Bowman, A., Scottish, S. P. C. A., Dowell, F. J., & Evans, N. P. (2015). ‘Four Seasons’ in an animal rescue centre; classical music reduces environmental stress in kennelled dogs. Physiology & behavior, 143, 70-82.
Bowman, A., Scottish, S. P. C. A., Dowell, F. J., & Evans, N. P. (2017). The effect of different genres of music on the stress levels of kennelled dogs. Physiology & behavior, 171, 207-215.
Brayley, C., & Montrose, V. T. (2016). The effects of audiobooks on the behaviour of dogs at a rehoming kennels. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 174, 111-115.
Engler, W. J., & Bain, M. (2017). Effect of different types of classical music played at a veterinary hospital on dog behavior and owner satisfaction. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 251(2), 195-200.
Kogan, L. R., Schoenfeld-Tacher, R., & Simon, A. A. (2012). Behavioral effects of auditory stimulation on kenneled dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 7(5), 268-275.
Wells, D. L., Graham, L., & Hepper, P. G. (2002). The influence of auditory stimulation on the behaviour of dogs housed in a rescue shelter. Animal Welfare, 11(4), 385-393.
Wells, D. L. (2009). Sensory stimulation as environmental enrichment for captive animals: a review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 118(1), 1-11.
The following table lists the papers in chronological order and summarizes what types of music/sound were compared, what was measured to determine the dogs’ response, and the outcome.
| Date | Title | What was compared | Metrics | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The influence of auditory stimulation on the behaviour of dogs housed in a rescue shelter. | human conversation, classical music, heavy metal music, pop music, control | positions in kennels, movement, vocalization | Dogs rested more and less time standing during classical music; barked less in classical music. Dogs barked more during heavy metal. |
| 2012 | Behavioral effects of auditory stimulation on kenneled dogs. | classical, heavy metal, Through a Dog's Ear | Classical music resulted in dogs sleeping more and barking less. More body shaking during heavy metal. TADE had "minimal" effect. | |
| 2015 | ‘Four Seasons’ in an animal rescue centre; classical music reduces environmental stress in kenneled dogs. | classical music, no music | heart rate variability, behavior, salivary cortisol | No difference in cortisol. Heart rate and behavior showed less stress during music. Calming effects disappear after 7 days (habituation) |
| 2016 | The effects of audiobooks on the behaviour of dogs at a rehoming kennels. | audiobook, classical music, pop music, psychoacoustically designed dog music, no auditory control | dogs' behavior | Dogs appeared least stressed during audiobook. TADE less effective than audiobook and classical. |
| 2017 | The effect of different genres of music on the stress levels of kennelled dogs. | Playlists of Soft Rock, Motown, Pop, Reggae, Classical | heart rate variability, behavior, salivary cortisol | Trying to prevent habituation with variety. Least stress per heart rate with reggae and soft rock. No effect on barking. Cortisol problematic. |
| 2017 | Effect of different types of classical music played at a veterinary hospital on dog behavior and owner satisfaction. | classical, Through a Dog's Ear (same pieces), no music | dog's behavior as assessed by owner and tech (re: anxiety), body temperature, heart rate | No statistically significant difference between no music and either the classical music or TADE. |