress levels in your kennel according to new research. A new study evaluates the stress-reducing effect of playing different music genres for kenneled dogs.Dogs that are kenneled such as those in boarding facilities, shelters and research facilities are known to have high levels of stress. In several studies, various forms of enrichment have been investigated to evaluate the effect of lowering stress in dogs, including the use of toys, visual or olfactory stimulation and human interaction. In a previous study performed by the same group as the current study, classical music was shown to lower stress in kenneled dogs. However, rapid conditioning to this form of enrichment was documented indicated the music became less effective at lowering stress after a period of time (seven days in that study). This study was aimed to determine if the stress reducing effects of music playing could be extended if the dogs were exposed to different genres of music. The test was performed at two facilities in Scotland—the Scottish SPCA Dunbartonshire and West of Scotland Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre—over a nine-month period. It was performed while normal daily husbandry and operational activities occurred at the facilities. Over an 11-day period, dogs had two days of no music for control purposes, followed by five consecutive days of music that was piped into the kennels for six hours a day using a Spotify playlist through wireless speakers around the kennel. Each day a different genre of music (soft rock, motown, reggae, pop or classical) was played, and the genres were randomized for different dog groups. The results of this study were consistent with previous findings that auditory stimulation is an effective enrichment tool in a kennel environment. During periods where music was played, dogs spent more time lying down and had significant changes in heart rate indicating lower stress levels.more