Do dogs like music? What the studies show

Many dogs seem to settle to calm music. Nobody can ask a dog whether it enjoys music, or the radio you leave on for it, so researchers watch what dogs do instead.

In two studies, shelter and kennel dogs rested more and were quieter with calm classical music.¹² A calmer dog is as close as the research gets to "like." The shelter and kennel dogs were stressed to begin with, so music may matter more there than on your sofa.

Can a study tell whether your dog enjoys music?

Not directly. Researchers count what they can see, such as how long dogs lie down and how often they bark. Some also track heart rate as a sign of stress. Our research page lists each study, and what it did and didn't measure.

Those are fair signs of calm. Enjoyment is a step further. A dog that dozes off to Mozart is more relaxed, but we can't say it prefers Mozart.

What kind of music do dogs like?

Calm classical has the most support, partly because researchers have tested it most. A review of the research found that classical music seemed to calm shelter dogs, and that music made for dogs did no better.³ Heavy metal is the one to skip. Our genre-by-genre guide covers which pieces were tested, and why variety matters.

If you've read that dogs like reggae, the source is usually one small study. One study can't settle it.

Do dogs prefer music or silence?

We don't know yet, because none of these studies let dogs choose. In one study of pet dogs left without their owners, those who heard classical music settled a bit faster than those who heard nothing.⁴ In another, shelter dogs were more likely to bark once the music stopped than before it started.⁵ Silence after music may not feel the same to a dog as silence before it.

Does the calming effect wear off?

It can. In one study, the same classical playlist, played every day, stopped making a difference within a week.⁶ So rotate what you play, as in step 4 below.

How can you tell what your dog likes?

You can watch your own dog the way the researchers did.

1. Start with calm classical music. That's where most of the evidence is.
2. Play it at a calm time first, like a nap or a quiet evening, so the music goes with settling down.⁷
3. Watch your dog, not the playlist. Lying down sooner, settling for longer and barking less are the signs the studies measured. If your dog gets up and leaves the room, try something else, or nothing.
4. Rotate the music. Play a different calm mix each day. For the hours you're out, see what to leave playing when you go out.

If you wonder how music sounds to a dog, start with what dogs hear, and what loud noise can do.

If your dog panics when left alone or during storms, that needs more than music. Talk to your vet about a plan. Our fireworks prep plan covers training for noise fears.

Taking the music with your dog

The Barkwoo Music Box clips onto any standard collar. It's the only calming-music player made to be worn on your dog's collar, so it stays with your dog while you're out. One button press starts the preloaded playlist, with no phone, Wi-Fi or app. To rotate what plays, plug it into a computer and drag your own MP3s in alongside the preloaded tracks.

None of these studies played music from a collar, and none tested ours. You can listen to the calming playlist before you decide.

References

1. 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, 385–393. doi:10.1017/S0962728600025112 ↩︎
2. Kogan, L.R., Schoenfeld-Tacher, R. & Simon, A.A. (2012). Behavioral effects of auditory stimulation on kenneled dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 7(5), 268–275. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2011.11.002 ↩︎
3. Lindig, A.M., McGreevy, P.D. & Crean, A.J. (2020). Musical dogs: a review of the influence of auditory enrichment on canine health and behavior. Animals, 10(1), 127. doi:10.3390/ani10010127 ↩︎
4. Kinnaird, R.F. & Wells, D.L. (2022). The effect of auditory stimulation on pet dogs' reactions to owner separation. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 254, 105688. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105688 ↩︎
5. Bowman, 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. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.01.024 ↩︎
6. Bowman, A., Scottish SPCA, 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. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.035 ↩︎
7. Riemer, S. (2023). Therapy and prevention of noise fears in dogs: a review of the current evidence for practitioners. Animals, 13(23), 3664. doi:10.3390/ani13233664 ↩︎